Economy of Style
A notebook on evolving trends, fashion sense and cents

A Non-Haul: What I Didn’t Buy While Shopping TJ Maxx

I’m back.  I was in NYC last week hanging with my mother who was visiting from St. Kitts.  We did a lot of shopping!  My mother is definitely a Maxxinista, so we spent a lot of time in several TJ Maxx stores. 

All of the TJ Maxx stores we visited had The Runway.  I was excited, then, to explore the expanded collection of designer duds for less in these stores.

I found many items that I adored, but purchased nothing for myself.  Often, things work out that way.  Check out my favorite finds, though, that didn’t make it home with me because of either fit or cost.

I’m on a quest to find some jeans in color and I kept
spotting this orange pair in TJ stores.  It was in the juniors
 section.  The fit was not good enough on me.

This Leifsdottir dress caught my attention because of its
clearance price of $39.  I didn’t need another LBD at
this time though.

Another Leifsdottir dress on clearance, $57.  The top
was too large on me.

Now, I’ve been hunting for this dress.  I first spotted in
my local store, but only in a size 0.  I was excited, then,
to find a size 6 on clearance.  Unfortunately, the top
was too large and the bottom too tight.  It would
need too much work.

This is a Versace dress with a TJ price of $399.99.  Let’s
just say, I tried this one on for fun.

Another Versace dress, $399.99

I like to wear this kind of top with my leggings.  This is a
gorgeous cashmere number by Elie Tahari.  It had a
clearance price of $69.99.  It was a tad too big on top.
If it were cheaper, I would’ve bought it though.

The Right Length

As a shorter woman, I always notice a skirt’s length because the right length can create the illusion of appearing taller. To elongate my legs, I like my skirts to be cut a few inches above my knee.

Check out the difference a hemline makes on a couple of my work dresses. My favorite tailor raised the hemlines on both dresses (see photos on right).

In the past, I got rid of items that had an ill-fit more often than opting for tailoring.  This year, in an attempt to work with the wardrobe that I already own and spend less on new items, I am turning to tailoring to revive my existing wardrobe.

Dress 1—Kay Unger New York via Marshalls
Dress 2—Willi Smith via TJ Maxx

Fashion and Fit: Budget-friendly Tip

Ok.  You may notice that I rarely wear pants anymore.  While I would like to say that I have undergone a stylistic paradigm shift, I just cannot fit my pants. 

The issue.  All of my weight goes to my stomach, hips, and thighs.  In addition, I am only 5’4.” So, pants are usually difficult to get on or button or just too long.

I was recently contacted by a rep at Bristols 6, a company you may recognize for its popular nipple covers, nippies. I was introduced to two of its newer products—adjust-a-button and hem tape for denim. See product descriptions below.

  • ADJUST-A-BUTTON – Snug pants causing a ‘muffin top’? Want to close the back gap? Adjust-A-Button is a movable pin-like button that adds or reduces waistbands up to 1½” instantly. No need to shell out dough for new jeans during weight fluctuations or when in between sizes.
  • HEM TAPE FOR DENIM – March into fall without dragging your hem! Save money on tailoring with this double-stick tape specially created for denim fabric to alter the length of jeans in a flash. Wear new too-long jeans instantly, and switch between heels and flats.

Now, these two products are promising to solve a couple of my fit problems with pants, so I am eager to try them.  To help me do so and any of you who may share this interest, Bristol 6 has offered a special coupon code for us.

Coupon Code:   ECONOMYOFSTYLE

Offer:                20% off at Bristol6.com, valid until 10/31/10

Enjoy!

Checkout some of my favorite pants that no longer fit:

Disclosure:  The opinions expressed are my own.  No monetary compensation was received for doing this post, however, I was provided with a discount code.

Good (Newport) News Again

You may remember the fabulous dress I found after stumbling onto the Newport News site a couple years ago. I think I have scored again.

This summer, I have been drawn to the one-shoulder dress fad, but wanted to spend very little chasing the seasonal style. I spotted today’s feature dress on the Newport News site and it was near perfect. It was a slim-fit, one-shoulder dress with shirring at the shoulder and front panel drapes across the waist. It was too long for my 5’4” self, but I knew my trusty tailor could solve that problem. The dress was also on sale for $39.99, but after a quick google search for coupons, I got an additional 30% off and free shipping.

Today’s weekend chic look features the dress worn with snake-print leather wedges and a red clutch.

Dress—Newport News
Shoes—Ellen Tracey via TJ Maxx
Bag—Linea Pelle

Have a wonderful weekend!

Salvaged eBay Dress Purchase

Ok. I rarely purchase clothes on eBay because I am obsessed with trying items on before buying them. Still, I took a chance bid and actually won this festive black and red plaid belted dress. With chic details like a square neckline, perfect cap sleeves, and a standout print, the dress is a winner. The straight cut of the dress, however, made it impossible to pull over my hips. Darn.

Luckily, I recently met my new favorite tailor—Julia of Adonai Custom Tailoring & Alterations in Lexington. She took one look at the dress and assured me that she could salvage my spoiled eBay buy. And, she did for only $8!

Today, the plaid dress is worn with a black leather belt. Black tights and t-strap pumps complete the work look.

Dress—Banana Republic via eBay
Tights—Merona for Target
Belt—Dooney & Bourke via Apres Vous
Shoes—Taharia via Marshalls
Necklace—Lane Bryant