one more ho for the road

the gifting holidays may be over, but maybe you have some gift cards burnin' a ho ho hole in your pocket.  luckily, stores galore have sales going on at the mo.  so strap on your wellies or snow boots, or get your clicky fingers ready and SHOP the sales darlings.  all the biggie department stores are working their mojo.  and some of the boutiques are going deep on the discounts.  one such example is Intermix, offering an extra 40% off already reduced merch, both in stores and online.  that, my dears, is up to 80% off.  that is the kind of math that i like. a few ideas for the picking - super hot grey wool D&G dress, snuggly buttery leather Vince jacket, perfect little Rebecca Minkoff bag.  BOOM you're dressed for a night out.   so on dasher and dancer and prancer and vixen - ride me to the sale!

what is greater than fantastic?

the answer to this math problem is:  a thing is greater than fantastic when it is on SALE.  more precisely, a high quality item.   that's sort of a given, but it is always good to remind one's self. 

with this in mind - i highly suggest a visit to the Hanro Sample Sale.  it's not a stretch to suggest that this stuff might just change your mind about how things should feel on your bod.  it's also not a stretch to say that i am a wee bit obsessed with how soft and snuggly and luxurious it feels - so whether you're lounging around at home or wearing it underneath as you go about you daily bizz, you feel kind of loved by fabric.  i could go on and on, but i'll just get to the point.  go get yourself some soft silky lovelies.  items on sale include undergarments, loungewear, sleepwear and robes for men and women. (cash and credit cards accepted)

wednesday, december 8th 8am to 6pm at their new showroom - 358 5th avenue - 6th floor, NYC

see you there!!  i'll be the one hidden under a mountain of items...

it's big baby!

the summer sales are starting to pick up steam.  (as is the sidewalk.  and my glasses)  since it is 100 degrees out there - possibly higher, and there are heat and air quality warnings, why not shop online dolls?  one of my fave online go-to stops shopbop is having a bit of a blow out - up to 70% off.  there is a TON of really cute jewelry (including this adorbs skully bracelet by me&ro), denim galore, and some great dresses to beat the heat...  i swear, sale season gets me all hot and bothered... or is that just heat exhaustion?

shop and awe

summer is here, at last.  and because of the crazed timelines of the fashion industry, sales on summer merchandise are already beginning.  no complaints on that!  in the past i've wandered sales simply for the fun of it - and lord knows i've come away with some doozers.  some of my absolute fave closet dwellers were scored that way.  i won't stop the aimless wander - i just enjoy it - BUT i've decided that perhaps it's time to also incorporate some military precision strike tactics as well.   i can't claim all the credit on this idea.  wandering around aimlessly this weekend, enjoying the glorious heat and sun, bf and i did the drill, stop for an iced coffee here, pop into a newly opened chocolate shop there, and of course me being me, a few boutiques and shops.  (where, over the course of the weekend, i was treated to SEVERAL goodies to add to the summer wardrobe by the man.  love when that happens!)   anyhoo -- in one of said stops, Filene's Basement to be exact, i saw a rack of Missoni merch with a big ol' sign saying "additional 50% off!!"   you won't blame me for getting heart palpitations - right?!!?  i picked up a dress, held it up to me - and bf said "it's marked down extra - but it's still a couple hundred dollars for something you don't really need".   i kind of need to admit that he was spot on.  (if it were a pair of Louboutins, it might be a diff story - that's a collectors item thank you very much)  thus was born my 2010 sale shop concept.

Bergdorf's sale is starting this week. will i go?  YES.  will i buy?  only if it is on my list.  there are a few things i've been pining for - and if they are marked down, they may end up mine.  Barney's sale will be starting soon too - same rules apply.   when the further markdowns are made later in the summer - all bets may be off - but let's just wait and see, shall we?  let's live in the moment.  make a wish list.  keep it on hand - and shop the sales that way.  better to get a discount on something you've been lusting after (jury please see photo exhibit A)  than to end up with a closet full of things you never knew you needed, and therefor will never wear.  i believe in you stylies.  shop like no one's watching - do it like you mean it - but do it right and you'll have a closet full of gems to take you through the rest of your life!

just a quickie

spring has sprung!  i've re-arranged the wardrobe, outside it's gorgeous, my bf is struck with allergies, and sales are starting to happen! so it is official.

go have a lookie at shopbop - they have a spring sale running with merch up to 70% off!  woot!

inner turmoil

allow me to begin by saying this does not necessarily mean i will BUY anything (i'm saying that mainly to myself, to stay strong in ye olde resolve)... just that i will LOOK. because things are pretty and i like to look at them...

