Temptation

It's tough living in New York during sample sale season, especially when you have publicly made a vow of shopping chastity, like me, and splurged twice the week before. My resolve will be tested in the next few days with the Suno sample sale. I have decided on what might be a compromise--skip the first, crowded and likely most expensive day and pop in when it is less crowded. Any of the sample sale panic and collective hysteria will have likely abated and I can make measured decisions about whether or not any of the stock is worth the investment.

I have to say that I am getting some good use out of last week's purchases. I wore my Mayle clogs for three out of the last four days and even taught in them yesterday. They are not as pretty as some of my shoes, or, indeed, as pretty as some of Jane's earlier shoes and clogs, but they have something about them--and they are comfortable. I also wore my Thakoon navy blue dress on Sunday when we took Evan's mother out for Mother's Day in Long Island. Although I snagged it on a J. Crew bracelet (must never wear non-fine jewelry with that dress) I think the snag will be remedied. And the dress is divine and comfortable. As for the rest of my splurges, I wore the blue Ana Lou jacket on Saturday for dinner (with a striped J. Crew long sleeved t, jeans and the Coco clogs). Evan liked it and reversed his initial decision about it being an unnecessary addition to my wardrobe. Then Monday I wore the Lala blouse and realized it was pretty, not too frilly and worked well with my black Rag & Bone pants and the Coco clogs.

Vows

To save money. To only buy items that really add value to my closet. To stick to my wishlists. To avoid temptation.

Bad

So I was bad today. Very bad. Nothing like having to eat your own words publicly, but eat them I shall. Before I went to bed last night I received the email about the Mayle pop up's 50% reductions. That put the items I wanted squarely at the right price point. I discovered the store would open at 10 so I went in before class--sacrificing some sleep and admitting to my students when I arrived that the only reason I was five minutes late for class was because I was shopping. During the break, I shared my finds with some of the lovely students in my lovely class.

Because the trains (for once) were amazingly efficient, I got there at 9.45 taking me less than 35 minutes door to door, and chatted with Cindy and Monica on the phone before going in. It was pretty much empty (about five of us), so that was a huge contrast to the last big sample sale two years ago. A lot of stuff had sold--rompers, dresses, blouses, but the coats and jackets were well represented--as were belts. Clogs were plentiful in 39 and 40, there were a few 36 and 41s (good for Cindy and I) but the 37 and 38s had gone. A few bags were left, a couple of small rompers, leather shorts, but I noticed a fair amount had sold since Wednesday.

So, here's my stash, replete with approximate prices. Suffice to say, the only things I can get this summer are Didion sandals if I find them on sale and S2A wedges. I am now back on my vow of austerity. It lasted four weeks and I think it can last longer next time.

Coco clogs ($208 + tax)
Green suede/black leather JM bag ($245 + tax)
Lala blouse (ruffled with tie front in ivory pink signature pop up print) ($183 + tax)
Irini military coat in black ($288.50 + tax)
Ana Lou jacket in blue ($275.50 + tax)

Pictures to follow. I am feeling really guilty. Should I have got Ana Lou and Lala? Do I need another bag? Perhaps not but this was my final splurge and the last brand-addiction I promise I'll ever have.

Thakoon redux

As I manage my third cold of the last four weeks (a combination of flying and Evan and I both being around sick students) and work on my last historiography lecture of the semester, I keep thinking of returning to the Thakoon sale. This might be a bad idea--I searched through the affordable pieces and found two gems. Am I so greedy that I can't leave it there? I can't really go until after 4 tomorrow as I have a class and an MA defense and today is similarly packed. I think that's the problem with good sales--especially with brands that are otherwise out of reach. You think about what you save, not what you have just spent, and you fantasize that other amazing pieces are there if you just look hard enough. Alternatively, you think about splurging a little more on those items that you abandoned just a day earlier as a little too expensive, recognizing them instead as investments.

Anyway, to give you an idea of why I am obsessing, here is a version of one of the dresses I got yesterday. Mine was in a different fabric--a more wearable and likely more expensive wool/silk crepe, not georgette and was mainline, not Thakoon Addition, but this cut is very similar. My dress is slightly higher at the neckline and a little more draped around the hips (but without adding bulk--instead it camouflages bumps and bulk, possibly because it has an extra ruffle). This is clearly one of the label's favorite and recurring designs, and one that is incredibly flattering.

