I still have to blog about the train trip I just took with my parents as well as finish recounting the adventure I had with my Belgian visitors before Christmas. But today, what say we take a fashion break because I need to vent about a 5-figure dress that I tried on at the store. Did I just get your attention?! I’ll get to that in a bit.
Today was a beautiful, balmy 65-degrees day in LA so I took the afternoon off to check out the second round of markdowns at the stores after receiving a text from my SA about CHANEL going to 60% off at her store. I didn’t have high hopes about there being anything left in my size, so I actually loitered in the shoe department instead. Found these gorgeous Louboutin boots that I’d love to call my own (they match my purse!)–if only I could walk in them…they came home with me for my girlfriend who actually knows how to maneuver these skyscrapers:
There were still lots of CHANEL boots and shoes on sale, but none in my size. So I tried on a bunch of Spring/Cruise shoes instead. There’s a pair of YSL platform slingbacks with my name all over them. Well, there were lots of shoes with my name all over them, but I have resolved to look through my closet and make a short list of shoes that I absolutely need and not just want. Then only with this list will I do my spring buys in March. At least that’s what I’m telling myself this first week of the new year anyway.
By the time I made it upstairs to RTW, there were less than 20 pieces hanging on the sales rack in CHANEL…as expected. The items left were either hideous or just hideously expensive, and either way, they will probably stay on the rack for a while. The SA threw a jacket over me, showing me how easily alterations could be done to fit me perfectly. I was not feeling the tweed so much so I escaped unscathed.
From there I ventured to the CHANEL boutique. Their sale was still only 40% off and yet, there were very few items left, especially in my size. Don’t tell anyone at CHANEL that there’s still a recession going on because their business is not feeling it. The one jacket that made number 1 on my Winter buy list from the runway photos was still available in my size; however, it was in my third favorite color out of the 3 colors it came in…
It was also a bit (OK, a lot) big on me and would require expensive alterations, so I will wait and see if it makes it to the next markdown…ahem, along with one or three other pieces that I asked my SA to keep an eye on for me. So once again, I left empty-handed.
Then I drove over to the Allsaints Spitalfields store, where a winter sale was raging. I picked up the embroidered leather military tailcoat for another girlfriend. It was probably 4am where she lives when I got to the store so I had to make an executive decision and bought the dark gray version instead of the light taupe one that I tried on here:
This friend was the one who told me about this label, and I have to say, as soon as I saw their jackets in person, I was sold. Their leather jackets are incredible. I felt ten degrees cooler just stepping inside the store. Loved the rocker chic vibe. Loved, loved, loved their aesthetics, and all at very reasonable price points. I’m going to see if I can find this style in grey before I go back for the black one as a last resort:
Happily, Allsaints was just a few doors down from the other CHANEL boutique. You’d just have to walk quickly past the Ivy in case some paparazzi jump out of the bushes to snap photos of some celebrity exiting the restaurant, and then the boutique is right there.
I fell in love with a couple of bags as soon as I entered their breezy foyer (hello matte patent dark fuchsia 2.55 flap!) but the SA led me upstairs to check out the sales. And that was where I saw the $10,000 dress–one sick LBD:
It had a very simple neckline and cap sleeves, all hand-sewn in a crisp silk, with a row of sueded roses just above the hip.
There was only one and it was in my size. It begged to be tried on–and let me just say that I felt like a Degas ballerina in it:
So you can do the math, even at 40% off, it is one expensive dress. Even at 60% off it is still one crazy price tag. And as yours truly did not win that $280M lotto this week, I had to leave the dress behind. BTW, I got locked inside the dressing room and the SA had to get the manager to come rescue me with the master key. For a second I did take that as a sign that I was meant to stay at CHANEL in that LBD 
.
No dress, dear readers, but I did not leave empty-handed this time. One hint: it’s black. Another hint: just a little something-something. Will photograph it in the morning as it’s already so dark here right now.
Tags: 2.55 flap, Allsaints Spitalfields, Chanel, Louboutin
Confession time. I started the FIMTSO series because I’m supposed to stop buying (shoes especially) in bulk. By bulk I mean more than one pair of a particular style…hence, the reference to Imelda Marcos. But the universe is doing all it can to help me keep Imelda’s tradition alive. In fact, the Louboutin post a few days ago was just a hint of the shoe disease eating its way through my wallet this sale season. Because here’s how it’s manifested itself once more…in the guise of some JCrew sandals:
Umm…if I had a black suede bag you’d also see the same sandal in black suede next to it because yes, I got 3 pairs of the same sandal. What’s with the number 3 anyway! But in my defense, I have to say I got a great deal on these sandals. A week of your Starbucks habit pays for my sandals. OK, maybe two weeks.
