Deals on Marc by Marc Jacobs Mouse Flats

I'll have a Thanksgiving post up later today. But until then, 'tis the season for shopping and right now, Yoox is offering free shipping. One top of that, you can score an extra 20% off with coupon code, YOOXGIVING.

With many styles of Marc by Marc Jacobs Mouse flats already marked down, the code makes for some pretty good deals on this quirky closet staple. They also have the burgundy colorway of my owl flats.

Here's a round up of my favorites with many sizes still in stock:
Navy or Gray studded mouse flats for $86 shipped!
Black mouse pumps for $94 shipped!
Pewter mouse flats with elastic back for $77 shipped!
Cracked gold and black metallic mouse flats with elastic back for $87 shipped!
Burgundy or whiskey colored owl flats with elastic back for $87 shipped!
Black or Tan mouse flats (without elastic back or studs) for $87 shipped!

I have had elastic back mouse flats and regular studded mouse flats and I recommend going with your true size or sizing up if in between for elastic back flats. For regular flats I recommend going with your true size or sizing down.

I sized up a half size for my first pair (pewter with elastic backs) because I bought them at the end of my pregnancy to wear postpartum (during pregnancy it is common for feet to grow in addition to swell due to the hormone, relaxin). Eventually my feet went back to normal so the elastic backs help them to stay put. I also sized up for a regular (non-elastic back) pair of studded flats but those were  too big. The code applies to everything on the Yoox site so happy shopping!

Yoox Anniversary Coupon Puts the Sale on Sale!

Day Dresses
Platforms

Yoox is celebrating its 12th anniversary with a 20% off coupon code that can be applied to the entire website. For me, this means the sale is on sale since I love when you can stack discounts! Use code HAPPYBIRTHDAY@YOOX now through June 22nd, 2012 for 20% off. Above are my favorite picks that are already marked down from Marni, MBMJ, DVF, See by Chloé, Valentino Red, and more. Happy shopping!

Hemming and Hawing

When I did my 2011 roundup of favorite buys, I included the See by Chloe Patchwork Print dress that is so comfy and that I enjoy wearing very much. It yields a lot of compliments and generally feels very me without going too far into twee-overload. And I have written before about my tendency to buy multiples when I really like something. So when I found the alternate version (called the Folklore print) on Yoox with a % off and free ship coupon, I decided to take a chance. Now I'm not sure if this print (which sort of evokes tiny garden gnomes or troll dolls... haha) is venturing toward twee in a bad way. What do you think? Sorry for the crappy mirror photo. I haven't had time to take proper ones and the return deadline is fast approaching.

Lessons Cher (from Clueless) taught me

There's no shame in having "lucky clothes."
Tenacity is most impactful when delivered politely.
And perhaps most important: take photos. You can't always trust mirrors.

With that in mind although I was pretty sure this See by Chloé bargain skirt from Yoox was going back (it is flimsy, somewhat see through, and unlined), I took photos. And they confirmed my suspicions. Even on sale with a stacked code, this skirt isn't worth my closet space. I like the print but I don't have room for sheer and flimsy. It is too short to wear sans tights so c-ya.

Is my dress too short? Opine on this Chloé number!

I grabbed this from the Yoox 70% off sale with an additional 10% off and free shipping coupon. It is very cute but it has a hemline that is longer in back than it is in front. I didn't realize just how short the front would be. And I'd love some help deciding if it is too short for a curvy 30 year old gal to pull off. I will likely wear it with tights in winter to make it all-season but for summer it is a tad scandalous compared to my normal comfort zone. And because of the special pleated details of the hemline at the front and the ruffled back, I am loathe to utilize my usual exposed slip solution. What do you think

Back detail.

Streets Ahead Bow Belt

I don't usually linger for long in the accessories section at Saks. It is populated by fancy bags, small leather goods, sunglasses, scarves, and other things I tend to buy either significantly reduced or secondhand. But as I was waiting for my friend so we could head to happy hour, I spotted the cutest bow belt from Streets Ahead. It was made of very supple black leather with trim that looked like zipper teeth. And it was on major sale. I tried on a size medium over my outfit that day and was smitten. And I so happened to need a black leather fashion belt since my Forever 21 standbys were too larger and my Linea Pelle studded double buckle belt is a bit masculine to match with everything.

