CheapJAP

Label Whore

Another Day, Another Six Dollar Dress

Yesterday afternoon, I walked twenty blocks up 5th Avenue in search of Monk; a thrift store deemed better than Beacon’s by some fellow Park Slopers. It’s not. But if you’ve got time to sift through the junk, it certainly has potential.

Now, before I boast about yet another brand-name find at yet another thrift store, I’d like to address some readers who feel I should temper my secondhand finds with more sample sale and/or designer discount fare.

While most JAPtastic brands are heinously overpriced, even I admit that cost often relates to quality. Well-made clothing doesn’t just hold up until its original owner tires of it; it lasts long enough to be re-worn and re-born into the wardrobe of another. I don’t shop at Goodwill, Salvation Army, Beacon’s, et. al because I aim to look like a fifties housewife or a free-lovin flower child. I shop these stores because they offer the greatest deals in fashion, provided you have the time and energy to notice.

I’m well aware that not everyone has hours to spend searching for said deals, which is why I fully support Loehmanns, Filene’s, TJ Maxx, and other established brands-for-less outlets. For the sake of argument, let’s say I have a $150 dress reduced to $60 from Loehmanns and a $150 dress reduced to $6 from Monk - the main difference between the two being that one has its tags on it and one’s a little wrinkly. It is ludicrous for my lifestyle and my budget to shell out $60 when I could spend $6. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s ludicrous for you. Particularly if you work in an office and need something semi-professional, not something in magenta chiffon.

Long story long, my enthusiasm for thrift stores is really just basic economics (I think). Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent dresses usually run from $150 to $400. Unless they’re from Monk, in which case, they’re $6. Six dollars. SIX DOLLARS.

I rest my case.

Label Whore

Does a $7 Top Cancel Out $300 Boots? Probs Not.

I wasn’t even going to write about my recent acquisition of these KORS Micheal Kors Slicker Lace-Up Rubber Boots. I neither paid for them nor deserved them; I just happen to be a spoiled brat whose Mommy buys her things for absolutely no reason.

For what it’s worth, I feel really, really guilty about that (albeit not guilty enough to not wear the boots).

So I’m coming clean: On my own dime, I’m a Cheap JAP through and through but when someone else is buying, the Label Whore reigns supreme. Hey, nobody’s perfect.

I’m the first to admit that these boots are trendy as hell. They’re also the most in-your-face empowering pair of shoes I’ve ever owned; they’re durable enough to last through rain, snow, slush, mud and/or stepping in gum and look fabulous doing it. Worn under trouser jeans, they’re high-heeled, casual alternative to flats (ideal for my 5′2″ frame). Tucked into pants or leggings, they’re a total statement. And anything that makes a statement is, for the Cheap JAP, always In. (Fashion’s supposed to be fun, for fuck’s sake).

Pictured: Polo Hoodie (originally Boys XL, cut into v-neck to accommodate boobage), Salvation Army, $7; DVF Jeans, Tokio 7, $75 (reduced from $345); KORS Michael Kors Boots…price upon request.

Label Whore

One Shirt, Endless Options

Okay, so as previously mentioned, I was a bad girl and hit LF Stores’ 60% Off Sale not once, but twice. Paying more than $30 for a shirt normally irks me, but when it’s as chic, unique and versatile as this Millau Tunic, I make exceptions. Especially when said Millau Tunic was originally $156 and on sale for $62.40.

Now, this tunic is seriously see-through (because transparent is, like, soooo Now). So whether you’re wearing it as a shirt or as a dress, layering is key.

I threw it on over a Theory cami and Intermix leggings ($9 EACH at the Intermix sample sale…it’s okay, I’d hate me too), used a green Gucci purse strap from Mommy’s Closet as a belt, and added Tory Burch Pony flats that I obvs didn’t pay for. What, it was Chanukah.

The result is an outfit that makes me look a whole lot classier than I am (read: WASP ;)).

For the slightly more, ahem, provocative look, I kept the Theory cami, added textured tights from Urban ($10 as part of their two-for-$20 deal), my little brother’s GAP belt (clearly I have a thing for robbing family members of belts), and my fave black heels.

I’m also wearing spandex biker shorts over the tights, not visible to the naked eye. Why? Because Biker shorts create the illusion that the garment is less see-through than it actually is. I don’t know how or why - it’s one of those glorious fashion truths that just is.

Or maybe it’s just something I dupe myself into believing so that I can wear see-through clothing. Whatevs.

Label Whore

More Brands at Beacon’s

You’re probs sick of hearing about Beacon’s Closet. Tough nuts. If you know of another store that sells JAPtastic denim for $24.95, I’m all ears. But as it stands, when I want serious brands at a quarter of their original price, Beacon’s never fails to deliver.