But you know, if I should get to the point where I can beat this shoe disease, there’s already someone else in my family to carry on Imelda’s torch. Check out my niece Lil A’s shoe bonanza. Her mom just got her 3 (or 5…the girls in my family don’t like to count) pairs of shoes from Daffy’s. I swear 3 is a magic number around here…
How cute is she tottering around in those open-toed sandals? If you’re 14 months and wobble like that you’re adorable; if you’re my age and wobble like that you’d be called drunk. Here’s a close-up of that delicious skin inside the third pair of shoes:
Tags: Daffy's, FIMTSO, Imelda Marcos, JCrew, Louboutin
Thanks everyone for your concerned emails about my health. This week I am running at 98%, and in a few days I expect to be back in overdrive mode…just in time for sale season. The days of pre-sell leading up to the actual public sales have already kicked in, so this past weekend was a whir of viewing and trying things reserved for me…grrr, so many shoes and only two feet!
The shoe departments are full of floor-to-ceiling mirrors and soft lighting to goad you into a shoe frenzy, and if you didn’t have a shoe fetish before, you usually do by the time they finish bringing out the tenth pair. And if you were wired for shoes the day you were born, like yours truly, then…well, it’s hopeless. But I behaved. Designer shoes have gotten so expensive virtually overnight that I think these are the only two pairs I want for now–the Marni peep-toe bootie…
and the gray Louboutin wedges that will match a gray bag I’m considering (it’s always like this, isn’t it…do we buy shoes to match bags or bags to match shoes?)…
OK. I lied. I’ve not behaved all that much. Because these just followed me home from the Prada and Converse outlets. Umm, do I get a pass for outlet shopping?
PS: the first pic is of two Chanel buttons (they are lipsticks positioned to spell out COCO if you have 4 of them) my buddy sent me from KL. You see? The Chanel addiction is not entirely my fault. I have enablers from around the world!
We’re just days away from Memorial Day (May 31 to be exact) and all you fashionistas know what that means here in this country, right? Yep, the summer sale is about to break! So the last week I’ve been emailing, texting, and even calling my favorite stores with my wish list to see if I could get a jump on any goodies. I sounded so congested (read: sick) on the phone that I think it worked to my advantage. They really wanted to cheer me up with the usual suspects–Chanel, Missoni, Louboutin–and retail therapy is much better than any prescribed drug. It’s also no secret that a good couture sale is like your wedding day. You can be hungover, sick, exhausted, or just not feeling it, but you still have to do it. And hey, when the sale associate calls to say that she has your “dream” shoes at 60% off, do you want to sleep or do you try to fake looking human, drive cross-town, suppress your cough attacks, and drag your almost lifeless body up the stairs to get to the shoe department on the second floor? But enough about my experience at the winter sale earlier this year.
I’ve written about how tough the shopping has been this year with lower inventory across the board at all upscale stores. Given the lower supply, the demand has been that much more competitive, especially when you wear tiny sizes, which stores don’t seem to buy a lot of in general anyway. It’s a good business strategy, fashion economics 101 as it were. But that’s rough news for us fashionistas in rehab to be recessionistas.
I’m crossing my fingers that some must-haves from my wish list will be found on sale and if so, I’ll post pics here. The thrill of the chase is definitely fun for a fashion hunter like me, but because it’s been such a tough season, I think the reward will be sweeter than before. I love me a good chase!
Wait, what did you say? Oh, that pic at the top? No, not a sale item, unfortunately, but it’s the Balenciaga motorcycle bracelet in anthracite. It reminded me of an elephant I rode in Thailand and I couldn’t resist.
Tags: Balenciaga, Chanel, Louboutin, Memorial Day, Missoni
There’s an astigmatism in my right eye that’s worse than the one in the left, and each year my eye doctor pushes me to try the toric contact lenses to remedy the problem. Each year I give it a good effort but in the end I can’t wear them. This year in particular has been challenging (we are still fighting the good fight against reading glasses!), and only today, after the fourth try at yet another different prescription and brand, I think we’ve finally found me the right non-toric pair.
My vision is not that bad, but the astigmatism hinders me from clarity of details and affects some depth perception, especially at night. Let’s just say you might not want to make me the designated driver at night whether I’ve had too much to drink or none at all. It’s not a serious problem, but I can’t tell you what a difference good vision makes on your confidence in nighttime driving.
After some frustration this morning, my doctor sent me out to–in his words–”the brave new world” to try them out. As soon as I stepped outside, I saw the snow capped mountains way in the distance against the blue, blue sky without having to strain my eyes. I got on the freeway to test the sharpness, and I don’t know if it’s really the new contacts or the rain from the day before that allowed me to see with so much clarity. I think I almost saw Wyoming from California! It is a brave new world and I already feel like a new person…though the real test will be the next time I drive at night.
So…what can possibly beat a new pair of eyes? A new pair of shoes! What did I say about my Louboutin footprint yesterday!
Tags: astigmatism, Louboutin, toric
