Hauls Archives - Page 4 of 7 - Economy of Style

economyofstyle October 7, 2013

My Haul from the Shopping Soiree at Savers for STLFW

Last Friday night, I joined my fellow STLFW blogger friends at a shopping soiree in Savers, the international thrift retailer with more than 280 stores across the U.S. and Canada. I quickly grew fond of thrift shopping after visiting the first Savers store that opened in the St. Louis area last fall.

This recent event took place in the Savers located at 9618 Watson Road, the latest store to open in St. Louis. Shopping Savers that night felt like an exciting treasure hunt because Savers stores house about 100,000 items on the sales floor and receive about 5,000 items daily. You never know what you’re going to find.

Sweets and treats provided by Savers to keep energy high while shopping.

How to Secure Extra Savings at Savers:
1. Join the Super Savers Club. To maximize your savings and shopping experience at Savers, consider joining the Super Saver Club. Membership is free and all members receive email notifications about special events and sales, like an extra 50% off the already low prices at the store.

2. Donate clothing and housewares to Savers. Whenever you donate to Savers, you’ll receive a coupon for 20% off your next purchase. A wonderful feature of this program is that donations given to the Crestwood store benefit Vietnam Veterans of America, a non-profit that supports Vietnam veterans.

My Savers Haul
I was given a $25 gift certificate and a coupon to use during the shopping soiree. Within minutes of browsing the store, I had a cart filled with hopefuls to try-on. Want to see what I bought for less than $23? The most amazing find was a Tannery West leather skirt (100% leather) for $9.99! Check out all my finds below:

Outfit 1:
Top—W118 by Walter Baker via TJ Maxx | similar
Skirt—Tannery West c/o Savers
Boots—b.o.c. by Born Concepts via DSW | similar
Bag—Rebecca Minkoff via TJ Maxx
Necklace—Lisa Freede gifted at Neiman Marcus event | option
Watch—Michael Kors via TJ Maxx | similar

Outfit 2:
Sweater—Jones New York Signature via TJ Maxx | similar
Skirt—Mossimo for Target c/o Savers
Shoes—Franco Sarto via Marshalls | option
Bag—Rebecca Minkoff via TJ Maxx
Earrings—Kate Spade via Nordstrom Rack | similar, similar
Necklace—Vince Camuto | similar
Watch—Michael Kors via Nordstrom Rack

Outfit 3:
Dress—French Connection c/o Savers
Jacket—Gap Outlet | similar
Booties—Sam Edelman
Bag—Kate Spade | crossbody version
Earrings—Kate Spade via Nordstrom Rack | similar, similar
Watch—Michael Kors | similar

Disclosure: I was invited to participate in the shopping soiree at Savers as a STLFW blogger. I received a gift certificate and a special shopping discount for participating. As always, the opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

economyofstyle August 28, 2013

Haul: J.Crew Factory Finds at St. Louis Premium Outlets

On Monday, I shared my excitement about the opening of the St. Louis Premium Outlets. Today’s post, though, is all about what I purchased during my visit to the outlets. I was provided a gift card to shop at the center. My plan was to use the gift card to partially cover the purchase of a new Kate Spade bag or to stock up on chic basics. I browsed several stores and decided to do most of my shopping at J.Crew Factory.

I bought the J.Crew Factory colorblock tee in retro jade, the J.Crew Factory printed pencil skirt, and the J.Crew Factory multistrand pearl necklace. Now, get this. After applying a few discounts (including the educator discount), my grand total was $66.86 plus tax. Unbelievable, right? I paid less than 40% of the $172 retail cost of these three items. Score!

Here are my J.Crew Factory finds. They even work well together.

Location: SLU campus at corner of Lindell and Grand Ave, St. Louis, MO

For size reference, I’m wearing the tee in an XS and the pencil skirt in a size 4*.
*Update: I think a size 2 would fit better in the skirt. I tried the floral printed pencil skirt in a 2 and
it fit much better.

