Due to budgetary constraints and a new knitting project, I did not do quite as much research as intended this weekend. But nonetheless, I did do a little exploring.
Shoes by Lara
I had heard from a shopping buddy that this was a place I just had to check out; after viewing her finds, I was sold. I visited the store on 14th St, NW and was rather skeptical at first. When you walk in, you have to go downstairs to get to the shoes. At first I saw many many boxes of nothing terribly exciting. My friend quickly grabbed my arm and guided me to "the back wall." The back wall is 50% off all shoes AND that's where the good stuff is hiding. The shoes in the rest of the store are what you might find at a mid-level department store, and they're not any cheaper. On the 50% off wall, though, you'll find Stuart Weitzman, Betsy Johnson, French Sole, Delman, Sigerson Morrison, and Roberto Cavalli, just to name a few. Apparently the turnover is high, so it's a good place to drop by on a regular basis to see what's in stock. One of the best things about this store is there are 4 of them! So, I mean, if you don't find something at one location, you can simply check out one of the others. Who am I kidding: go to all of them, all the time! However, if you wear a size 8 you should probably steer clear or at least go at your own risk, because I may have to fight you for those really cute quilted French Sole's...
While in the vicinity, I felt it my duty to go to Filene's to see what they had to offer. The one downtown was overhauled recently and is quite nice now. Just to give some quick highlights...Upstairs they still had some of those wonderful Missoni scarves, that I previously wrote about and they had a large selection Spanx footless pantyhose for 50% off! Moving onward and downward, in the basement there were not really any shoes that caught my eyes except for a snazzy snakeskin pair of Sam Edelman t-bar flats for $60 that were really hard to leave behind. It gets better. Lurking in the racks of clothing from Barney's was this amazing giraffe-print, Valentino, wool cape. Sadly, it was still almost $1,000 a.k.a. not in my budget. There were some affordable pieces in the Barney's section, so it's definitley worth a look.
All in all, it was a productive weekend, and I can't wait to scope out the other Shoes by Lara locations to see what they have in stock!
Showing posts with label Spanx. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spanx. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Foundation Garments
The best of outfits can be completely ruined if you're not wearing the proper pieces underneath. While I am not going to delve into the depths of women's lingerie, I do want to take the time to sing the praises of Spanx; a product line that has salvaged many a rather snug ensemble. Also, it is necessary to note that wearing Spanx has nothing to do with being fat. Sara Blakely, the esteemed inventress, is very thin; the whole idea is to create a smooth look underneath your lovely clothes. While out shopping, a very common phrase amongst my friends is "this looks great, but with Spanx under it, of course!"
In my opinion Spanx are truly a girl's best friend. We should all thank Sara Blakely for coming up with a product that is slimming, comfortable, and doesn't make you feel like you're wearing your grandmother's girdle. The story about how Spanx started is pretty neat, so you should definitely read up while perusing the website. If you're not familiar with the line and feel overwhelmed, I will give you a crash course on my favorite products and some tips on where to find them at a discount!
Power Panties
The original Spanx are reminiscent of the granny panties sported by Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jone's Diary. However, don't laugh, they are good at their job. An updated version has recently come out called girl shorts and don't come down as far on your thigh. These are highly recommended if you're wearing something shorter and don't want someone to accidentally see that power panties are the reason you're looking oh so slim.
PantyHose
I detest pantyhose: they're a pain to get on, you're afraid of running them, the waist is always too high and then it starts to roll down, and they're just an all-around hassle! However, in many workplaces and in colder months they're a necessity. Thankfully, Spanx hosiery is just a amazing as the power panties. Yes, they're a tad on the pricey side, BUT they don't run as easily as normal hose so they last much, much longer. Another huge plus is the waist band. I'm short waisted, so with most hose I can pretty much pull them up to my neck and then they roll into a nice inner tube-like band around my waist. Spanx, on the other hand, hit at a perfect level and they don't budge!
Tights
Spanx has your normal every day selection of tights with the wonderful features of all Spanx hosiery. This year, however, they also have several very snazzy patterend tights to choose from. My favorites, though, are the 2-sided tights. Being the money savvy girl that I am (or attempt to be), these reversible tights are like getting 2 for the price of 1! I can't get away from this section without mentioning the footless tights, otherwise known as leggings. I admit, I'm guilty, I love them.
