The Closing Dress

I remember when I first saw a woman on the Red Line in DC wearing this dress. It was one of those moments where I couldn't just admire her outfit from afar. I had to tell her that she looked fantastic no matter how aloof a response I risked provoking. She was extremely petite and wore with it simple ballet flats (that looked like Repettos) and a Longchamp Pliage tote in a neutral color.

Although I am not so petite (I guess I am slightly shorter than average) I wanted to find this dress desperately. And after I moved to Georgetown I found the dress at Barneys Coop. On sale. It was by Rag and Bone which is a line that doesn't usually work for me because it is for the longer and leaner. Even this dress is something that clearly doesn't flatter a figure not shaped like a column to mimic the vertical lines.

It was summer 2008 and I was in the process of buying a home with my partner. I really shouldn't have bought much of anything that summer, even on sale. But the incredible shopping in DC (Friendship Heights, Pentagon City, and shops in Georgetown were accessible easily via public transit for a car-less person like me) was hard to resist. I picked up a small number of pieces and this dress was one of them. I even wore it on Closing Day when we went to sign the final paperwork that made us property owners in Pittsburgh. I've worn it a bunch since, but I can't think of it as anything other than the closing dress. Or maybe the DC Metro dress.

Do you have dresses you wear and rewear but will forever remember contextually or as part of a specific event?

Ella Moss Dress With Another Anthropologie Pop Back

Wore this to campus to do some paperwork. The Infinity Belt belt is new-to-me and was a sale item that seemed sold out until I checked my trusty wishlist to find a popback in my size!

Ella Moss floral print dress from Barneys Coop (similar here)
Anthropologie Infinity Belt (style #043512)
Thrifted wedges that remind me of these Worishofers

Chicago Trip: Outfits and Fitting Room Reviews from Anthropologie and Barneys

The above are from Friday evening, after we both got a little sunburnt and were a little exhausted, enjoying the outdoor music of Summer Dance. I am wearing the Burlapp Bold Boutonnière dress with the Cartography Cardigan, both from Anthropologie. Chris is wearing a Penguin polo.

While we had meant to venture outside of the Loop on Friday evening, we ran out of time and energy. That morning we had taken an unexpectedly long walk from our hotel to Chinatown, then from Chinatown to the lakefront by way of Soldier Field. Thankfully we were dressed comfortably (I'm in Old Navy shorts and an SJP Bitten top).

We instead ended up going to North Michigan and thereabouts on Saturday morning, before the wedding.

We stopped off at the lake again, in between stores. Chris is wearing a James Perse polo, Robert Marc sunglasses, Earnest Sewns, and Asics.

I tried on this incredibly beautiful and fancy 3.1 Phillip Lim sequined dress that was on significant sale but passed because it was slightly too short for my comfort zone. This is a size 8 and it fit fine otherwise so although 3.1 usually runs large, this was pretty true.

I also tried on this funny wrap dress by A.P.C. which I can't find online. This is a large. Although normally APC runs pretty large, this one ran true to size and fit just a little big. I tried on a few other things at Anthropologie too. 

The Salty Seas dress in a size 6 fit me awkwardly.

This clock print Lost Time skirt (size 8) poofed in a way that made me uncomfortable but was otherwise true to size. I paired it with a sale top.

While in the Coop section of Barneys, I grabbed this Ella Moss silk floral dress with a tank shell in size medium (same print different style here). It reminded me very much of the floral print dress I wore to my 8th grade harvest dance in 1994. I actually ended up buying this one and wearing it later that day with some t-strap Chies (similar here), a Forever 21 belt, and a black Balenciaga Day.

For laughs, Chris tried on this Balenciaga suit vest thing at Filene's. He ended up buying an NSF jacket from Barneys. He wore it to an art exhibit we visited in Pittsburgh this week (shown on the right).

We had such a nice trip but didn't have time to do everything we had hoped. I wanted to meet up with a few friends. My friend Jess's band was playing and I was looking forward to meeting Kim from Anthroholic. Sadly, trips always fly by much faster than you can anticipate in the planning stages beforehand and with a wedding and other firm plans in place, other things end up being impossible to fit into the schedule. Hopefully next time we can do even more!

Come Sale Away, Come Sale Away, Come SALE AWAY WITH ME!

Bad puns of Styx lyrics have been occupying my brain space far too often because of all the recent second cut sales. I went brick and mortar shopping with a friend last weekend and discovered quite a few places made recent mark downs. I wasn't in the market for anything specific so I mostly browsed, window shopped, and tried on things for fun but she scored some fantastic deals at Anthropologie, Footloose, and Chick Downtown. I did get a great deal on a pair of marc by marc jacobs pumps with a mid heel at Footloose. We also went to Saks but both managed to leave without anything.

Chick Downtown's Pittsburgh headquarters seems to be in transition. The boutique space used function as the mostly full-priced showcase for their website. I went there a while ago to see about trying on a "final sale," nonreturnable item from the website and was told that they don't keep their sale items in the boutique space. This past weekend I witnessed a direct reversal of that strategy.

