Velvet Bomber

I've been notably quite in this space, mostly for a lack of anything to say, and I'm still trying to get through posting photos taken back in November.  

 

Life has gotten smaller this last year, in every possible way, and rather than trying to fight it by staying virtually connected to friends, family, workout buddies, and fellow bloggers, I've let myself become even more distant and disconnected. 

 

Even if the world does regain some normalcy this year, I fear the bad habits I've created over these last 11 months will not easily be undone.

 

The Rundown
Velvet Bomber Jacket Vince via Coco's
Floral Wrap Bodysuit Banana Republic
Curvy Mid-Rise Skinny Jean Banana Republic
Brown Croc Bootie "Ragon" Marc Fisher similar
Green Mini Trunk Bag c/o Italic
Paperclip Chain Necklace Serefina via TJMaxx
Earrings S.V. Decker
Blue Topaz Stacking Ring Hirajule via TJMaxx
Thin Gold Ring Etsy
Gold Croissant Ring Etsy
San Marco Twist Ring Golden Cleff via TJMaxx
Signet Ring Sashi
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx

Investment Pieces Without the Investment

I love a good sale, I hunt them down with fervor (I've been stalking the Anthropologie Tag Sale for the past week and hoping the pieces I bought work out!) but no matter how deep the clearance cuts are, typically my best deals are found shopping secondhand. 

 

Earlier this winter I spotted a faux leather blazer at Abercrombie with a less than palatable price tag of $140 (and while the light brown is sold out, there are a handful of sizes still left in black clearanced to $67). However, I'd much rather have a genuine leather blazer, at half that clearance price, so I turned to eBay. 

eBay has been a long standing favorite of mine, the search refinements make it easy to narrow down the results, buy it now options eliminate the stress of the auction format, and when buying from the average person just hoping to clear out their closet, amazing deals can be found. (The resellers are their own breed, and I have mixed feelings about them.) 

If a leather blazer happens to be calling to you, avoid retail, and take a look at this option for under $30, or this one under $40, or 'splurge' on a vintage piece, this one listed at $60 and another at $80.

The Rundown
Knit Top Mango
Giraffe Print Silk Pants J.Crew
Leather Blazer Isabella Bird thrifted via eBay
Brown Croc Pumps "Everly" Naturalizer
Green Mini Trunk Bag c/o Italic
14k Gold Hoop Earrings thrifted via Shopgoodwill.com similar
Paperclip Chain Necklace Serefina via TJMaxx
Maya Bracelet Gorjana via TJMaxx
Blue Topaz Stacking Ring Hirajule via TJMaxx
Thin Gold Ring Etsy
Gold Croissant Ring Etsy
Sunglasses "State Street" Ray-Ban

Italic

Luxury for less has always been the guiding principle of this blog. Lots of things have changed over the years, but I still get excited over a beautiful, quality bag at an attainable price point. So how about a calfskin leather bag made by the same manufacturer as Prada and Miu Miu for $170? If you can live without the designer labels but still want quality, Italic is the company to put on your radar.

Italic is like a direct to consumer brand, only minus the brand - the membership based site is about enabling products to be purchased from the manufacturer at cost. Eliminating the brand removes packaging hallmarks we often associate with luxury goods - the glossy box with a magnetic closure, pieces swaddled in tissue emblematised with logos - but do we really need them?

 

Not just limited to bags, Italic is home to coats from the same manufacturer as Alexander Wang and Armani, shoes sharing a manufacturer with Chanel and Prada, even housewares and bedding from the same manufactures as All-Clad and Frette.

 

Italic's membership costs $120 a year, but considering they sell everything with zero markups, they aren't profiting on product sales, and most members break even on the cost with a single purchase. With the holiday season approaching, I can't think of a better way to gift a cashmere sweater that could retail at $400 for only $65.

The Rundown
Cream Denim Jacket Banana Republic
Cream Sweater Tank Banana Republic
Rust Wide Leg Pants H&M similar
Cream Booties Aerosoles
Green Mini Trunk Bag c/o Italic
Earrings S.V. Decker
Necklace S.V. Decker
Gold Snake Chain Vintage similar
Thin Gold Ring Etsy
Chevron Ring Etsy via Silver Canyon Jewelry
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx

Italic provided me with the bag for this post. Thanks for supporting the brands who support Chic on the Cheap.