Bargain Styling

Esprit use to be my favorite clothing company. My 6th and 7th grade first day of school photos feature me decked out in head to toe Esprit. Of course, I only was allowed Esprit clothes if they were on the 75% off rack at Dillard’s. One summer, right before school, we went to visit family in Dallas and we got to go to the giant Esprit outlet. I still drool over the thought of that outlet.

The clothes were bold, fun and trendy. Most of the time they had Esprit blazoned all over them but at 12 that was the point of my clothing choices. A couple of years ago, much to my delight, they opened a store in Manhattan. I anxiously awaited the funky, bright colors that permeated my middle school life and when it finally opened I made a point to go their as soon as possible. Imagine my disappointment when I went to the store and saw a sea of black pants and monochromatic shirts. What happened? My beloved clothing line was boring.

Today I find Esprit totally mundane. Occasionally, when I find my way into the store or on their website, I find a cute piece but it tends to be accessories. This week they are having a 20% off sale if you use coupon code Labor 07. Below is a cute bag and belt that I found in the sale section. At an additional 20% off they are a definitely a bargain.

Summer is almost over. I waited so long for summer to get here and the next thing I know it is Labor Day. Fall is actually my favorite time of year but around January I long for summer. So for those of you out there who might be getting to do something fun for Labor Day weekend I have a great Labor Day outfit.

This outfit is all from New York and Company. They are having a huge Labor Day sale and many of their items are buy one get one 50% off and they have a huge summer clearance section. On top of all that they have a $25 off of $75 coupon that it is good until September 3rd.

For this particular outfit, I tried to pick items that were summery but you could extend them into fall by wearing a blazer or jacket. Also, because of the buy one get one 50% off I was able to add a cute t-shirt for $7.48.

The 42nd Street Trouser $44.95
The Fairview Collection: Bamboo Halter $9.99

City Style Shoes: Brown Suede $19.50

Bowery Slouch Hobo: $24.50
Mercer Tee:$7.48

SubTotal:$106.42
Less: $25
Total: $81.42

In this month’s Elle magazine one of their Elle fashion trends was pebbled skin. Of course, almost all of the examples they give were of real crocodile and had price tags in the triple digits. Not really being a fan of either real animal skin nor being able to afford it, I went on a faux hunting trip to find one of this season’s hottest trends.

First stop, the usual suspects. Forever 21 didn’t really have anything on their site. The fifteen dollar store only had snake. Delia’s mainly deals in patent leather. I did manage to find a few cute bags at target.com. Below is one of my favorites.

www.target.com $14.99

The last stop was gojane.com where I did find several croc items. One being a pair of hot red croc heels.

Go Jane Red Croc Heels $20.90


Go Jane Metallic Print Animal Bag $15.99

I was a little disappointed that I didn’t find any faux croc bangles similar to what I picked up at the NYC wholesale district. I will be putting those with outfits for OutFitKit very soon.

I have no reservations about my love for vintage. It is the easiest, cheapest way to get a unique outfit. You know that you won’t see anyone else wearing your ensemble when you go vintage. In the past, I would mainly shop at Thrift stores to score my vintage finds, lately, I have been turning to the internet. Ebay is an obvious choice to look for vintage items but it can also be expensive. If 12 people are bidding on the same dress you can be assured that it will end up in the triple digits. The thrill of the hunt is also lost on Ebay because you can easily find good vintage on the auction site. For these reasons, I don’t hunt for vintage on Ebay.

One of my favorite past times is browsing the internet looking for new online vintage stores. 1000’s of stores exist and in all different price ranges. Two of my favorite stores are the Rusty Zipper and the Purse Diva. Both of these stores have a very large selection of reasonably priced vintage items. You may have to dig around a little to find something fantastic.

Here are a couple of dresses that I found on both sites:

Rusty Zipper $32.00

The Pursa Diva $36

Sunglasses are the essential summer accessory. At one point, I had no less than 6 pairs floating around the apartment. I managed to only hold on to the one pair my eye doctor sister can’t stand. They are giant white plastic frames. I do admit that they are a little Willy Wonkaish. That would probably explain why every little kid loves them and when I wear them most of the compliments come from the under 8 crowd.

The best thing about sunglasses, besides being a great accessory, is that they promote good eye health. Research suggests that exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light may contribute to a variety of eye diseases. To protect your eyes most doctors recommend wearing sunglasses all year round as (UV) light is present even when the sun is not shining. To ensure maximum protection look for 100% UV block when purchasing sunglasses. Also, sunglasses are great for protecting the delicate area under and around your eyes against aging UV light.

What can be a better excuse to buy sunglasses all year round then protecting your eyes? In that case you should hit up the Forever 21 website as they have a sale going on right now on sunglasses. All sunglasses are 4 for $9. The only problem is that they do not list the UV rating. The couple of pairs that I have from F21 were 100% so I imagine at the very least they are UV 400.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

That is what I call a real bargain - a rockin’ accessory, great eye health, and an anti-aging weapon all for $4.50.

By September 1st, two awesome Bargain Styling readers will each win a $34.99 outfit of your choice from OutFitKit.

