Thrifty Thursday’s – Off-Season Shopping

October 30, 2014October 30, 20144 Comments

I’ve written a couple of posts now about off-season shopping; so, it should come to no surprise that I’m a big fan of it and therefore dedicating an entire new post to it! I love ‘off-season’ – or ‘end-of-the season’ – shopping for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is that, for many seasonal items, it’s the only way I can sometimes afford to buy certain pieces. Admittedly, it can be difficult to purchase a wool sweater in the middle of the summer, in 90 degree weather with unbearable humidity. But, when fall and winter rolls around, boy will you be excited you only paid $5 for a $50 sweater when everyone else is paying retail out of necessity!

Here’s one of the sweaters I bought at the peak of summer this year. I only paid $5 for it at the Gap! Earlier this week, it was pretty chilly in the morning, so I was glad to have a new, warm and cozy sweater to throw on.

Sweater: Gap, similar here // 7 for All Mankind Skinny Jeans: Fab’rik Boutique, here // Kate Spade Boots: Von Maur, similar here // Clutch: Forever 21, similar here.

Around that same time, I happened to visit the outlet mall and found a trench coat that was deeply discounted. I only paid $20 for it at the Banana Republic outlet. I styled it over my $5 sweater outfit and called it a day! I also added a pair of Kate Spade rain boots that I purchased at Von Maur for $40 (also majorly discounted!!), and a $6 clutch – okay, maybe it’s a make-up bag – from Forever 21. So, every piece in this outfit was purchased on clearance; except the jeans, which were a gift from Fab’rik Boutique! Thank you, Fab’rik!!

Sweater: Gap, similar here// Trench Coat: Banana Republic Outlet, similar here // 7 for All Mankind Skinny Jeans: Fab’rik Boutique, here // Kate Spade Boots: Von Maur, similar here // Clutch: Forever 21, similar here.

Here’s another piece I purchased on major clearance (jacket was originally $198 and I paid $15) from Ann Taylor. I paired it with a skirt and pair of wedges that had been sitting in my closet for over a year, and a $12 necklace I found on clearance at Banana Republic. Moral of the story: Great outfits happen to those who wait for end-of-the season sales (or any clearance sale, really, haha)! 😉

Blazer: Ann Taylor, similar here // Top: Forever 21: similar here // Skirt: Phillip Lim for Target, here // Tassel Necklace: Banana Republic, similar here // Nude Wedges: Forever 21, similar here

Buying off-season is a great way to purchase items you know you will eventually want or need. You do, however, end up having clothes around the house that aren’t currently in use. My hubby seems to see this as a problem. The solution I proposed: Build me a bigger closet! Just saying…problem solved. 💁

What are some items you have purchased off-season?? Comment below or tag me on Instagram when you wear them!

Until next time! Stay Chic!

Thrifty Thursday’s – Calypso St. Barth’s Friends and Family Sale

October 23, 2014July 28, 20156 Comments

There’s a great sale going on at Calypso St. Barth, so I just had to share it with you! It began yesterday, October 22nd, but will run through Sunday, October 26th so there is still plenty of time to shop! 🙂 I was actually at Calypso St. Barth for the launch of the Friends and Family sale last night, offering styling tips and helping pick out pieces for the fall. It was so much fun! So, I thought I would do the same for you in this post. But first, let me tell you about my outfit of the night (aka #ootn). I wore a pair of Calypso St. Barth sequin pants (currently on sale!) that I purchased a while back for next to nothing during another one of their sales:

Outfit details: Calypso St. Barth Sequin Pants (here) // Altuzarra for Target jacket (here) // Paris Hilton Heels (similar here) // Vintage Gold Clutch (similar here) // Forever 21 Bracelet (similar here) // Kendra Scott Earrings (here). Photo: Hubby.

In Birmingham, the launch of the Friends and Family sale also coincided with the Shop and Share event, hosted by the Junior League of Birmingham, with social media coverage by B-Metro magazine. Here I am with Heather of My Life Well Loved and Buffy York of The Style Gathering at the B-Metro Magazine step and repeat who were live-blogging during the Junior League of Birmingham’s Shop and Save event. Photo: Buffy York.