i heard a little word from a little bird that things (in particular SHOES dolls.) will be marked down an additional 30% on Friday. so do your own math - but mine equals almost free. as i said, all efforts will go into my vision quest and not the purchase.

the 2nd floor of Bergdorf's is really nothing shy of my nirvana. it's always a bit too hectic in the entrances and on the first floor - but then you get on the escalator, cruise up slowly - and then step off onto the magic carpet of shoe dreams. makes a gal's eyes go wide every time. add to this, the glance to the right to catch sight of the sale racks, and beginning friday that little sign atop each rack that says "additional 30% off" - the feeling is indescribable. sigh.

tick tock. is it Friday yet?

happy new year!!

i miss LA. i never lived there, but i used to travel there about 4 times a year for work - and so i had a strong affinity for it and knew the lay of the land. aside from the plastique world of "the business" i love it. a lot. and miss it. a lot.

a quickie list of the best things about LA: my best best friend lives there. as in BFF. sister quality friend... it's sunny and warm. like, gorgeous. every day. spectacular.... CoffeeBean - the green circle brand can kiss my arse - CoffeeBean rules.... it's a quick drive to the ocean.... mountain/ocean landscapes rock my world.... the Grove - it beats out disney HANDS DOWN as the happiest place on earth... and last but not least - Fred Segal.

every trip i would take - and still to this day, involve a dose of all of the above mentioned things. heavy dosage on the best friend and the Grove. and always one trip to Fred Segal. usually the Hollywood store, but on occasion Santa Monica.

most often my visits lean heavily on the t-shirt, intimates and jewelry sections. which are nothing short of heaven. a few of my fave pieces of jewelry are from said mecca, and a few of the more trendy have been passed down to my nieces. elicits squeals of delight every time.

the Ron Herman/Fred Segal website is not as chock-full-of-deliciousness as the actual stores... but, if you, like myself, are not currently in LA, then we make due. starting on Friday, ye olde January Sale. always a fun activity for the bargain hunter in me. (she is a strong warrior) take a little cruise of the site - or go to the store if you can! - and do a pre-shop. the "i hope this goes 50% off" run, if you will... hmmm - perhaps this sweet little hummingbird? this gorge Chan Luu braided number? super adorable Free People tunic? and these Falke rouched leggings are already marked down. i just had to include them because i love them.

so what if it's minus 84 degrees where we are. put on some sunnies, sit near your radiator, hop on the computer and pretend you're in LA by shopping Fred Segal! sale starts Friday!

screw black friday, try grey wednesday!

once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far, away, i worked at a Mall. it was right after i had moved back from living in Paris. i hated it. not my cup of tea. i would rather have pulled out my eyelashes. however, that is not the point here. the point is that that particular period in my life was when i discovered the earth-bound version of hell that is "black friday". i vaguely recall hiding in a dressing room at one point to get away from the madness.

i don't know what evil genius came up with this idea. but they should be a villain in a super-hero movie. 98.4% of america runs screaming to any available shopping area near their homes and loses any sense of sanity they may have been gripping on to. i see images of it now on tv and it gives me shivers. all this for maybe, $5 off some item that will without a shadow of a doubt go ON SALE AGAIN. it's beyond insane and i just do not understand it.

now, this year, it will certainly boost the droopy economy if we all do shop - and we do all know i love to shop - and so i say: "SHOP! DO IT!" but you don't need to get an arm ripped off in the process.

i'm coming up with my own plan. i'm going to celebrate grey wednesday. i am going - wait for it.... to the MALL to meet my mum tomorrow. i love a good mall. nothin' like it. and on grey wednesday, i shall be free to peruse things at my leisure, and without fear. and i do know for a fact that Neiman Marcus has a load of things marked down, as does Anthropologie, Saks, Barneys, and JCrew. and i imagine that the other shops will follow suit. and for any of thee who are locked to the computer - chickdowntown and amazon.com are doing an "early" black friday deal, and i can only imagine that other sites will be following any moment now - so CRUISE the shops, or the web and find your early deals.

take that black friday! hazzah!

psssst..... sale quickie

quickie post - shopbop has put a patootie-load of new items on sale. and the markdowns are substantial! i may or may not have scored a HOT pair of Alexander Wang black skinny pants with cool zipper and moto-knee details for about 1/5 of their original price... oh yeah baby.

