A Brief Study in Comparative Pricing
13 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
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.
