I will admit it. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to shop. I mean, who doesn't? For me, it was really easy to get caught up in the fun of the experience of shopping and the ease of the swipe of that credit card. Then BAM: Reality check. Those bills, they add up.... FAST! Then the "fun" of the experience goes away pretty quickly. So, I vowed to myself that I would become a smarter shopper.
Here is what I did on my self-analysis. First off, you need to think about your job and what you wear on a day-to-day basis. For me, it's dress clothes, so I did need to concentrate on that first, since it's something I'm wearing so much of my time. Having a sharp work wardrobe is important, so it should take a good chunk of the clothing budget (but not all of it!)
I call this first category "Staple" clothing items, basically things you wear every week. Staple items are an item you should definitely invest in, because you want quality materials that you can wear over and over again. If you buy something cheap, it will likely need to be replaced sooner anyways.
1. Best Dress Pants: Banana Republic (Martin Fit): It is a great cut for all body types, the quality is excellent and although the price is a bit high, the value is definitely there. http://bit.ly/BananaRepublicPants
Added perks: You can purchase the matching suit jacket if you want and you can get different sizes in top and bottom. They also come in short, regular and long. They also have great skirts in different styles that match with the jackets and you can get them in pencil or A line, depending on your body type.
2. Best Work Clothes: Ann Taylor Loft: I love ALL their clothes, especially their sweaters, cardigans, and dress shirts. What I love about them is that they are classics that will never go out of style. They are a bit pricey, but again, quality is great and I have some pieces from years ago that I still love to wear.
Looks I love:
http://bit.ly/AnnTaylorLoftCardigan -I love the Blue Depths color... it's perfect for all seasons and versatile to wear over a dress or over a tank!
http://bit.ly/AnnTaylorLoftSweater -I own this and love it in the tropical green color!
TIP: Sign up for email lists for your favorite stores. I watch for special online savings and ONLY purchase when I know there is special discounts, such as free shipping and promotions. Save your bulk buying, whether it be in-store or online, for when the stores are having a promotion!
OK so now that you have your "Staples" all set to go, it's up to you to mix and match items from a bunch of different places to pair with your Staples for work. Also, you gotta have stuff for fun, of course. So how do you find great pieces at reasonable prices? Here are some of my favorite places...
My favorites stores for "Non Staple" items:
*S*A*V*E*
1. Hidden Gem: INC: International Concepts- @ Macy*s: I love this department at Macy*s! They have cute clothes that not everyone is already wearing. Prices are decent, quality is great. Steer clear of the pants, but dresses, skirts, jackets and tops are very cute! (and yes, some of the stuff is a bit cheesy, but the diamonds in the rough are so worth it, so you have to bear with me on this one!)
Looks I love:
http://bit.ly/INCMacysTop - I own this top (in white), it is so cute and you can wear a jacket over it for work or out on the weekend!
http://bit.ly/MacysINCJacket - I own this jacket as well and love it! Its flirty and fun!
http://bit.ly/MacysINCDress - I own this dress in Black and in Navy and White striped. It fit flawlessly and is perfect for summer to dress up or down.
Tip: I used my Macy*s card and saved an extra 20% off my purchase (then paid the bill right away so I wouldn't forget later!)
2. TJMAXX: We all know that TJ's is a great place to find bargains, but sometimes its a bit frustrating to pick through those racks. So, you can bring a friend and make it really fun, or go by yourself and be "on a mission" to get through those racks. It's worth the time and the effort.
However, I'm not going to leave you with just that... I did some digging for you, of course!
I spoke with my good friend Jennifer Casey who is actually a Buyer at TJX Corporation to try and understand where we can really get the most bang for our buck! When I asked her for some links to some products for my blog (hey, I'm thinking, why not? free publicity to my ummm 7 readers, ha ha), she explained that they actually don't have online shopping or pictures online because they have contracts with the vendors that they do not advertise the actual labels /specific products that they have at the stores. Ahhhh, so that's why their ad's are always so generic! But it makes sense right? The designers don't want it to be advertised that they ordered way too many of something, but of course they want to sell it to TJX to make money. Hence our surprises when we go to a store and strike gold!
She was able to recommend the top stores in the Metro Boston area to most often find good stuff!
Jen says: Framingham MA store and the new Newton MA store: They have fabulous stuff because they are top volume stores and are constantly getting in new goods! :) Thanks Jen!
3. Outlet stores: You can get GREAT bargains at the Outlets, but the quality is still there, since its still the name brand. I love the Gap Outlet in the Watertown Mall. They have great deals and you can totally stock up on lightweight cable knit sweaters for work + great lounge clothes. Wrentham Outlets are of course fabulous as well.
4. Old Navy: Keep an eye out for their sales. You can get SUCH great bargains there.
Looks I love:
http://bit.ly/OldNavyFlipFlops : So comfortable and SO cheap! Starting at $1.49!
http://bit.ly/OldNavyTank : Again, so comfortable and SO cheap: starting at $6.50! Great for the gym, lounging and for layering. With so many colors you have so many options! You can actually wear one with a skirt and funky accessories to dress it up or easily wear tanks layered with jeans or shorts as a cute dressed down look.
Old Navy is an old faithful for great summer clothes that are lightweight, comfy and cute! Be careful, they tend to run slightly large in shirts and dresses...
I hope you enjoyed my tips! Stay tuned for more. :)
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