Retail Vs. Resale: Tibi Jacket
Summer is a time for elements absent from the majority of my wardrobe: Color and Prints. I don’t seek out colors and prints that scream HOT and SUNNY because they lack versatility, but sometimes I’m charmed beyond practicality. Take Tibi’s Josephine Blazer, for instance:
Is this a killer nod to warm weather? Yes. Do Tibi jackets retail for around $398.00? Also yes. My penchant for neutrals and northeast location makes splurging on something like this almost as ludicrous as the price tag itself. If I could find something like this for a more reasonable number – say, $24.95 – it’d be a different story. One in which I’d BUY IT on the SPOT.
I did. And I did.
A brandtastic infusion of summery material goodness for under thirty bucks.
Loves it!
Brandname Sundresses, Bitchin’ Price Points
May is upon us, and you know what that means: It’s time for sundresses! Beacon’s Closet and Housing Works are currently bursting with floral fabulosity.
Retail value comparisons included for motivational purposes. Few things are more thrilling than the massive cost differential between new and gently-worn, IMHO.
The below signature should be read with the same pace and intonation as “X-O-X-O, Gossip Girl” – a phrase that’s been stuck in my head like a bad one hit wonder since Monday night. Sidebar: Do the writers on Gossip Girl have a cliche quotient to meet for each scene? The dialogue is a train wreck, and really pretty people make it that much easier to stare at the carnage. Not that I’m complaining. I mean, I’m still watching. Maybe next time we’ll categorize the dresses as ‘Blair’ or ‘Serena’ a la Anna Sui’s Target line. But I digress.
M-W-A-H,
Cheap JAP
Betsey Johnson Silk Strawberry Print Sundress (NWT)
Retail Value: $298.00
Beacon’s Closet: $49.95
What Comes Around Goes Around Embroidered Gauze Dress
Retail Value: $172.00
Beacon’s Closet: $34.95
AKA New York Babydoll Dress
Retail Value: $198.00
Beacon’s Closet: $34.95
Rebecca Taylor Yarn Dress
Retail Value: $315.00
Beacon’s Closet: $34.95
Albert Nipon Floral Frock
Retail Value: $280.00
Housing Works: $45.00
Rapscallion Floral Scromp
Retail Value: $68.00
Housing Works: $15.00
Taka Halter Dress (athletic-chic skater dresses are, like, sooo IN right now, according to fashion authorities…)
Retail Value: $150.00
Housing Works: $35.00
Tracy Reese Floral Sundress
Retail Value: $195.00
Housing Works: $45.00
A Nineties Take on the Transparent Shoe Trend
Wanna rock the See-Through Shoes thing for Spring? Check THESE out:
They’re Candie’s, which are now “sold exclusively at Kohl’s” (barf) for around $55-ish.
This particular pair is a hell of a lot cooler than any of the line’s current styles, which leads me to the conclude they’re from Candie’s pre-sell-out era – the Jenny McCarthy days.
The ad’s dignified in comparison with the shit American Apparel pulls today, but back in the nineties, it was a little bit shocking. (Also a lot awesome).
Fine, Singled Out wasn’t exactly groundbreaking, but the fact that a girl could look like a Playboy bunny and act like a DUDE was downright inspiring. Jenny rocks, and so did Candie’s.
In the market for a trendy nugget infused with nineties nostalgia?
Hit beacon’s closet online to snag the Candie’s pictured for an uber reasonable $12.95.
Big fat catch alert: Size 6 only. Small-footed femmes, go forth and shop!
Beacon’s Closet – Williamsburg
588 N 11th St.
718.486.0816
Weekdays, 11am – 9pm; Weekends, 11am – 8pm
Subway: L – Bedford Ave
Cab: N 11th St b/w Berry and Wythe
Yay
♥ Mammoth selection of vintage and brand name resale apparel, shoes and accessories
♥ Impressive en masse organization – everything arranged by size, color, or both
♥ Check bag at counter, shop hands-free
♥ Stock caters to hipsters and label whores alike
♥ Patient sifting yields premium scores
Oy Vey
✗ Overwhelming amount of blouses and tops in dire need of editing – browse strategically or perish
✗ Buying standards where coolness trumps condition of garment: Avoid the As Is tag
✗ A notoriously surly staff
Tagspotting
Browsing Time: 45 minutes to one hour for newbies; two hours or more for seasoned thrifters. Try not to let the staff’s attitude kill your shopping buzz.
Urban Outfitters Scored Resale
A reader recently asked why I don’t shop at Urban Outfitters.
I don’t know if it’s the music, the faux vintage and/or gimmicky tees, the uber-cute stuff at uber-offensive price points, or that my definition of SALE is rarely in sync with the stores’ reduced-price racks, but all of the above makes Urban Outfitters my personal shopping hell. I’m not saying I don’t like the clothes; I just don’t have the energy, dollars or patience to buy them in-store. This doesn’t mean I won’t buy them elsewhere.
Enter Beacon’s Closet, Park Slope.
The above skirt bears stylistic and material similarities to the Silence & Noise Sublimated Zebra Skirt, which retails for $38.00 and is currently on sale for $24.99.
What’d I pay for a gently-worn version of the same brand? $9.95.
I don’t know if Urban makes the Lux line anymore, so we’ll use another one of its in-house labels to deduce the original price of this garment. The BDG Flannel Pintuck Tunic retails for $38.00. Like its Silence & Noise brethren, it’s also on sale for $24.99.
The Lux floral print tunic cost me $14.95 – not a huge score in the grand scheme of things, but it fit like a dream so I gave it a go.
Why don’t I shop at Urban Outfitters? Because I can snag their stuff resale for less than its sale price.
‘Nuff said.
