Tag: office wear

Thrifty Thursday’s – Off-Season Shopping

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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.

wpid-wp-1414714042426.jpegSweater: 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!!

wpid-wp-1414713946362.jpegSweater: 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)! 😉

wpid-wp-1414713928180.jpegBlazer: 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 – Office Chic on a Budget

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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:

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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!):

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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:

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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.

 

I’d love to hear about what amazing deals you score!  Comment below, send me a Tweet, or comment on Instagram.  Happy shopping friends!

Until next time!  Stay Chic!

Thrifty Thursday’s – Baubles on a Budget

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I didn’t have much time to go thrifting this past week, so instead, I’m sharing with you my recent thrifty (i.e. affordable) find!  I went to Walmart this past week in search of party supplies for my blogiversary party (more to come on that), and happened to walk by the jewelry department.  A friend on Instagram mentioned that she found very affordable necklaces at there, and cute ones too!  So I was excited to see the quality of the necklaces myself.  To my surprise, they were well made and the variety of colors was amazing!  Check out some of the ones I picked up:

IMG_20140828_094459Cute colors, right?  And guess, what?  They were only $5 a piece!  Comparable necklaces at other stores are often at least $10 a piece.  So I picked up a couple for me and a few more as gifts.  Remember, Christmas is right around the corner!  I also usually like to have gifts like these on hand to give as impromptu hostess gifts, teacher gifts, etc. 

The two I was most excited about were the mint and yellow necklaces. 

ABM_1409237497_2ABM_1409237469_1I had searched for a nice, beaded yellow necklace for a while now.  Here are some ideas for styling these two colors, should you decide to get some for yourself:

IMG_20140828_102218I loved pairing the mint necklace with this bright red blazer (similar: Forever 21) and white top (Gus Mayer).  I think the softness of the mint is unexpected and nicely juxtaposed with the bold red color of the jacket.

IMG_20140828_102327_1Remove the jacket and you have a very clean white and mint color combo!  Perfect to close out the summer, or to save for wearing when Spring rolls back around.

IMG_20140828_102453The yellow necklace, on the other hand, adds a bright pop of color to most outfits, but particularly appealing against black, as is shown here with this black Zara top.

IMG_20140828_102645A print black and white dress (similar: Forever 21) can be overwhelmed with a busy necklace, so a monochromatic, beaded necklace like this one works well against a print fabric.

IMG_20140828_102738The mint also works well, don’t you think?

Pretty thrifty, right??  Not too shabby for $5 a necklace!  I’d love to hear your opinions on the necklaces and/or the pairings above.  Comment below with your thoughts!

Until next time!  Stay Chic!