Thakoon Sample Sale

On my way to a couple of defenses this afternoon, I hit the Thakoon sample sale, which was as stocked and quiet as ny.racked.com's correspondent had reported. The staff were quiet and friendly as about five people browsed the large number of production samples which were all in good to immaculate shape. I tried on a few pieces (the samples seemed to run large) and snagged two dresses for a total of $250. It was my first big expenditure since very late March so I figured it was OK. I could have bought more pieces but settled on a muted fuschia wool-blend crepe dress with a bow-like detail and a navy draped crepe shift that made me look like a size 2. These dresses were beautifully cut--had I been a little smaller, I'd have ventured into some of the printed fabrics but most of them looked a little too small for me. I will take pictures and show off my finds--basically this was far better than Mayle where the dresses looked sad, dowdy, creased and cheap--and overpriced. I still liked the coats and jackets but again thought they were more expensive than they should have been. It was a cold, wet day and had the Ana Lou jacket and the military coat been a bit cheaper, I might have been tempted.

I highly recommend the Thakoon sale, however, especially if you are a size 2-4.

Mayle Pop-Up

The announcement of a third Mayle pop-up left me feeling underwhelmed. The previous two, quite honestly, were overpriced and the execution and design was lacking. That's not to say that there weren't some nice pieces. I love the Vera coat I bought from the second pop-up, and thought the coats were generally lovely and well made, but many of the dresses and blouses looked somewhat dated and the fabrics and manufacture were not what I'd expect from Mayle--or any other designer at that price point. Truthfully, they were more the level of Zara or Urban Outfitters--many dresses had no linings, the patterned silks tended to be thin, and the finishing and details weren't there.

I understand why the quality of the dresses/blouses was compromised--Jane was clearly producing in such limited numbers that there was no way she could maintain previous quality and have them be affordable. But therein lies the rub--if she wants to design, she should do so, but do it properly. There's a recession and few people wants to, or can, spend $500+ on a dress that isn't as well made or designed. It's clear that she wants to avoid the fashion cycle, and that I respect, but at the same time, her customers want something more--dare I say, better--than the pop-ups have offered.

Another peeve is the still high prices for Fall merchandise--pieces that have been available online for months. A few coats are 40-50% off, but this is too small a reduction given that it's May and that means Fall 2012 coats will be shipping in two or three months. I know there is a small coterie of customers who buy immediately, who have very deep pockets (like the celebrities that follow Jane), but once these people have purchased their pop up pieces, the rest of us are Jane's customers. If it hasn't sold, it won't sell at that price point.

All this reminds me of the ebay sellers who just continually relist items for months at the same (too high) prices without getting that the lack of customers means that their prices are way too high. If it hasn't sold by now, it won't at that price--and maybe it won't sell at all. I know people want to get a return from their investments, but sometimes, the market speaks and it does so loudly. If you want to sell, you have to price at the right level.

Now, it may just be that Jane will issue further reductions--I may also be completely wrong and everything might very well sell out at these prices. But my gut tells me (as does the silence online and the reports from the none-too-crowded pop-ups first day) that these prices are still too high--20% reductions on fall merchandise won't make people change their minds and spend--particularly as we all sense yet another pop-up will inevitably happen soon, that this one could run longer and the clothing will still be available, long after its initial charms faded, still waiting for customers who may very well have moved on and away from a brand whose new incarnation as a pop-up may have sullied its image.

J Crew, Fall 2011

After chatting to Cindy, I revisited the images for J Crew's fall collection while taking a quick break from some course prep. When these came out some weeks ago, I decided I needed at least two of the structured bags and would do something rare--pay full price. I also thought some of the separates and one dress were really nice and hoped that J. Crew wouldn't do the usual and wuss out, making the items fit more of a middle American point of view and lose any of the directional edge that some of them displayed below. Here, then, are some of the pieces that I'm coveting and hoping to acquire this fall (I hate thinking this far ahead as I love the spring and summer).

This is a definite covet. I hope the dress isn't made shorter and that the fabric isn't scratchy (I also hope it comes in this lovely red and isn't a prohibitively expensive collection piece). I love the sleeves (I'm really into sleeves in dresses) and the whole 1960s vibe. This is a must have.

The purple pants intrigue me here--and I quite like the sweater. This may be a maybe, however, as I have large thighs (muscles that can never be dieted away) and thus pants aren't always my friend. Love the purple, however, and will look for one of their cashmere cardigans in this hue.

I like the styling here (I think I can use my Belda trench this way)--and the leggings really speak to me. Again, if they don't make my thighs look a mile wide, I'd seriously consider investing in them.

This bag--in another color--is a must.

And I am partial to this bag and these pants too. I'm eager to see more of these structured bags and to have one over my arm. The bag and the red dress could even be combined--and the leggings added to produce a more casual and artsy feel. These items make it easy to resist the siren call of the still over-priced Mayle pop up later this week.