Weekend Recap

It seems like every day I hear about a new boutique, consignment shop, vintage store, etc. that I can't wait to scour! Often, though, I hear about a place that sounds amazing only to forget the name of the store or where it's located. Too many places were slipping through the cracks, so I started keeping a notebook of places I wanted to checkout. I include the name, address, phone number, website, hours, and any other info I deem necessary and I highly recommend doing the same; I don't know how I survived without it! I hope to check out at least one new store (window shopping only, I swear) a weekend and report my findings. This weekend, however, I managed to knock two off the list.

I don't spend a lot of time in Alexandria, so I'm not familiar with the stores in that vicinity. Recently I heard of two very intriguing stores, though, and decided it was worth an outing to Old Town!

The first store I visited was Treat. Personally, I'm very envious of my friends in NY that are blocks away from all those amazing sample sales. The girls behind Treat must have read my mind; Treat is a sample sale boutique! You may figure that since the items are from sample sales that the store is filled with 0's, 2's and size 5 shoes. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they carried a wide variety of clothing and shoe sizes. In addition, they had multiple sizes in some of the pieces, which was also very exciting. The website claims they have 1/2 priced Chloe bags and they do! I saw a Chloe bag for around $600 with my own two eyes; you know I could never lie about something like that. They also carried Marc Jacobs, Tracy Reese, Theory, Joie, and Nanette Lepore just to name a few. Things are spaciously arranged, so you do not feel overwhlemed having to dig through piles of stuff, like you might at an actual sample sale. The store is a great concept and definitley worth a visit!

My next stop was a mere hop, skip, and jump away: Diva Boutique. Within 2 minutes of walking into the store, I was informed that everything was 10% off (it was their birthday) and clearance items were an additional 50% off. I also almost immediately found this great grey D&G dress, that I had to pry myself away from; needless to say, things were off to a good start. The store is in a former town house and every nook and cranny has something in it. In addition to a great selection of clothes (Chanel, Armani, Tocca, Tory Burch, and more!) they also had an entire wall of handbags (I noticed several Kate Spade bags) and a decent selection of shoes. It's also worth noting the fabulous decor in every room; everything is fun and girly, making for a great shopping experience.

My favorite thing about places like Treat and Diva Boutique, is that they are constantly getting in new pieces! Department stores only get new things a few times a year and most of the time you keep seeing the same items over and over again. The beauty of consignment-type stores is that you always have an excuse to visit, because they'll always have something new!

Last Call, Final Clearnce, It's Sale Season!!!

Most of the time when you hear last call, it's a bad thing (i.e. when you really just need one more martini). However, when you see you see an email pop-up in your inbox from Neiman Marcus that says "Last Call" you know that it's that time of year. . .

First things first: you must instantly start calculating how much you really need certain luxuries like cable, water, groceries, etc., so you know how much money you have to invest. Next, you need a POA (plan of attack); sales can be extremely overwhelming and you'd hate to passout while shopping and have someone else grab that $100 must-have Diane VonFurstenberg dress. Finally, dress in something comfortable that is easy to get on and off, so you can easily shophop from dressing room to dressing room. I feel it is my responsibility to act as your safari guide and help you survive the wilderness (have you seen the way some people get over the last pair of $150 Manolos?). Now, it's time to forumlate the aforementioned POA.

For those in the D.C. area, Tysons Corner Center (I and II) is going to allow you to cover the most territory in the shortest amount of time. Personally, I would start at Tysons II because I have found the Neimans and Saks sales will get you the most shopping bags for your(what was formerly known as rent) money. The other big department stores like Nordstrom, Macys, Bloomingdales, and Lord & Taylor have big sales as well, but the margin of savings isn't the same and thus not as exciting.

When approaching a sale rack there are a few things to keep in mind.

$Know what you have in your closet and what pieces/colors you would like to have; it helps to have some guidance as to what racks you need to scour first, so you don't waste time looking through a bunch of jeans when your closet is seriously lacking in the dress department.

$$If you're an experienced shopper you know what brands/designers you really like. Some stores will sort sales racks in this manner, which can save a lot of time; however, since many of the items are so cheap it doesn't hurt to branch out and try something new, especially if something happens to catch your eye.

$$$Always at least skim through all the sizes; people get a little crazy when things are over 40% off and everything gets jumbled up (my success story of the season came from the Size 11 shoe aisle, when I'm normally an 8...an amazing pair of patent leather Gucci heels for under $200!). Also, don't forget that clothing can be altered and it may be worth it depending on the markdown. BUT, as I have mentioned before DO NOT squeeze into something that is too small just because it's cheap.

Now that you're ready to feign sick and leave work early, here's my last bit of advice. Take a trusty shopping buddy along; it's always helpful to have a second opinion to tell you that you really don't need that sparkly sequin Tory Burch dress that weighs 15lbs. Also, it's kind of fun to laugh at some of the really awful high-end designer pieces that you know why they are on sale and people might think you're crazy if you're laughing hysterically alone. Make sure that your pal can keep up, though, or else he/she may get abandoned in a heap of last season's Juicy pants.

Good Luck!!!