The articles I've mentioned above are merely some of the ones that I am familiar with, but I have yet to find a Spanx product that has let me down!
Now, let's chat cheap. Spanx are rather pricey (but worth every penny); however, occasionally you can find them at a discount. Loehman's probably has the best selection, but you are still rather limited in styles, colors, and sizes. Off 5th usually has a couple of slips or body shapers, but I've never seen more than a handful. All in all, Spanx are one of the few cases where I think it is best to just go ahead and buy whatever you need at full price. It pains me to say that, but it's true...
Fret not,though, I'm not going to leave you on a pricey note! Occasionally certain organizations will run specials with the Spanx website where you get a discount and a portion of the purchase goes to charity! It just so happens that the Junior League of Washington is running a special during the month of October: see below for details.
"During October, SPANX is again offering Junior League members a special limited-time 25% discount on the company's entire product line and the opportunity to earn $5 per order for JLW. Select your purchases at www.spanx.com . When you are ready to place your order, enter JLW's unique code, " Washington ," into the promotion code box found on the last page of checkout and a 25% discount will be applied. For each order placed using this special online promotional code of "Washington," SPANX will donate $5 back to JLW. Last year, JLW was the number one League in orders placed and received $1,400!"
In my opinion Spanx are truly a girl's best friend. We should all thank Sara Blakely for coming up with a product that is slimming, comfortable, and doesn't make you feel like you're wearing your grandmother's girdle. The story about how Spanx started is pretty neat, so you should definitely read up while perusing the website. If you're not familiar with the line and feel overwhelmed, I will give you a crash course on my favorite products and some tips on where to find them at a discount!
Power Panties
The original Spanx are reminiscent of the granny panties sported by Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jone's Diary. However, don't laugh, they are good at their job. An updated version has recently come out called girl shorts and don't come down as far on your thigh. These are highly recommended if you're wearing something shorter and don't want someone to accidentally see that power panties are the reason you're looking oh so slim.
PantyHose
I detest pantyhose: they're a pain to get on, you're afraid of running them, the waist is always too high and then it starts to roll down, and they're just an all-around hassle! However, in many workplaces and in colder months they're a necessity. Thankfully, Spanx hosiery is just a amazing as the power panties. Yes, they're a tad on the pricey side, BUT they don't run as easily as normal hose so they last much, much longer. Another huge plus is the waist band. I'm short waisted, so with most hose I can pretty much pull them up to my neck and then they roll into a nice inner tube-like band around my waist. Spanx, on the other hand, hit at a perfect level and they don't budge!
Tights
Spanx has your normal every day selection of tights with the wonderful features of all Spanx hosiery. This year, however, they also have several very snazzy patterend tights to choose from. My favorites, though, are the 2-sided tights. Being the money savvy girl that I am (or attempt to be), these reversible tights are like getting 2 for the price of 1! I can't get away from this section without mentioning the footless tights, otherwise known as leggings. I admit, I'm guilty, I love them.
The articles I've mentioned above are merely some of the ones that I am familiar with, but I have yet to find a Spanx product that has let me down!
Now, let's chat cheap. Spanx are rather pricey (but worth every penny); however, occasionally you can find them at a discount. Loehman's probably has the best selection, but you are still rather limited in styles, colors, and sizes. Off 5th usually has a couple of slips or body shapers, but I've never seen more than a handful. All in all, Spanx are one of the few cases where I think it is best to just go ahead and buy whatever you need at full price. It pains me to say that, but it's true...
Fret not,though, I'm not going to leave you on a pricey note! Occasionally certain organizations will run specials with the Spanx website where you get a discount and a portion of the purchase goes to charity! It just so happens that the Junior League of Washington is running a special during the month of October: see below for details.
"During October, SPANX is again offering Junior League members a special limited-time 25% discount on the company's entire product line and the opportunity to earn $5 per order for JLW. Select your purchases at www.spanx.com . When you are ready to place your order, enter JLW's unique code, " Washington ," into the promotion code box found on the last page of checkout and a 25% discount will be applied. For each order placed using this special online promotional code of "Washington," SPANX will donate $5 back to JLW. Last year, JLW was the number one League in orders placed and received $1,400!"
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