I’ve shared my love for Calypso St. Barth with you all previously, and also mentioned how pricey the store can be. I believe I also mentioned how amazing their sales can be too, though! There are some fantastic items on sale now in stores, but also many that can be found online. One of the things I like to do when shopping sales is to plan ahead and shop for the following year. So, for example, there are some amazing summer items for sale at Calypso St Barth right now. They are incredibly affordable after the Friends and Family, 25% off discount. To save you some time, I’ve curated some outfit ideas for you! Take a look at some of the “looks” I styled for you at three different price points:

1. Beach attire – Summer 2015: All under $30 before 25% off discount.

Calypso St Barth cover up swimwear / Calypso St Barth tankini top / Calypso St Barth bandeau top / Calypso St Barth clothing / Tkees flip flops / Assorted TKEES Flip Flops | Calypso St. Barth

2. The Cookout – Summer 2015 – All under $50 before 25% off discount.

AG Adriano Goldschmied shorts / Leather sandals / Flora Bella woven purse / Vintage necklace / Isabel V-Neck Linen Tee | Calypso St. Barth

3. Dinner Date – Summer 2015: All under S100 before 25% off discount.

Calypso St Barth wrap dress / Summer sandals / Crossbody purse / Morra Designs dangle earrings / Element Dangle Necklace | Calypso St. Barth

Don’t you just want it all?! If you want a personal shopping experience, feel free to contact my friend and Calypso St. Barth store manager, Brittany Jones (205.262.2996) at the Summit in Birmingham, AL. She can order everything for you (personal shopper you say??) and have it shipped to you anywhere in the US!

Otherwise, feel free to order on your own, online, using promo code FRIENDS14. Let me know if you end up getting anything from the sale! I’d love to hear about your bargain finds!! Finally, for those of you wondering, the winner of the denim giveaway was announced on Instagram two weeks ago. Congratulations to Nancy Wander!!

Until next time! Stay Chic!

Thrifty Thursday’s – Office Chic on a Budget

October 9, 20144 Comments

I love to dress up for work. That’s no secret. That said, I don’t like to spend a lot of money on my clothes. But, if you’ve read my blog before, you already know this. 🙂

People often ask how I find such amazing deals. It’s really quite simple: anytime I walk into a store or load a store’s webpage online, I head straight for the sales section. At Target, for example, I go straight for the clearance section and always walk right over to the 70 and 50 percent off racks. Online, if browsing Piperlime.com, AnnTaylor.com…you name it; I first click on the Sale tab, then immediately sort by price (low to high), and don’t consider buying anything that isn’t marked off 60% or more. I guess the other important part of this is that, I don’t shop for special occasions or for certain outfits. I’m always on the hunt for deals and steals, so that if a special occasion or a need for a new outfit rolls around, amazingly priced options already exist in my closet and I don’t have to stress while in the store because “I can’t find anything to wear”. See, being prepared works even for avid shoppers like me!

That’s how I’ve manged to score some of the outfits below! Check them out:

Photo: My 5-year old son

The skirt in the outfit above is from the Target clearance racks. It was marked down to about $5. I paired it with a $10 top from the sale section at Forever 21, a $6 necklace from Francesca’s (also on sale), nude BCBGeneration heels from TJ Maxx (super old), and my 10-year wedding anniversary gift…Louis #3 (thank you bunches, hubby!!). Replace the shoes and bag with items you already own (aka ‘free’), and you have a decent outfit for work for less than $25!

This next outfit cost $16 total, minus the shoes (but they are so old, they are practically free now, haha!):

Photo: Hubby

This dress was tucked between all of the XL clothes on a clearance rack at the Gap. It is a small. Moral of this short story: Be a signage skeptic! Just because the rack sign indicates the clothes are not in your size, doesn’t necessarily mean that one or more items have been misplaced and are waiting for you to find them! So, $11 later, this dress was mine! Add a $5 necklace from Walmart (another lesson to be learned here…be an equal opportunity shopper), and $16 later, you have a prim and proper outfit for work! You could even wear this to dinner with colleagues or to church on Sunday!

My latest find was an Ann Taylor blazer (pictured below), paired with another Gap dress I scored online. Take a look at the two items I scored for $23:

Photo: Hubby

I happened to stop by Ann Taylor this past week and they were having an additional 60% discount on all of their sale merchandise. This blazer was on sale, but originally priced at $200. I got it for $15! Major #winning moment! The dress I purchased for $8 (originally ~$45) earlier in the year during a flash sale on Gap.com, the necklace was $15 at Lotus Boutique, the belt was $8 at Anthropologie (also old), and the shoes/bag, well, we’ve already covered those above. 🙂

So you see, a little bit of savvy shopping can go a long way! All looks are office appropriate and won’t break your bank either.

Here are a few basics from JCrew.com, all under $24 with code SOSWEET. The items below are all in the ‘Sale’ Section, and you get an additional 40% off the marked sale price…AND, don’t forget to sort by price!! The sale is going on in stores as well.