These are Hudson Jeans which, like their overpriced kin, usually retail for around $180. Based on their awesomeness, $24.95 seems too cheap, almost unbelievably so. But the tags don’t lie, people. The tags don’t lie.

Label Whore

The Return of the Denim Snob

Where JAPtastic denim is concerned, I’ve come a long way, baby. I’ve put to rest the inevitable shame of wearing Forever 21 high-waisted jeans; I’ve even come to enjoy the freedom of denim experimentation encouraged by not spending $200 on every pair. I’m not above secondhand Sevens, I’m no longer starved for Rich and Skinny, and my $14.95 Picadilly jeans from Beacon’s make my butt look better than AG ever could. And yet.

I’m still not above being wooed by designer denim, and Tokio 7 had it in abundance. The second I put these Diane von Furstenberg jeans on, my butt looked like it’d done 500 squats. Aside from their being the most flattering pair I’ve owned like, ever, they’re 95% cotton and 5% elastane, which basically means they fit and feel like yoga pants. DE-lish.

I assumed the jeans were from at least a few seasons ago, as DVF denim retails from $250 to $400 and these were priced at $75. Not that I cared. The fact that they’re from her Spring ‘08 line and, after being originally priced at $345, are now “on sale” for $172.50, is just the cream cheese icing on the red velvet cupcake. Half-off denim is generally a bargain, but when it’s DVF you’re dealing with, you’re still paying the equivalent of full-price Citizens. Not cool.

Now, I’m no good with percentages, but basic subtraction tells me that paying $75 for $345 jeans means I spent $270 less than the average denim snob. Net-A-Porter, you lose!

Label Whore

Tokio 7, Oh Thank Heaven!

It’s rare that I find myself thinking things like, “This $150 raincoat is a serious find. I don’t need a raincoat right now, but I will someday, and I’ll regret not buying this one when that day comes.” But when the raincoat in question is a fitted, shiny, navy-and-creme-striped Marc Jacobs, you stop thinking straight.

Tokio 7 isn’t the place for a quick, cheap shopping fix - their wares start at around $60 and cap at $500 or so. Most of the stuff is in the $80 - $150 range, so it obvs wasn’t their prices that impressed me. But the brands…OMFG, the brands.

I knew this was a Dolce without even looking at the tag. Versions of the bustier dress can be found everywhere from Forever 21 to Bebe, but no one does it like D&G. The latest version of this dress retails for $525 on eLuxury.com. Tokio 7 was selling it for $80 (yes, that pricetag is for reals).

This pale pink, Jill Stuart dress channels the one Baby wears in the finale of “Dirty Dancing,” and is therefore worth buying for that reason alone ;). Similar Jill Stuart dresses retail for $200 - $500 on REVOLVEClothing.com. Paying $70 is much more palatable, no? And if my boobs had fit into the corset-like top of the dress, I totally would have.

I obvs didn’t leave Tokio 7 empty handed; stay tuned to see what I scored. Let’s just say I got back in touch with my inner Denim Snob in a big, big way.

Label Whore

Re-Assess, Re-Vamp, Re-Wear!

I don’t just recycle paper goods (my building doesn’t recycle plastic or glass bottles, how effed up is that?…I mean, not that I have a lot of empty wine bottles laying around…wait what) - I use the three Rs to recycle my clothing too. Sometimes I sell stuff to Beacon’s for store credit. Sometimes I perform hemline surgery on tired pieces. But never before have I taken a pair of scissors to a pricey, JAPtastic item. Until the other day.

Last summer, Mommy bought me this Nanette Lepore dress. While Mommy’s Jewish in the religious sense of the term, she’s a beauteous blonde WASP where personal style’s concerned. This means she’s frequently - and often correctly - concerned that my outfits lack a certain level of, ahem, class. So she insists on my needing wardrobe staples like $300 Cocktail Dresses.

I wore this dress once last summer, and haven’t thought about it since. OMG, it’s Nanette, what’s wrong with me?! Many things, mi guapas; let’s talk about what’s wrong with the dress first. Continue reading →

Label Whore

Indulging Your Inner Label Whore

Part of being a Cheap JAP is rejecting the notion that labels define an article of clothing as good, bad or ugly. Where tops, bottoms, jumpers and dresses are concerned, I’ve pretty much kicked my inner label whore’s ass; she doesn’t blink at the amount of F21 and H&M in my closet, and even concedes that some of it’s cuter than my more JAPtastic garb. With shoes and handbags, she’s a little less forgiving. So sometimes I need to buy her a brand treat to shut her the eff up. This is where Beacon’s Closet comes in.

Beacon’s is one of the few places where you can be a label whore without actually paying for it.

Sure, there’s def stuff from GAP, Zara and the like lining the racks, but all that’s pretty cheap to begin with. As Beacon’s brand offerings range from very budget to uber high-end, I’m always on the hunt for the gems in the latter category. A $20 top from F21 reduced to $7 is good; a $200 Marc Jacobs jacket reduced to $30 is better. Capiche?

