Thursday, December 29, 2011

Shoe Confessional

Forgive me wallet, for I have sinned. I may or may not have purchased these Jimmy Choo pumps at the out of control Saks After Christmas Sale.


Oh hi ladies. Why thank you, you are looking lovely today as well.

Despite the pricey brand name, I paid only 35% of their original retail price (at $187 after tax, you can do the math). These snake print beauties are proof that even a gal on a budget can snag designer goods for mass retailer prices. These Steve Madden snake print platforms retail for $190 (I am not endorsing this particular pair, I just went to stevemadden.com and typed in "snake" for a comparison). And yes while they are on sale for $120, the fact that the full price was more than I paid for made-in-Italy-will-last-forever-and-are-way-chicer shoes serves as evidence that it is easy to overpay for mediocre quality.


Behold the Noizey. Who comes up with these ridiculous names?

Now I can't claim to be the best bargain shopper out there, and I won't lie and say that every purchase I have ever made was the right one, but I can safely say that sometimes it is worth avoiding purchasing mass quantities of fast fashion in order to put that money towards an investment piece. With a LOT of patience (you are gonna need it to wait for the final sales, dig through messy piles, and put up with the crowds of crazy bargain hunters exemplified in the video below) and a discerning eye, you too can make out with some drool-worthy designer goods for a fraction of the retail price.


Original video posted on WreakHavockNY.com

Here's how!

End of Season Sales
For After Christmas, Saks had up to 65% off shoes (75% off Women's RTW), Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys 60%, Bloomingdale's at 75% off. Stalk the prices and you are sure to get your goodies at a low price if you wait it out. If you can't find what you want, it just wasn't meant to be.


Prada shoes I had my eye on for months. 75% off at a Saks After Thanksgiving Sale

Outlet Shopping
For those of you near to Woodbury Common, I find it is the most promising outlet mall I have shopped at. While a few shops have closed since I last visited, most of the high-end retailers have outlets there: Dior, Valentino, Prada, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, YSL, even Reed Krakoff is slated to open this summer. (Full store listing can be found here.)


Creatively staging my Chanel shoes because to me they are a work of art.

Discount Retailers
I scored Lanvin suede boots for $250 (retail price $1500) at the Upper West Side Loehmann's. While I don't usually have the best of luck in these types of stores, knowing a score like that is out there means I will be sure to check back in periodically as they receive merchandise frequently. I have also found shoes at Century21 but the crowds there are pretty hard to deal with and their dressing rooms are a nightmare. Just don't say I didn't warn you.


You've seen this pic before but damn...what a great purchase!

Discount and Flash Sale Websites
Reduced price designer goods just a mouse click away over at The Outnet, Gilt, Rue La La, Hautelook, ideeli, and Amazon's My Habit. While I haven't purchased items from these sites (yet?), I know plenty of those who have. Echem, Jose.

Always remember it is important to focus on pieces you will wear forever and make sure you would love the item at full price too, not just because it is happens to be a certain percent off. While a deep discount on a designer item is always great, if you don't need it, won't wear it, or don't love it, you can (and will, trust me on this one), as my mother always told me "go broke saving money."

2 comments:

Liz said...

Sigh, the last paragraph, so wise. If you wouldn't love it at full price, it's not worth buying on sale. Why is this always so hard to remember??

Anonymous said...

I think one "dear" aunt will now consider who treats to dinner next time she visits NYC! (I won't mention my score at the Saks post-Christmas madhouse.)