Shopping: I Don't Love it
There are only two reasons you will ever catch me in a mall: 1.) I’m killing time, or 2.) I need something in a hurry because whatever I ordered online didn’t arrive on schedule. I prefer to do all my shopping from the comfort of my bathtub, where the lighting is flattering and there are fewer flash mobs. If you feel the same way, here’s a helpful list of websites that I think are worth knowing about.
While I definitely love a bargain, I’ve outgrown the need to buy something just because it’s on sale. I’ve learned over the years is that it's more satisfying to save up and spend money on an item I really want than to buy something I’m not totally in love with. For instance, last year I bought myself a Chanel purse (new - not vintage). I’d never spent that kind of money on a purse before, but it was worth it because that purse loves ME and only ME! I get compliments on it wherever I go, and I’ll have it forever because Chanel bags never go out of style. (See below for links to sites that sell pre-owned Chanel bags!) With this in mind, I’m including sites for bargains and sites for splurging… because you’re worth it.
I’m not going to give a bunch of style tips because I can’t see you (!) but here’s a good way to get compliments: have things tailored to fit YOUR BODY. This is not just a suggestion…DO IT! Also not a suggestion but a commandment: SHAPEWEAR! Buy some that actually fits and wear it! FYI: these days most clothes are designed to be worn with some form of shapewear, so NOT wearing it can actually disrupt the lines of the clothes. (My favorite sites to buy underpinnings are herroom.com and barenecessities.com.)
A good way NOT to get compliments is to blow money on something that you can’t move around in. For instance, why would you buy 5-inch-or-higher heels that cause you to walk like you’ve just gotten out of a body cast? You see this a lot in Las Vegas; people who are used to wearing Crocs or flip-flops all the time go to the Christian Louboutin store with their winnings, then stomp around the clubs like King Kong crushing a village. We’ve all done it, but let’s stop doing it.
Enough lecturing from me! You’re all beautiful, so here we go:
Online Stores and Outlets
asos.com – a British store for men’s and women’s fashion ranging from the site’s own super-affordable ASOS brand to pricier designers like Ted Baker and Vivienne Westwood. A good site to go to if you want to experiment with a new trend without blowing a ton of money. ASOS also carries maternity clothes, special sizes, and vintage treasures.
Bergdorf Goodman – Definitely a place to splurge! If you’ve never gone to the actual Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan, please remedy that as soon as possible! I make it a point to go there every time I’m in NYC so I can scope out all the stuff I’ve seen in Vogue and determine which things are/are not worth the price (Victoria Beckham and Roland Mouret – totally worth it, IMO). If you actually make a purchase in the store and have it shipped to your house, you don’t have to pay the sales tax! I’ve bought clothes in the store and online when I feel like splurging. Keep their sales on your radar. The plus side of shopping in the actual store is that it’s like wandering through a breathtaking wonderland of designer yumminess, and you’ll undoubtedly spot celebrities. The down side is that sometimes the salespeople throw shade, especially in the shoe department.
Matchesfashion.com – another British site for men’s and women’s clothes from established and new designers.
Net-a-Porter – luxury designer fashion for women only (the companion site for men is Mr. Porter). This is one of my favorite online stores because they also have an online magazine to give you inspiration. They have huge sales twice a year.
outnet.com – the online outlet store for high-end women’s fashion, with discounts up to 75% for designers like Victoria Beckham, Roland Mouret, Alexander McQueen, etc. Outnet gets new merchandise every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
yoox.com – a massive online outlet for designers from around the world. Yoox carries men’s and women’s clothes from smaller brands to high end designers (the shoe selection is especially impressive) as well as art, housewares, and gifts. This site takes some patience because there is so much to see, but it’s especially worth it if you’re looking for something out of season, like a bathing suit in October or boots in June. Keep in mind when ordering that orders are shipped from Bologna, Italy, so plan accordingly if you need your items by a specific date.
E Drop Off – my stylist Jennifer Rade told me about this site when I asked her to recommend a reputable consignment site. I love this site because it’s foolproof. You send them an inventory list of what you want to sell, schedule a pick up when your list is approved, they list your items on ebay and cut you a check. So if you have some mid-to-higher level designer clothes, shoes, accessories you want to sell, check them out. If you want to buy similar goods, they get new stock constantly. Only “gently used” items are considered, so you don’t have to worry about the quality.
Portero – consignment site of for designer bags, jewelry, and watches. A great site for collectors of vintage luxury goods.
The Real Real – This is actually my favorite consignment site because they pay quickly when you sell something with them, they give out Neiman Marcus gift cards when you list items, and they pay commissions of 60-70%! I’ve scored 3 pairs of gorgeous shoes (Balenciaga, Manolo Blahnik, and Prada), and none of them were over $250.00 This site sells men’s and women’s clothes, shoes, accessories, jewelry, and art.
Gilt, Ideeli, Modnique, Rue La La – membership sites that hold short sales for men’s, women’s, and children’s clothes, jewelry, accessories, home goods, art, and sometimes travel. These sites require that you sign up with them so they can spam you constantly. But you can score some good stuff if you’re persistent.
Rent the Runway – This site is brilliant for renting a designer dress (and jewelry) when you know you’re only going to wear the damn thing once. You can read customer feedback on sizing for each dress and see how regular people of all body types look in them. You can keep things from 4 – 8 days, and when you’re done you just shove it all into a prepaid envelope and send it back.
Bag, Borrow or Steal – a great site to rent a gorgeous bag when you need to “represent.” You can also buy or sell vintage bags on this site.
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