Top—J.Crew Factory c/o St. Louis Premium Outlets
Skirt—J.Crew Factory c/o St. Louis Premium Outlets
Shoes—Max Studio via Marshalls | option, option
Bag—Kate Spade
Earrings—Pearl studs via Overstock | similar
Necklace—J.Crew Factory c/o St. Louis Premium Outlets
Bracelets—Vince Camuto, Stella & Dot
Watch—Michael Kors via TJ Maxx | similar

economyofstyle May 13, 2013

Chambray, Lace, & Mega Marshalls Closing Sale in St. Louis Mills

Fellow St. Louisans, did y’all know that the Mega Marshalls in the St. Louis Mills is relocating to Maplewood this month? In preparation for closing the Mills store, Marshalls is liquidating, offering an additional 40% off everything! Unbelievable, right?

I purchased today’s outfit, the Chambray top and lace skirt, in the Mills Marshalls for a grand total of $29.88 plus tax. Score!

The store is scheduled to close on May 19th, but inventory is dwindling, so stop by quickly if you plan to. I think I may swing by the Mills one more time this week.

Shirt—Nine West (Vintage America Collection) via Marshalls | similar
Skirt—Kenar via Marshalls
Belt—Anthropologie | similar
Shoes—Tahari
Bag—Michael Kors via eBay
Watch—Michael Kors via Nordstrom Rack
Earrings—Kate Spade via TJ Maxx | similar, similar
Necklace—Vince Camuto via TJ Maxx | similar, similar

economyofstyle March 1, 2013

Duro Olowu for jcp in St. Louis Stores

When I first saw images last month of the Duro Olowu collaboration with jcp, I immediately started counting down to the collection’s release on March 1. Flattering silhouettes for various body types. Bold colors. African-inspired prints. This collection is like a Spring 2013 style dream.

Let me tell you. In person, the collection is even more stunning than the online lookbooks could ever indicate. If I wasn’t on a budget, I would’ve probably taken one of everything—the clothing, the home goods, the jewelry. I would’ve surely bought the suitcase to pack it all in of course (if my store had it).

Close-up look at my favorite accessories in the collection.
The tapestry retails for $30. Necklaces above are $25 each.

I was most attracted to the canvas and cotton bags. My favorite was the tablet E-reader case ($25).
It’ll work perfectly as clutch since its cross-body strap is detachable.

Since I knew I couldn’t buy everything (today), I tried to be selective about what I took to the fitting room. Y’all know how that goes. Once you try an item on and it’s perfect, it’s hard to walk away. Here are the items I tried on. Yes, this was as small as I could make my try-on pile.

I’m wearing both dresses in a size 6. The green jacquard dress is quite luxe-looking in person.
There are some size inconsistencies though. The green dress was too tight at the defined waist in a 6,
but the leaf print dress fit perfectly in a 6.
When I sized up to an 8 in the green dress, the waist was still tight. So, I had to pass for now.

I tried on the pants for fun because they’re not my style. I’m wearing the shorts in a size 8.
The ankle pants look like pjs on me. They are too long on my short self.
I’m wearing a size small in the ankle pants.
The plaid sweater is quite luxe in person. I’m wearing a size small above, but would surely size down
to an extra small. The sleeves were long on me.

I have a hard time fitting non-stretch pencil skirts. I’m wearing an 8 above and it was too snug.
I never got to try a 10 to see if the fit improved. $40
The elastic waist, A-line skirts ($30), on the other hand, are quite big. I’m wearing an extra small and
there was a lot of room.

I’m pretty confident that I’ll be revisiting this collection again soon when I have more time to try on pieces. For today, though, I purchased the leaf print dress, green blouse, and a vase. I was disappointed, though, in the absence of items in the plaid print I was most drawn to (like this tee). Darn it! St. Louis stores never get everything in special collections.

If you’re a fan of prints and color, this collection is a must-see. The price-point is quite reasonable too. I recommend checking it out in person because I noted a few size inconsistencies, even among items with the same silhouette.

economyofstyle November 29, 2012

Cyber Monday Buy: Kate Spade New York Brushstroke Clutch

Last Sunday, Kate Spade New York launched a cyber Monday sale, offering up to 70% off a host of items, including handbags, clothing, and accessories. After browsing the sale items, I was thrilled to find the Brushstroke clutch, a bag I’ve been eying, included in the sale.

This standout clutch features a brushstroke detail on the front and a paintbrush-shaped clasp. It’s a work of art! The clutch originally retailed for $348, but was on sale for $149, a price reflecting a 57% discount. I ordered the clutch and received it yesterday. Check it out.