In other news I tried on the above purple plaid See by Chloé dress last year in DC at Cusp. You can read my initial post on that here. And I don't recall it being quite this sheer (notice my tag in the sideview!) and I don't remember thinking it would require a slip but this obviously does. Yoox had it for a very low price so I decided to order a couple of things to try on at home. I will update with those purchases (one of which might be a special occasion dress if I decide to keep it) in my next update.

After I searched a bit, I couldn't find the Streets Ahead bow belt but I found many others in a range of prices here:

See by Chloe Trail Print Dress: My Saga and A Review

Sometimes my efforts to hunt for a specific piece occur too soon. The worry that something has sold out takes over. Rationality about there being "other dresses" or any notions of shopping destiny succumb and you end up paying a little bit more for fear you will never see the piece again. The above is one such example. I tracked down this See by Chloe Trail Print dress (just in as of today at The Outnet) last summer with the help of an Intermix sales associate in Georgetown.

I first tried on this dress at Saks in Pittsburgh. Since this store doesn't carry See by Chloé, I knew it was a random website return. I loved it but couldn't stomach full price.

Then I saw it at Intermix when I moved back to DC in May. They only had small sizes and it was still too expensive (one first cut sale) when I first visited. By the end of my trip I decided to stop in one last time and found it was marked down once more. Because they only had small sizes they had to search the company stores. They shipped it to me in Pittsburgh and it was there the day after I returned. It was still a little more than I like to spend on a dress. But I've worn it a bunch since, and the cost-per-wear is now low. Still, if I had waited a little longer (like a year) I could have had it with little effort thanks to Outnet or Yoox.

That was one of my only customer service interactions with Intermix and although I desired a sale item, they were very helpful and kind. For some reason this was surprising. Perhaps because what I knew of Intermix was limited. The website, the Vegas store (where my shopping partner and I weren't treated so well), and their ubiquitous presence on the Real Housewives of Orange County made me nervous about asking to for the service of tracking down a sale piece. That just wasn't so in Georgetown. They were great!

I really like this dress for it subtle details so I don't have buyer's remorse. The piping around the collar evokes Peter Pan without actually disrupting the silhouette. The print has plenty of color without feeling bright and conspicuous. The sheer sleeves can be rolled easily for summer wear. The lining is a cut more narrow than the exterior which can be a problem, depending on what fabric comprises one's undergarments. If you are thinking about tracking it down on ebay, Yoox, or Outnet, I would say this dress runs small for See by Chloé. I am wearing an 8 and a 6 would have definitely been too small in the bust and hips. Be warned that its solid color counterpart (on sale at Yoox) is unlined and cut more amply.

Have you ever allowed your impatience and irrationality to inform a hasty purchase?  Has the nagging feeling that something could sell out influenced a decision to buy at a price a little above what you typically spend?

Goldilocks Returns: AKA Yay or Nay on this See by Chloe industrial print dress

This See by Chloe number went on a deeper discount at Yoox.com, so I decided to take a gamble and order a 6. I already lamented how the 2 was (obviously) too small and the 8 was way too big. I had high hopes for the 6 but this size was sold out in the lighter colorway that I preferred. Apparently the darker version runs smaller so now I am uncertain about whether to keep or return. What do you think?
See by Chloé dress from yoox
Chloé Edith pumps
Balenciaga City (2006 gris fonce) (similar here; super cute budget similar here, and here)

I waited since probably November for this to finally be marked down. Instead Yoox moved it from the Fall/Winter arrivals to the Spring/Summer arrivals, (as if I wouldn't notice?!) and kept it at their full discounted price. Now I worry that sale goggles and the long wait are influencing the fact that I like it.

Missing the Size Mark on this See by Chloe dress

A while back, when Chick Downtown had a retail store in Pittsburgh, I tried on this adorable but too-small See by Chloe dress that I discovered was a size 2. So no wonder it was too small!

The really weird thing was, it kind of almost fit. That *should* have clued me in that I would not need my usual size in this particular dress, once I found it for a reasonable price from Yoox. But it didn't.

My usual size 8 is billowy and the sleeves poof like no other!

Back it goes which is a shame because it is extremely well made. Fully lined, beautifully printed, fine silk. I can't even make it work with a cardigan.

And I am left feeling as particular and picky as Goldilocks!