Coconut Girl In A High Fashion World

A Brief Study in Comparative Pricing

13 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment

by kml in Shop-a-frolicking

I spent some time in two of my favorite consignment haunts this weekend, Tokio7 and Cadillac’s Castle, and emerged victorious.  Truly – I have had zero luck consignment shopping recently (I miss you, The Closet), so this was definitely a series of giddy moments for me.  I also spent some time in J. Crew this weekend (hellooo, overpriced fall apparel!), and I was particularly struck by the similarities between some J. Crew pieces and my new purchases.  Snobbishness coming up here….but, for just about the same prices, I don’t think anyone else out there would pick mass market over off-the-runway pieces.  The thrill of chasing a bargain is my favorite thing about consignment stores (yes, not an original thrill, but hey!  who doesn’t love a bargain??).  It’s also possibly the most dangerous thrill because all of these bargains can quickly add up to….many other things that one actually needs.

In the meantime, let’s throw practicality to the winds!  I really love these two new friends now hanging in my closet – and I love even more what I paid for them.

For $198, you could buy the J. Crew Musette dress:

$198 for a mass-market mini sack dress?? Say WHAT???

NB:  I’m making fun of myself because I actually did almost consider buying this dress. Thankfully, I didn’t because a) The pre-pubescent proportion would have been rough on me and b) I was able to save a whopping 50% and bring home a dress straight from the Shipley and Halmos runway (and who cares if it was so 2009??):

Only $90 at Tokio7!!

The sleeve and collar details are beautiful, and the proportion is way more sophisticated than the uber-shortness that I’m sure the J. Crew dress would have been.  Plus….$90?  Seriously?  For a legit runway piece?  In ecru, which I need more of in my life?  No brainer.  If only the staff at Tokio7 were friendlier….

Something else I also considered purchasing from J. Crew, since I love their tuxedo tops for work, was this Calista Flecked Cami:

Yes, it’s purty, but it’s also about $20 more than the solid Calista Cami….and why?  I can’t imagine a printed textile costs THAT much more than a solid.  A ripoff even for me who loves the shirts.

By not buying this speckled shirt, I was able to get a version of this Swiss dot gorgeousness a la Derek Lam:

I have those pants, too!

The only difference between the top above and the one I purchased is the the sleeves:  my new top is sleeveless, with a ruffled armhole.  If I love tuxedo shirts, I really really love sheer black shirts – and I was super thrilled to add this one to my collection.  In fact, I’d be thrilled to add anything from Derek Lam’s fall 2006 collection to my wardrobe (hello out there, Derek, if you are reading!).  The pants rock my world, too, and like the shirt, look even better in person.  Even better are the prices. The shirt, which I got at Cadillac’s Castle, was a steal at $85 – even cheaper than the J. Crew top!  The pants, which I got 2 years ago at The Closet, priced in at maybe $135.  Woot!

A weekend of guiltless shopping:  my favorite.

A Trip to Wink, or: Sacrificing My Ideals for Some Sparkly Accessories

16 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment

by kml in Shop-a-frolicking

Sweat-drenched and jelly-legged after Saturday morning dance class, I thought to myself, “Land-SoHo!”  And so, after much debating about whether the C train was stopping at Spring Street despite weekend track work (it was, contrary to what the signage will have had you believe), I found myself at my original destination:  Ina on Thompson St. (way nicer proprietors than those at Ina on Prince St.).  I had some success the last time I was there, scoring a brand-new Rebecca Taylor chiffon top (never mind that it’s two sizes too big – I’ll toss a blazer over it) and an orchid-colored Ulla Johnson silk top that was a true steal at $18.  This time, though, not the case.  After losing my heart to a plum-colored Proenza Schouler cocktail dress (that was on major sale) only to have it end up being a size small on the top, and trying on a truly clown-ish Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair leprechaun-green top, I decided to call it a day.

Then I thought, hmm….maybe there will be more headbands for me to try on at Wink.  So I ambled a block up Spring Street.

Cut to why I usually avoid this store like the plague:  Not once have I had a positive experience there from a customer service standpoint.  No one says hello or welcome.  No one smiles.  No one even really talks to you – they just stand there, slouching and skulking, and only talking to each other.  Boo.  Shoddy customer service at pricey stores is my biggest pet peeve ever.

Anywho, I went in, in search of a duplicate of one of my favorite headbands, possibly in a different color.  I bought this Rachel Weissman headband over a year ago, and I love it and wear it all the time:

Rachel Weissman Applique Headband

By some odd twist of events, they had the headband again – and in new colors!  I happily left with a very luxurious sapphire blue one (happy birthday to me) and I’m so excited to wear it.  To top it off, I came home to a birthday box from my mom that included a very similar headband but with multi-colored jewels.  Yay!

I also scored a pair of BC Footwear sandals in pewter that I cannot find an adequate picture of….I’ll just take one at home later.

So, the moral of the day is:  Sometimes, it’s okay to not let snotty shopgirls keep you away from a sparkly headband.