omg it's bdb

oh internet - you are a good invention. for years there has been this amazers bi-coastal sort of warehouse sale type thing going on called Billion Dollar Babes. oddly, i have never been to one in NYC, but i did go to one out in LA, and, in a word - FAN-FRIGGIN-TASTIC. gigantic warehouse filled with masses of clothing and accessories from creme de la creme designers - big time reduced. some might call it heaven...and i purchased. of course i purchased.

and now! - the time has come!! in their infinite wisdom - the ladies at BDB have launched an online version of their sales. i kind of hope they don't stop the "real" ones - because it's a pretty fun shopping excursion i must say. howevs, i am quite happy that they have done this - as miss e-stylist does spend a moment of her time on the interwebs...

right now they have some rather gorge sunglasses from Oliver Peoples on there... hmmmmmm....

the days of yore

back in the olden days, when i used to travel a lot for work, (and i do mean a LOT) i would have stops that i HAD to make in each city. partially it was for comfort - like a kid has a blankie, i would have my "stops". for some odd reason i had to go to Walgreens everywhere. it was comforting - they are the same in every city. (plus i really am utterly obsessed with drugstore shopping. i love it in a very odd way that i don't understand) and if the city had a mall - i would go. malls are the same everywhere.

that said, each city also had its own unique "stops" that made me happy. and long ago, kids, in the days before the interwebs was as shopper friendly as it is now, there were stores that weren't accessible to everyone. one such store was DSW. (they're in NY now, so the thrill is different. not gone - it's designer shoes at discount for god's sake. the thrill is inherent in the name) every time i went to work in Chicago, i had to go to DSW. it was made even easier for me by the fact that it was across the street from the theatre i worked at. no brainer.

now that the interwebs has brought the world to our laps, or desks, we can go anywhere any time. it is a little weird and a lotta wonderful.

back to DSW. i once got a pair of Prada shoes there for $80. tell me - just try and tell me how this store is not AWESOME. and right now - yes right this moment - they are giving us all an extra 30% off clearance items. do the math - it's almost free. just enter the code THIRTY at checkout - and there you go. thank you interwebs, you do nice things for us.

well, i never! (ok, ok i do all the time)

once more, the sales come a-callin! and who are we to say no? the way i look at it, it's always worth looking through a sale, because there very well be something that is on your list, that you had on a back burner. and if it's marked down, then why not front burner that thing, purchase it cheaper, and cross it off the list! that's what i call EFFICIENT.

i have in the past blogged about Chickdowntown - it's a good little boutique site that offers a nice range of designers at an equally nice range of prices. i have e-purchased a number of things from them - and they ship quickly, and they wrap every purchase with a pretty, shiny black ribbon, which just makes you feel nice when you open it. (you can make fun of me. i don't mind.)
this dress is just one of a whole LOAD of lovelies on there... looking at this i just imagine wearing it and feeling like i'm in Palm Springs hosting a party out back by the grotto, feeling summery and lovely and sipping a nice cool beverage...

ahem, anyhoo - they also have this great habit of having sales. which, combined with the whole ribbon thing, is just kind of like a little slice of heaven. right now, there is a site-wide discount - 30% off everything. for those of you who are not math whizzes, that's almost a third off. not too shabby, right? all you have to do is enter the code SEASON30 at checkout. so go on, have a look...

some do-good spending...

it's back to school time. even if you're not in school, there's still that same feeling. try and tell me you don't feel it when you open the September issue of the mags... right?

'member that time when i posted about do-good charity tote bags? well, i'm gonna step it up a notch this time. Bloomingdale's is doing a charity shopping blitz. they are pledging to donate $75,000 to AMFAR. so what could possibly be bad about shopping the site in order to help them reach the goal???? and they are offering up all sorts of sales and price cuts. that makes it both a cheap thrill AND a do-good shopping spree. someone you know and love must be deserving a present, right? so why not buy it here. hey, maybe the someone is you. no rules against that.

i have lectured you enough. i think you know what to do.

what a feeeelin'

ok, let's first get this fact known. i am not fully in support of the '80s style comeback. 99.96% of it was really pretty heinous the first time round, so honestly, why have another go?

that being said, falling squarely into the .04% that is worth another look is the whole flashdance, shirt sloping off the shoulder deal. that is sexy. was back then, still is now. in my opinion it doesn't work if you really ho it up, but something a bit on the classy side, but just a little "oops, is my shoulder showing?" is good stuff.

there are a number of pieces in the line Haute Hippie (yes, i do love name.) that are so cute it hurts me. and lo and behold, they do go on sale at times, so it hurts less. it's like a sale band-aid. this little number is one such. it's not my fault - i got a tweet on me twitter. it's like singer22 just wants me not to forget. next thing you know, i'll be getting tweets about the boots i can't stop thinking of. sigh.

