Tag: frugal

What NYFW means for your closet

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Today marks the launch of Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week!!  An event that remains on my bucket list, because I am hopeful that I will one day be able to attend (Hint to anyone out there willing to take me!!). It happens twice a year where Spring fashion is presented in the Fall, and Fall fashion in the Spring.  Fashionistas, designers, and all lovers of fashion alike are currently in attendance at many of the fashion shows currently showing in New York (Jealous much?  I am!!).

If you are like me, you will admire from afar and keep up with the happenings of each show via live feed here, as well as updates on Facebook, and Instagram, to name a few.  It’s probably a better way to keep up anyway since it would be nearly impossible for a little unknown person like me to score tickets to more than one show, much less an invite to any of the amazing after parties.  So…I live vicariously through others. 🙂

I am, however, able to indulge in the innovation presented and generated for these new lines of fashion twice of year by purchasing what trickles down (see, Reagan’s Trickle Down Theory can be applied to fashion as well, lol!) to ready-to-wear retailers like Zara, JCrew, Banana Republic, and big retailers like Macy’s and Nordstrom.  What you see on the runway isn’t always what makes it into our closets, but versions of them, as well as the ready-to-wear collections do!

For example, Zara, a Spanish-based women’s clothing store, built its success on recreating designer styles and putting them at the reach of the masses.  The owner and creator, Rosalia Mera, recently passed.  The New York Times ran a feature on Ms. Mera and the company, describing Zara the following way: “Zara changed the apparel industry, chiefly by speeding up its mass-market response to new designs coming from the leading fashion houses in Paris, Milan, New York and other cities. Zara could come up with its own variations on those designs and have them in stores within two weeks; previously, six months was the industry average.”  Although designers like Tom Ford are angered by such business practices (according to Daily Mail, so take it for what it’s worth), I am happy to have access to fashion that might otherwise be unattainable!

August was a good shopping month for me and I can’t wait to share with you some of the things that made it into the store, and eventually, into my closet. 😉  Stay tuned!!

Get ready, get set…SHOP!

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Fret not…I have compiled a list Labor Day sales for your shopping convenience!

1.  Coach Factory Store – 50% off everything, plus 40% additional off clearance

2.  Forever 21 – Extra 50% off select sale items

3.  Banana Republic – 40% off entire purchase

4.  J Crew – Extra 30% off final sale items

5.  Old Navy – 30% off regular priced items (35% off with store credit card)

6.  H & M – Sale items starting at $5!!

7. Last Call Neiman Marcus – 25-60% off (free shipping orders over $75, code LC75AUG)

PLUS, many of these stores will add a student discount with a valid student ID (discount ranging from 10-20%).

For more information, check out these sites I found online:

http://www.ibtimes.com/labor-day-sales-2013-27-stores-score-best-deals-discounts-weekend-1401929

http://dealspl.us/labor_day_sale_65762

FINALLY, check out ebates.com if you are shopping online for some cash back options, and Coupon Sherpa for your phone to give you a list of promos if shopping in stores!

Happy Shopping!!

labor day

The Postdoc Wears Prada

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The truth is, I’m a label snob.  There I said it.

But…I have my reasons!!

  1. Often, designer labels are made with better quality materials, often have a better fit, but mostly, are simply more aesthetically pleasing.
  2. If you are a savvy shopper, you can usually get high-end, designer items at a cost similar to what you would pay for something that is not a designer item.  How, you ask??  Well, for one, if you shop online, ALWAYS look for coupons, discount codes, or promos.  You are guaranteed to usually get at least free shipping.  Some of my favorite sites to check for discounts are Google.com (duh!), retailmenot.com, ww.survivingthestores.com.  Perhaps I will compile a list soon if there is enough interest from you, the readers!
  3. If you are anti-online shopping and prefer to shop at the store, look for coupons in the mail, via email (sign up for their newsletters, or email promotions), or simply ask the cashier if they have any promotions going on, or if they happen to have any coupons available that you can use.  It happened to me before, and I was able to purchase a wool blazer from Banana Republic for $50 simply because I asked for coupon and they had one to give!
  4. Finally, as anybody who is close to me knows, I am the ultimate eBay seller, consigner, you name it.  If I am able, I will resell it!  And, the fact of the matter is, designer labels don’t depreciate in value as quickly, and have greater odds of reselling even when they do depreciate more than expected.

So, when able, I opt for designer labels over non-designer labels.

Take for example designer bags.  Have you searched eBay for either Chanel or Louis Vuitton bags?  Years after purchase (I’m talking years!  Sometimes decades!), these name brand bags will resell for 60-80% of the original price.  So let’s think of a purchase this way:

Say I buy a Louis Vuitton Bag (I am currently coveting a Speedy 30).

Current purchase price is $875 + tax, which in Jefferson County, Alabama brings the purchase price to $962.50.

Because big ticket items often require some budgeting, that often also means that you have had some time to plan and wait for the purchase of the item.  In my case, I have been planning for a few months now, and also know that within the month, will be traveling to California where sales tax will be 1% less.  That now brings my purchase price to $945 (money saved: $17.50).

Second, I am an American Express card holder.  With American Express, one can sign up for their rewards program, which awards you points for purchases made using your AmEx card.  Thanks to the frequent travel associated with my academic position (yay for conference travel and faculty interviews!!), I now have enough points to redeem for a $300 gift card to Saks Fifth Avenue.  There are Louis Vuitton Stores in select Saks Fifth Avenue locations, which DO accept Saks Fifth Avenue gift cards.  That now brings my purchase price to $645 (total money saved: $317.50).

Third, coupons come by way of store promotions, online promotions, or discount deals like those offered by Groupon.com or LivingSocial.com.  In my case, I was able to snag a Saks Fifth Avenue LivingSocial deal where I paid $20 for a $40 credit.  This can be applied to the purchase of my bag!  That now brings my purchase price to $605. ($625 if you think about the $20 I paid. Total money saved: $337.50).

Okay, so $625 is still a lot of money for a bag you say??  Well, let me turn you on to the idea of reselling your goods once you have gotten tired of them, or are looking to upgrade to something different.

If, after 1 month of carrying my bag, I decide I no longer want it, I resell it on eBay (or other venue for online resales, like Craigslist, Poshmark, etc).  LV Speedy 30’s are currently ranging in price between $650-$800, depending on how used the bag is.  Even if I were to sell it for $650, I still make $25 on the transaction!  That means I carried the bag I was coveting for as long as I wanted and still made money on it!  Seriously, you can’t tell me that isn’t amazing.  Really??!

And that, my friends, is how the Postdoc [is able to] Wear Prada. 😉

Travel with my current, and favorite, LV. :)

Travel with my current, and favorite, LV.