My brush with Balmainia

When my brother was in college up at Vassar my mother and I would force a detour every single time. The most glorious outlet mall in America--The Woodbury Commons. You have your basic J. Crew and Ralph Lauren, but then comes Chanel, Prada, Balenciaga, Ferragamo...it's endless. These seasonal trips coupled with more local outlets allows me to consider myself as an experienced outlet shopper.

Over the past years I have done fairly well. I've scored everything from a Miu Miu cocktail dress to a Marc Jacobs bag, although there have been plenty of frustrating and unsuccessful trips, I never lose faith.

Yesterday my mom and I were essentially kicked out of our house for the day due to inspectors and the fun things that come with selling a home, so, naturally, we were on the road to ready to find some discounted designer duds by 9:30 am.

Here are some tips when going outlet shopping:
-Do not take your size seriously. What I mean is if you claim you are ALWAYS a size 6 in pants, throw that out the window. Things might be too big or too small, so if you don't see your size in an item you like, try it on anyway.

-Bring snacks. Outlet shopping is far different from a regular trip to the mall. You need to be focused and prepared to look at everything, thus well fueled. My mom and I always bring a bottle of water and various Fiber One bars.

-Be aware of details. There is a reason why things are at an outlet. Sometimes the store had too much inventory other times goods are damaged. I remember finding a Proenza Schouler skirt that I absolutely loved, however, the stain in the back was not nearly as cute.

-Keep your options open. A lot of the things I try on are just for kicks, but end up actually liking. Most of the time I try on absolutely ridiculous things that I either cannot afford (see below) or items that I have always been curious to try.

 -Look at everything. Outlets aren't terribly organized, so things are placed where they shouldn't be. I was able to find a great See by Chloe shirt hung on the Womens Career clearance rack. Look at the super big sizes, for some reason, I also find a lot of gems there, maybe people are trying to hide their finds?


So, today, when I was looking through the Designer/Couture clearance, I stumbled upon something quite incredible--a S/S '09 Balmain dress. Marked down to $7,360 (originally priced at a semester of a private liberal-arts college) I had to try it on. Firstly, jesus, Christophe Decarnin does not want women to be able to breathe. Secondly, he knows how to make a woman feel sexy. For the minutes I had this dress on, I felt like a rock star, despite the fact it weighed close to 8 lbs. Here are some crappy cell phone shotz.

Is that me? In Balmain?!

Regardless of the begging I tried to do with a straight face, I could not convince my mother to buy this for me. Instead I picked up a great See by Chloe top and an Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti skirt.

 I would have tried this on and created a cute outfit, but seeing as it is 3:23am and I have yet to pack for my flight back to school tomorrow, it's just not going to happen.

Inching up and out of my comfort zone

Friday I made a day trip up to Manhattan with my friend Shauna. The goal of the day was for me to check out a certain city school, but lets be honest...we wanted to shop our hearts out. With post-holiday sales going and some birthday money I had some high retail expectations. Last year I got some pretty incredible deals due to the economic conditions (ahem Miu Miu mary-janes at 70% off and a skirt from Bendels when then still carried clothes...le sigh), but this year the sales aren't nearly as good. We hit up A.P.C. (they do simple so well...yet so expensive), Agent Provocateur (at 75% off we still couldn't justify a neon pink baby-doll), and Miu Miu (see below) but left with nothing.

Let me talk about Miu Miu for a second. I don't think I can begin to describe my affection for that store. I have never been to the one uptown, but the store in SoHo is most easily described as a candystore fit for Carrie Bradshaw. They have girlyness mastered and manage to make the entire store look like a giant confection with smoky mauves, mint greens, and golden beiges. Last year during sale season, not only was I very successful, I was treated like a princess.  Yesterday, we walked in and were greeted by an adorable salesperson named Spencer who gave us zero attitude and just as much time as any Park Avenue Princess. For kicks and potential purchases I asked him if they had any shoes on sale (you have to ask because there are no price tags), within minutes Spencer was giving us the footwear version of a Tupperware party. Let's just say he had me very close to buying a pair of rabbit fur trimmed heels, and I was torn if I should get a pair of gorgeous beige flats, but I left empty handed.

Miu Miu Fall 2009

 Photo: style.com

I find at so many designer stores, especially in NYC, salespeople don't give you the time of day unless you are dripping in Van Cleefs & Arpels and toting a Chanel 2.55 bag, but from years of retail experience, you absolutely cannot judge your customers and expect a sale. That's what I love about Miu Miu, even though it's Prada's younger sister and a key chain retails for $200, they want you to feel awesome. When shopping, customer service and attention is #1, so regardless of the prices, I will definitely be back at Miu Miu.

Last Year's Miu Miu purchase. The most perfect shade of pink.

We gave up on designer digs on the cheap, so we did the polar opposite...Topshop. I had never been to the London megastore, and I'm not sure if I will be back. The moment I walked in I was drugged with loud remixes of my favorite songs (Shelter by The xx, specifically) and every trend imaginable at my fingertips. In my polyester and sequin fueled haze I thought it would be a great idea to try on acid-washed high waisted jeggings, a studded jacket that weighed at least 12 lbs, and something (I really cannot tell you what it was, either a dress or shirt) with shoulder pads. I was actually considering purchasing these items and thinking  they would be legitimately practical pieces to add to my closet. Shuana was in the same boat, hers including a leather dress with mesh inserts. In a moment of clarity, I realized the utter crap I was trying on was appealing because it allowed me to try the trends I secretly liked and the prices made them a reality. At that point I ran out of the dressing room. As much as I wanted to leave the store without a bag, I ended up with two shoe boxes. They had a two for one sale that I seriously could not ignore, so I have two new pairs of heels that I almost regret buying, but I see them as a way to expand my wardrobe and challenge myself.

 The Challenge:

#1

#2

Both pairs are no doubt on trend and wearable, but my personal style doesn't really match up. I'm more of a Ferragamo girl, and when it comes to heels I generally drool over Lanvin and Chloe. The first pair's upper screams Balmain from last spring, but the heel is going to be awesome for this spring/summer with it's wedgy heel that's going to be everywhere. The second pair has a Manolo Blahnik feel to them minus the heel. It will definitely be fun to play around with these and figure out ways to pair them with the rest of my wardrobe.

The other night my friend Mike came over and we had a lot of fun with a photo shoot that focused on coats and jackets. Once we are done editing I will most definitely post the pictures, but for now here is a hint.