there are tons of other options like this out there less pricey - it's well worth hunting... i just keep staring at this sweater, and felt compelled to share that it gave me "what a feelin'"...

extra discount on top of discount... yum

bluefly. one of the first, and still one of the best, discount websites... i bought my first extra naughty-expensive pair of shoes there, way back when. (and have bought a few pair since then...oops!)

anyhoo - today they are offering an additional 10% off handbags. as i waxed style-etic on, in terms of "investing" - the handbag, if you choose to, is a good place to do so. and if someone is offering you more money off said item, it bears thinking about, n'est-ce pas?

at the very least it's fun to look. i've spent the past 30 minutes doing so... your turn!

if you're feeling sale spendy...

let's discuss "investments" for a moment. in terms of style. there are (and any person you find in the fashion industry will agree with this) certain pieces in a person's wardrobe that are worth an investment. a good shoe, a good bag, a good coat. all of these are things that you will wear often, and for years and years. so if you apply the old "cost per wear" calculation, these things end up being more worth it than the cheap dress you buy that starts to look like crap after the second time you wear it.

now i am not suggesting you break the bank and go all carrie bradshaw spendy. all i'm saying is that it is well worth considering purchasing said items IF they fit into your wardrobe. (2 good guide - are there at least 3 things you already own that you would wear it with? are there 3 scenarios in your REAL life you can imagine wearing it?) and look for sales. an investment can certainly be made at a discount price. it makes it a more exciting investment if you ask me.

ok - so that is a style lesson for the day. the sale gods have spoken, and there is a pretty big selection of Christian Louboutin (the holy grail of shoe investment. seriously. amazing.) at the Outnet - at up to 70% off. (great sale site - sign up!!) even if you are not buying - it's worth looking to get ideas for another rainy day. it doesn't hurt to look at the menu, even if you're on a diet...

sale time! WHAT!

the hotter it gets - the deeper the sales get. it's like retail's way of making us feel a little bit less schvitz-encumbered. i, for one, appreciate the effort.

anthropologie. land of the pretty pretty things. every time i walk into anthropologie, my blood pressure goes down. it is a happy place. things for the house, things for your self - they have that. and when it's time for markdowns, oh the heart flutters.

if you happen to be in proximity to a store - i would say go. your soul will appreciate the pretty vacation. and if not - peruse the website and gaze at the prettiness on your screen.

see - hot and sweaty just got a little nicer, right?

new sale site launching! tally ho!

if you look down and to your left (on the screen, not on your floor silly) you will see, in the "web cruisers" section of my favorite sites - Gilt Group. a super fantastic site where they post sales each week of heavily discounted designer things. the place is a goldmine. i have snapped up a coupble of absurdly low priced things. they have great designers - and they seriously do a hefty cut on price... having said that - they do some stuff that is uber high end - so even the-e-stylist here feels to guilty to spend. but wait! there's more!

as of noon today - they are launching a sister site, if you will, of lower price point items. Gilt Fuse is brands that are still in the "hmmm... i really shouldn't" while in stores - but once they hit the site, the price cut will have you chanting "yes we can!" it's a member's site - so you have to sign up, and they will send you emails each week with what sales are coming your way.

well worth the keyboard clicking my dears, well worth it.

bloomin' SALES!

slightly irritating, but kind of funny, admit it!

Bloomingdale's is having an end of summer sale. now then my dears - there are plenty of goodies there on the website. but if you go into the stores - as i did today (and let me just say here - i did for you. i did it because i care. it's what i do for you) there are loads upon loads of racks that are 50% off the already reduced price. allow me to repeat myself. 50% off the already reduced price!

this involves some math of course, which is why the inventors of cell phones put calculators on communication devices...clearly. but really now - something that is 50% off of something that was already reduced by 50% - well that is just practically free now, isn't it??!!

a daily dealie

i have always liked Vita bracelets - they're half punk/half luxe - but not in that late '80s "high end designers trying to do punk and selling billion dollar ripped things" way... like the whole Chanel biker thing... oh don't get me started on that. anyhoo...

i'm a big fan of leather jewelry - it just hits me with its best shot. i tend to go neutral, but there are some very fun colors that could add a little pizazz to an otherwise simple outfit... a little color on the wrist, and jeans and a t-shirt are a lot more fun.

take a gander at their website, and use the code People09 at checkout and you will get 20% off, thanks to the lovely people over at People StyleWatch magazine! ah sales. i love them.