These Michael Kors gold pumps - oh sorry, MICHAEL by Michael Kors, how budg of me - probs originally retailed for around $120-ish, which isn’t outrageous to begin with. Alas, I got them for $21.95, reconciling my thrifty and my snooty sides. What a beauteous compromise!

Label Whore

One Fab Score: Chloe at Beacon’s

This past weekend I had not one, but two, magical thrift store experiences. One involved black and purple, over-the-knee suede boots; another story for another day. The other resulted in my snagging of the most JAPtastic items in my wardrobe to date.

Unlike more traditional thrift stores, Beacon’s Closet has as many recognizable brand-name wares as it does no-name hippie garb. You just need to be willing to hunt for the Pucci in the polyester. I knew I was getting good at unearthing designer gems: This shirtdress affirms that I am, in fact, a shopping predator.

Finding anything Chloe at a thrift store is an event of mythic proportions - I had to try it on before I really believed my ridiculous luck. The dress oozed quality and class and fit like a glove. I only belted it because it’s missing its two topmost buttons (a flaw currently being addressed by my seamstress…I should probs learn to sew at some point, whatevs).

Chloe dresses retail anywhere from $500 to $1000. Mine was $29.95. A big, fat, OMFG to that. I can still hardly believe it myself.

Label Whore

Brand Name Tees for Less Monies

My recent experience at Bloomies’s “sale” affirmed for me the ridiculousness of paying full price for certifiably JAPtastic tees. I’m the first to admit that tees of the Splendid, James Perse and C&C California ilk tend to fit better and last longer than their cheap counterparts. But they can and should always be purchased on sale. Why? Because at the end of the day, Short Sleeve Vintage V Neck, is just another name for a freaking $53 t-shirt.

I found this Michael Stars tank in a half-off bin at Park Slope’s Fifth Avenue Fair - $36 is a slightly annoying price to pay for a tee, but $18? That I can do. Yes, a bonafide brand name tee at a street fair is a rarity. Hit the sale rack at any Intermix, Scoop or Big Drop and you’ll eventually find a similarly JAPtastic basic at a similarly awesome price. And don’t sweat the glares of the saleswomen - they make 8 bucks an hour, and they’re all in credit card debt.

Label Whore

Seasonal Steal, JAPtastic Brand

When you see the “Now Buying For Summer” sign in the window at Beacon’s Closet, they’re not screwing around; show up with winter stuff to sell and they’ll neg it immediately, regardless of its cute factor or brand origin. This is uber annoying if you’re trying to score some cash on old sweaters, but seriously awesome when you’ve got money to burn on warm weather apparel. When I found these pants yesterday, a part of me was jealous of myself, if that makes any sense. Because they’re not just a pair of wide-leg, linen pants. They’re also not just a pair of wide-leg, linen Theory pants. They’re a cheap pair of wide-leg, linen Theory pants - $22.95 to be exact.
Let’s play a really fun game called What Theory Usually Retails For. The Rease Radar Pants are $215 at Saks (and Bloomies). Shopbop is selling the Linen Emery Pant for $225. And Intermix has the gall to charge $150 for a fucking pair of shorts.
I know, I know - magical things like $23 Theory pants don’t happen every day. But once you accept that spending over $200 on something you’ll wear for three months is slightly insane, you’ll be able to fully appreciate the beauty of the discount designer item. Stop overpaying and start hunting - seek and ye shall find.

Label Whore

More Love for Loehmann’s

The fashion mag powers-that-be won’t start gushing, “White this Summer, OMG!” until April; I wear white all year round because it’s eye-catching and I’m an attention whore, but to each her own.

I can’t effing remember who makes this fab little shirtdress, but the fact that it retails for $336 means it’s JAPtastic enough that Scoop and Intermix are def using it to rip off those Still On Daddy’s Dime. At Loehmann’s, it’s $89.99. It speaks to my remarkable self control that I did not buy it. Sigh.

Label Whore

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Loehmannade

Looking loaded is about integrating legit, brand name shit with cheap finds. This means that one must occasionally pony up for said brand name shit. I usually can’t stomach paying more than $40 per article of cheap-ish clothing but when my wardrobe is in dire need of a label injection I make exceptions. A common misconception about Loehmann’s is that everything’s like, sooo last season. Fine, you won’t find Fall 2008 Ready to Wear, but both Manhattan outposts currently have a stellar selection of Spring goodies.
This Diane Von Furstenberg neon pink, button-and-wrap blouse retails for $175.00. Loehmann’s sells it for $89.99. Not half bad for an of-the-moment, DVF find; Bold Colors are uber In this Spring. Warm weather…hot colors…fashion’s not as complicated as Vogue would have us believe.