Their brick and mortar retail space is now their outlet.

This week, Barney's and Neiman Marcus (both the websites and stores) took an additional 25% off their sale prices. Bloomingdales.com ran their "Spend more, Save more" promotion. And today, Saks took an additional 33% off designer sale prices. Nordstrom just did their second mark down. Net-A-Porter also took an additional 20% off sale prices.

Today is the last day of the online Kate Spade sample sale and they are deducting an additional 30% off when you add items to your cart.

There are lots of great deals out there! I have considered beginning my holiday shopping EXTRA early this year just in case. If the NY Times Sunday Styles section's analysis is correct then serious retail restructuring will render the sales of fall and early winter to be far less enticing and far less amply stocked.

Back in Pittsburgh!

I am back in Pittsburgh and starting to feel settled again, after a few long but fun weeks of hectic travels, lengthy research, unreliable internet connections, and bleary mornings during which I'd regularly forget my location. Although I am happy to be back, since there truly is no place like home, I will miss DC for its restaurants, museums, comprehensive public transportation, great friends (shout out specifically to my Fashionism gal pals), and shopping.

Before I left I managed to hit up some of my favorite neighborhood haunts, to scope sales and try on some clothes. A few items might eventually become objects of estalking but nothing struck me as a "must buy." At least not for just 30-40% off retail.

In light of the Susie Bubble dressing room photo scandal I am a little wary about posting my own dressing room picks, but I sincerely doubt anyone from Cusp, Anthropologie, or Barney's Coop will ever stumble upon my humble blog. So here they are:
Anthropologie:

Leifsdottir dress, Anna Sui skirt, Odille skirt

Cusp (where I tried on every See by Chloe dress in the store):

Barney's Coop:

3.1 Phillip Lim skirt and dress

A.P.C. dress and jacket

I will be getting back into the rhythm of blogging now that I am home again and have many topics ready for discussion! Thanks for bearing with me during my DC hiatus!!

NYC haulage: Barneys Warehouse Sale, Century 21, Barney's Coop, Buffalo Exchange, Street Vendors

Though I probably only visit NYC about once or twice a year, I've developed a pattern of sorts in my consumption. I try to have at least two very memorable meals. I stock up on street pashminas to give as gifts or to add to my stockpile.

And I try to locate staple pieces that wouldn't be easily accessible through Pittsburgh area shopping but would be difficult to purchase online (like shoes in brands unfamiliar to me, clothing in fabrics that I'd want to feel before buying, jeans, coats, etc.).

I realized at the end of January that the Barney's Warehouse Sale was going to occur during my time in NYC for Chris's conference. Since we usually try to fit in some shopping when we travel, I knew Chris would be just as excited as I was to attend this famous event. And he quickly added it to the agenda, especially since Pittsburgh is not the most diverse shopping landscape for discount luxury menswear. With the closure of Filene's Basement there are even fewer options around here for him. The Pittsburgh Saks has a very limited selection of men's contemporary clothing and most of it is fashion victim-y designer denim lines that don't interest him at all. Moda is great but often priced out of Chris's budget.

So during these trips he makes the most of the diverse options and I relish in having a partner who will accompany me on destination shopping trips.

We both did well in NYC, though we've never been able to have the same magical Century 21 experience as we did on our first trip there together in 2006 (during which Chris bought outerwear from Prada and Paul Smith and I bought my first designer handbag). This time, we walked out empty handed, though their women's designer shoe selection was fairly extensive. We also struck out at Bloomingdales and Saks. But Barney's Coop was lucky for Chris and the Warehouse Sale had great pieces for me.

Chris got this beautiful Fiorentini + Baker boots with a cap toe. While the jury was still out, I told him that they looked like boots that a Depression-era orphaned boy would wear. That sealed their fate. The leather is so nice and I hope I can find a deal on a pair of their fantastic women's boots someday.

At the Warehouse Sale, Chris struck out but I got the Marc by Marc Jacobs Alessandra dress in a different colorway.

And a pair of Stella McCartney Jeans. It was intimidating trying on jeans in front of uninhibited European tourists and the models circulating the sale but Chris shielded me and I worked quickly to try them on without the privacy of a formal dressing room.

After eating a memorable and delicious lunch at Momofuku Noodle Bar, we stopped at the East Village Buffalo Exchange where we both found great, gently used pieces.

Chris got a tweed Paul Smith sportcoat. It is very professorial.

I got a mbmj sweater top and an Owl flap clutch bag for insanely cheap.

As much as I love Pittsburgh, I've never found anything like that at our Avalon Exchange. Though, they do always provide an avenue through which to get quick cash for unwanted clothing.

While I miss the far away friends and the limitless shopping possibilities in NYC, I am glad to be home. I came home to three packages (one for chris, two for me) and got to fully celebrate his birthday. Next post will document the these recent acquisitions. Thanks for reading!