Good News, Bad News

The good news is, I'm baaaack! Hopefully I've been missed, but more importantly let's talk about how much I'm going to miss eLuxury (aka the bad news)!

Friday, June 26, will be the last day for eLuxury's retail business. They're going to be more of a lifestyle website with stories and whatnot, so hopefully that will at least provide some new workday distractions. Anywho, as for the going out of business sale: there are still a few items left, but the pickings a slim, albeit with severly slashed prices. This Dior ring is rather snazzy, don't you think?

Over the years, eLuxury and I have been through a lot. It all started with a Burberry swimmie I ordered during the summer of 2003 right before my senior year at college. This was also when I discovered they had a-mazing sales with discounts over 50% and always some type of shipping special! Things progressed from Burberry to Pucci (oops!), with some Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton thrown in on the side. One of my fave pairs of shoes--yellow Puccis--were an eLuxury 75% off purchase and ended up being my lucky interview shoes.

My last and final eLuxury purchase was this fabulous Marc Jacobs dress that was a "one day only, take an extra 40% off" special. I'm wearing it tonight to the screening Nieman Marcus, Mazza Gallerie is doing of Valentino: the Last Emporer, so check back later for pics of my whole ensemble and a recap of the Valentino movie. I'm not really sure the shoe/handbag combo I selected is gonna work quite as I envisioned it, but we shall see...

Goodwill

I absolutely LOVE Goodwill (maybe even more than Gabe's!). However, it is perhaps one of the most daunting of digs because some days you're just sorting through someone's smelly old t-shirts. On the flip side, there's the possibility of finding a "vintage" Lacoste polo for a whopping $2.50! If that's not motivation to roll up your sleeves and start digging, then you're a lost cause.

Goodwill is a gold mine for finding "vintage" pieces;I keep putting vintage in quotes because not all items are necessarily vintage. It's just that I have been to plenty of so-called vintage stores that were basically a refined Goodwill charging $50 for the same aforementioned Lacoste polo.

For those of you that have never shopped at Goodwill, it's time for you to get broken in piece by piece.

Polos: Lacoste, Burberry, Ralph Lauren--the best place to look for polos is in the men's section. Just be careful not to buy a size XXXL men's polo if you're normally a women's Small/Medium.

Sweaters: Once again the men's section seems to be the best place to start looking. The key thing to remember when buying Goodwill sweaters is to look for ones that are made from natural fibers such as cotton or wool. Also, be sure to look for moth holes; some may be easily repaired, but others aren't worth it.

Truly Vintage Concert T's: Now this may not be up everyone's alley, but if you like those old Queen, Journey, REO Speedwagon t-shirts (and you don't want to buy the $45 replicas) then look no further than Goodwill. It is kind of like looking for a needle in a haystack, but finding that metallic screen printed Queen Bohemian Rhapsody shirt is totally worth it.

Skirts, Suits,Dresses: When sorting through these racks I generally go for vintage shapes/styles instead of designer labels. That's not to say you can't find designer pieces, but sometimes an 80's Escada suit is better left untouched. These are generally pieces that you'll want to try on since the sizes can vary so much. Keep in mind what's "in" for the upcoming season and you may just find the perfect black pencil skirt for $5. Also remember that when you're paying such a nominal price, it's definitely worth your money to look at an item and see how it could be altered for an updated look. This can be as simple as taking the hem up on a skirt by a few inches.

Furs: I sometimes think it's surprising the amount of furs you'll find at Goodwill, but some of them are quite nice (especially after a good cleaning) and rather affordable. Paying $50 for a mink stole is not bad considering what they normally cost. In addition, many people that are not keen on wearing furs find vintage pieces more socially acceptable. All in all, you get a cheap fur that's not affecting the current supply/demand chain of furs sold in stores and it's probably got a great history to it (feel free to use your imagination here).

Accessories: While I have never had success with handbags, belts, or shoes, I have found some lovely scarves! These will probably cost you about $1; 100% silk might be $2. This is another area where I don't look for labels; I look for colors and patterns that I like. I am still optimistic, though, that one of these days I'll find a Pucci scarf with my name on it :)

So, if you're on the edge of your chair googling to find the nearest Goodwill, figuring out when you have time to make the journey, I have something to satiate your appetite. I've recently discovered that Goodwill has an online auction! I can't say that I've had a lot of time to explore this, but I did type in Jimmy Choo the one day and a pair of shoes (not my size) popped up for $60!

You should be set now; don't get discouraged if you don't find any clothes. There's always the housewares, record albums, etc. that can be quite intriguing as well!

Outlet Malls

Outlet Malls: guaranteed place to find a bargain, right? True, I've found some a-mazing pieces; however, it's also easy to get duped by the theory that because it's at an outlet it's a deal. I'm sure this will be the first of many times I discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of outlet shopping, so consider this a crash course.

For those of you that reside in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, you are within an hour or two of some excellent outlets. Leesburg Corner, Potomac Mills, Arundel Mills--three of my favorite places to invest my paycheck. While each of those have their own unique attributes, there are a few underlying principles to keep in mind while shopping at any outlet mall.

First, certain outlets base prices are better than others. For example, the Burberry store at the Leesburg outlet offers prices that are 50% less than their base! This is incredible if you're looking to purchase that timeless Burberry trench that normally sells for almost $1,000. At other stores, though, the outlet prices may actually be more than what you pay if you found that item on the sale rack at the actual store.

Speaking of sale racks...this is the first place I head in any store, outlets included. Off 5th (the Saks Fifth Avenue outlet) and Last Call (the Neiman Marcus outlet) always have TONS of stuff that's marked down from the outlet price, which has already been marked down from the store price. Not to gloat, but over the weekend I found maybe the best deal I've come across at Last Call (Arundel Mills). Alas, it was not something I purchased for myself, but it's better to give than receive, right? Anyways, as I was looking through the final sale rack I stumbled across a silk, Armani, bubble skirt that, according to the orignial tag, had been $1,295 marked down to....are you sitting down...$79.99!!! I couldn't believe my eyes; I kept looking at the skirt thinking there had to be something seriously wrong, but I found nothing! Being the wonderful daughter that I am, I of course thought of my mother (ok, so it wasn't my size), clutched the skirt dearly, and headed to the cash register. I'm such a good child...

Another thing to look for are the coupons that many outlet stores send out quite frequently. Off 5th is especially good for this; they routinely send out 20-30% off cards and they also give you a "Gas Money" card that is good for $10 off your next purchase of $50 or more. Last Call offers 5% off your entire purchase if you use a Neiman Marcus card; not a lot, but every little bit counts.

Now that you're all jealous over my current find, I've given you enough of a road map to head out and start scouring for your own treasures. However, it's important to not get discouraged if you don't find that $150 pair of Manolos the first time out. Sometimes you come back empty handed and others you're toting home an Armani skirt :)