On My Radar: Fashion Picks For Now & To Invest In

8 July 201712 July 2017

There are so many beautiful and fun items out now that caught my eye. From the Gucci boots (my God, they are gorgeous) to the Fenty Puma x Rihanna sneakers to the Asos Unicorn Flats, there are so many awesome shoes out there ready to grace our manicured feet.

I am in love with the Needle & Thread maxi dress, as well as the Free People ballet wrap pants. What to have fun in now and what to invest in? Have fun with the sneakers, invest in the Sam Edelman bow flats. Invest in the Maeve dress, but have fun in the off the shoulder dresses. Buy the Talbots plaid purse for now, and invest in the Givenchy Antigone for the bag you’ll carry for the rest of your life.

As a rule of thumb, never spend a lot of money on items that will last only a few seasons. Invest in items that will last a lifetime, both in quality and in style. The green floral Alice + Olivia dress will be in style 40 years from now. The style has already been popular since the 1960’s and it is still going strong.

Stick to A-line skirts and dresses for staying power. It flatters every woman. The style is forgiving if you gain a little weight below the waist.

Also, consider adding a few artistic pieces into your wardrobe. Art never goes out of style. The Gucci boots will still look fabulous 20 years from now. Also, the Loft jacket will still look amazing decades later over an evening dress, your Sunday’s best, or at the office.

Most importantly, you have to learn what YOUR STYLE is. If you do not know what your style is, consider going through your closet in the KonMari fashion. Look at each piece of clothing to determine what fits and which items bring you joy. Keep only the clothing that fits and brings you joy.

After you complete this task, take a look at what remains. In those items that remain, you will discover your own personal style. The key to finding that style all lies in the joy you find in the pieces that remain. In a way, you will discover who you are in the fashion sense.

From there, you will get a sense of how to build your wardrobe, focusing only on items that compliment your style. There will always be a lot of trial and errors, but discovering your style will only help you become wiser when you continue to invest in new items for your wardrobe.

[Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive compensation.]

Private Designer Sale: This is a Good One

31 March 201519 February 2016

For those who dream in fashion, I have a sale for you to make your Fantasy Wardrobe just a little bit happier.

I will admit that I never announce a major sale until AFTER I’ve shopped it. What can I say? It’s the New Yorker in me that sees a sale, hopes no one else sees it, peruses the store and then makes a mad dash to the “Checkout” when I realize other people may have stumbled upon the sale. It’s like that infamous “Will & Grace” episode where everyone is fighting over sale items at a Barney’s sale.

And yes, I am one of those people that protects my cart while shopping because people like to shop your cart in NYC. [I am not joking when I say that.]

Just as YOOX and Net a Porter have announced their major designer tech merger, YOOX does something just as amazing…they send an email to their subscribers alerting them of a private sale.

A YOOX 90% off clearance sale is very similar to that Will & Grace episode, except if you don’t purchase it fast enough, someone else may buy it…thus meaning it’s SOLD OUT while it is still in your cart. The Outnet (sister site to Net a Porter) clearance sales are very similar.

What things did I score at the YOOX clearance sale? A Roberto Cavalli bag for $73, a John Galliano tote for $68, an Alberta Ferretti bag for $53, and a Missoni scarf for $37.

Yes. All of those prices are real. Including this Fendi bag for $362.

I’ve been wanting a Missoni scarf for a few years now but every time I went to purchase one at Rue La La or Gilt, I just didn’t feel like that was the price I wanted to spend on a Missoni scarf. YOOX’s price of $37…no one is twisting my arm. That was more than just the perfect price.

The Cavalli bag for $73? I bought a similar bag a few years ago for $550. I love that bag so much. I take it with me whenever I travel because it’s light, it can take a punch, and it is like Mary Poppin’s magic carpet bag (you just can’t fill the thing up). I bought this new one just in case the other one gives out on me one of these days. At $73, that’s a major deal for me considering I know already what I’ll get out of the bag.

Before you go running off to the site to shop the sale, you need to know a few things first. You need to know HOW to shop it.

First, it is essential that you REGISTER for the site. You cannot access the sale unless you are a registered customer.

Second, after you register, a yellow tab called MYOOX will pop up at the top. Click on that tab. It will take you to the “Up to 90% off sale.”

Right now, the sale is for subscribers only. The sale goes public on April 2.

The reason why you want to subscribe and register now for the site: if you wait until April 2, you are basically getting the scraps.

To get a little bit more cash back, make sure to use Ebates to get 2% cash back when you checkout. Not a user of Ebates? Register HERE. New subscribers get a $10 gift card to a retailer of their choice.

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This is a Fantasy Wardrobe post. Fashionistas dream of having the most amazing wardrobe, but most oftentimes don’t have the bank account to fuel their shopping passions. Fantasy Wardrobe posts at PerfectionistWannabe.com are designed to help you find ways to make your dream wardrobe come true. These things don’t happen overnight. It takes time to make the dream a reality. This site will show you how.

The Perfect Spring Trench

20 March 20158 April 2016

It’s the first day of spring! While some parts of the United States are watching the snow falling outside of their windows, thoughts of spring flowers, bright, sunnier days, and the return of spring colors (not to mention love being in the air) starts to fill our brains. It makes us feel like it’s time to put away our winter clothes and pull out the lighter, spring wardrobe (or at least go shopping for a new one).

But wait…it’s not warm enough yet! You’re still going to need to bundle up, but at least now you don’t have to wear those dark oversized puffers. It’s time for your perfect spring coat to see the sunshine.

While shopping for a spring trench, think of one that suits your current fashion personality the best. Maybe you want something classic that you can wear every spring/fall. Go with the classic Burberry trench. Maybe your spring fashion personality this year is filled with lots of pastels. Or maybe you plan on wearing more florals or patterns this spring. Find a trench that will match well with the majority of your spring wardrobe you plan to wear this season. That is the investment you are seeking.

You can go subtle or you can go dramatic. Or if you’re like me, you buy a new coat each season to add to your coat wardrobe. That way, you have a variety of choices no matter where your fashion mood strikes year to year. When you build a coat wardrobe, you’ll always need to start with the classics and then later add a little fun into the mix. From day coats to evening coats, you’ll eventually need one for every event that may come your way. Take it one coat per season at a time. A wardrobe doesn’t happen in one shopping trip, it takes years to build, so take it slow.

The perfect spring trench is one that makes you (and everyone else that sees you) happy, because it reminds them that it’s time for spring. People think a lot of happy thoughts in the spring!

Think color. Think florals. Think patterns. Let your coat make a statement. Whether it’s a bold pattern or a light pastel, your perfect trench is the one that makes you feel happy.

Here are a few trenches that will get you thinking of what to add this spring.