Good Afternoon Dear Reader:
Great gift bags from Marshall's--a set of 3 for $4.99
I was studying my closet lamenting the fact that although there is hardly room to squeeze in one more thing, I frequently feel I have absolutely nothing to wear. Well to put it more accurately, I have nothing I want to wear. That is when I drag out the staples, the tried and true, the things that fit, that I love and wear to death. In amongst them are some absolutely fantastic bargains, clothes that will be soon be perfect on me when I lose a few pounds, grow a few inches (taller) or find the perfect top to compliment that unusual shade of purple.
Here are some conclusions I have reached about when an item is a good buy and when its not. Saying goodbye to those things that fall into the latter category is the hard part. By answering these questions, you might save yourself not only some money, but some serious buyers remorse.
1. How much do you love the thing (dress, shoes, bag, jewelry, piece of furniture, yard art)? Can you walk away, think about it several or more days and still want it? After a 2nd visit, is it still all you thought it was?
2. Is the price affordable and appropriate to your budget/income? If you are eating peanut butter and jelly by the 20th of the month, you may not want to spend $300 on a spice rack or a pair of teeny, tiny diamond studs.
3. How much will you use this thing? A good rule of thumb is to divide the purchase price of the item by the number of times you use or wear it. I once splurged more than ten years ago on a beautiful navy velvet Ellen Tracey evening jacket and long skirt. I felt horribly guilty, but so in love. Over the years, I have worn it so many times as an outfit, with the jacket solo, the skirt with other evening tops that I figure it cost me less than $7 a wearing.
On the other hand, I have dresses I bought for less than $100 that have been out of the closet only once and I didn’t even feel good in them then. That’s pretty pricey. Shoes–same story, except comfort comes into play and how many beautiful shoes are just instruments of torture? More dollars wasted unless you put flowers in them and turn them into centerpieces.
Gorgeous red Mac Jacobs red trench, reg, $2500, now $424.99
A designer wardrobe on a budget
Fabdab.com is a very cool Website that offers both high end couture designer clothing from Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs, Giorgio Armani, Robert Cavalli,Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta and more. They also carry women’s contemporary clothing designers such as Marc by Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Rebecca Taylor and more. All clothing is is 80-85% off retail prices and the original tags are on the clothing.
The workmanship is amazing!
They also carry the most beautiful costume rings and bracelets that I have ever seen anywhere! They sell for less than $32, many are $14.99. The quality is amazing. My photos do not do them justice.
Michael Kors wool jacket with "hot for fall" leopard collar, reg. $2195, at 2die4 Fashion, $359.99
Fabdab.com has opened its first storefront boutique, 2die4 Fashion, in the Galleria of the Hill Country, near Austin in Bee Cave, TX. 512-291-7073.
My favorite eyebrow pencil/gel brush shaper by Revlon, $7.99 at drugstores.
Have a spectacular day!
Diane