Why You want This Prize: Each outfit comes complete with accessories including a bag and jewelry. You can choose any outfit on the site listed for $34.99. How many times do you get to choose your own prize! All outfits come straight from New York City.

(more…)

Personal Closet is a website where you can buy and sell clothing. I like it better than Ebay because there are no fees involved for sellers (except if you use paypal) and buyers don’t have to mess with waiting for an auction.

From their website:

“We know that just about everyone reading this (as well as those who aren’t) has something in their closet that they don’t wear. PersonalCloset.com is a place regular, ordinary people can buy, sell, and donate their new and lightly used clothes without the uncertainty of an auction environment, nor the extra auction-related fees that add extra expense and confusion.”

You definitely have to dig through the site to find anything really great. But it is most assuredly worth the effort. This tunic was one of my finds:

Striped Offshoulder V-neck Knit Tunic $6.90 plus $6.00 shipping.

I have already listed some random stuff that I have picked up here and there to see if it will sell. You can check my stuff out here. And I have tons more to add!

The accessorybug, an indie shop, is offering Bargain Styling readers 10% off when you use code MSJ10.

Cute bags abound but some tend to be a little pricey. However, with the 10% off coupon and their flat rate of shipping of $5 you can get a cool bag without breaking the bank.

Here are a couple of my favorites.

GoJane.com is one of my favorite websites. They have a Deal of the Week, and I always fall in love with most of the stuff I see on their website. Here is my first post in the $100 Series - an entire ensemble, shoes and accessories included, for under $100 (excluding tax, and shipping & handling).

This short-sleeved top in mustard yellow would give a striking contrast with the black pants below. With a keyhole back and a gathered bodice, this shirt is guaranteed to get you noticed. Available in black, mustard yellow and navy blue, this cute shirt will set you back $25.99. Dry clean only.

(more…)

I realized it’s been a while since I’ve featured ensembles for under $100 huh? You can look FABULOUS for under $100. Yes you can. I do it all the time Let me show you. By the way, each pieces of clothing costs $15. If you click on the picture you’ll be directed to the store.

There you go, a red floral crinkle top over a black pleated skirt and a braided strappy heels. $45. You have extra for your choice of accessories . You can wear this anywhere. Either a casual date, or a laid-back event, seriously, any occassion.

Less Than 0, Bargain Styling, Skirts, Tops, Floral, Crinkle Top, Tops, Pleated Skirts, Ensembles

Yup, you’ve read it right. I’m not sure if I like it. I don’t think PAYLESS is investing on it either judging by the 9 items on the quilted collection. See for yourself.

PAYLESS, shopping, quilted

Albeit it’s in the Sale section, Yes Bargain Styling shops at Macy’s . Like this Paisley-Print Wrap Dress from London Times. It used to be $99, it’s now selling for $28.99. Who would say no to that bargain? . This dress can be worn with any pair of black heels. I suggest a slingback. Where to wear it? Anywhere actually, well except when you’re doing your grocery shopping, heh. Church, Date Night, Party at the office, the possibilities are endless. During the Fall season, you can wear it with a black knee-high boots for that sophiisticated approach to the cold weather. So that $28.99 sale is worth the money.

Macy’s, Dresses, Paisley-Print, Wrap-Dresses, Shopping, Bargain Styling, SALE

White isn’t really a good color for mothers carrying a purse. It’s just not practical. It will be filled with lines from markers and crayons. Sticky from candy wrappers. And definitely not a good look if it’s buging with all the bags of tricks Mommy’s seem to come up with when out with kids. BUT, if I didn’t have all these things to consider of, I’d definitely have these 2 white bags from $15 Store. then again, since they’re only $15 each, maybe it’s ok to have one? Hmmm…

This shoulder bag is from the Chinese Laundry collection. I love the buckle straps and braided trim accent.

This satchel is from XOXO. I like it but it’s too small. Maybe a “date purse” but eh, sometimes I can’t be bothered to change bags. The braided strap that closes over the zip top is cute though

, stores, bags, purses, accessories, white bags, white, shopping

I know you’ve all been dying to know what I managed to find myself this past Memorial Day sale. Let’s just say, I was a happy shopaholic. I shopped for the 4 of us. Great finds, great sale, great haulage. Woohoooo. Without further adieu, since I’ve made you wait long enough.

Blue L.E.I graphic tee with gathered ruched hem on the sides and puff-cap sleeves. Originally $17, after 75% off, I only paid $4.25

(more…)

Another great find from the $15 store. Ahhhh, I love the dark cobalt blue color. That’s what initially drew me to this piece. See, my husband said I look really good in dark hues of blue, hence me falling in love with the navy blue polka dot wrap dress that I found from the same store last week. I’m still looking for a perfect pair of navy blue pumps that I can afford of course . Anyway, back to the dress. This strapless, bow front mesh dress is from Jonathan Martin. There’s is a smocking on top along the upper back so your boobs are very well protected . If you like this one, grab it ASAP coz it’s also among their “last call” list.

dress, mesh dress, bow front, smocked, cobalt blue, navy blue, strapless dress, Store, Bargain Styling, Jonathan Martin