I had gotten a notice of a designer sunglasses sale at Beyond The Rack. Much to my delight I found the exact McQueen sunglasses I had just purchased at the Alexander McQueen boutique in London last weekend. They had different colours available and since purchasing these, I've gotten more compliments than I can count. So at $189, I thought I would purchase a pair in a different colour. Only something didn't seem right. The original retail price was listed at $450, which would make these a discount of about 58%. I paid 175GBP (roughly $266.) Having been in the New York McQueen shop this past week and inquiring about the price there, I was told they were $250. So the actual discount at Beyond The Rack is only 25% not 58%. Not only have they intentionally misled their customers, they didn't even have the grace to give me a response when I inquired, giving them the benefit of the doubt thinking it was a misprint. A further google search turned up the same sunglasses at a lower price, with free shipping -- something not offered by Beyond The Rack. So please, know your prices before assuming these online sample sale sites are truly a bargain.
Later today I checked out a "Accessories Blowout" on Haute Look. I came across the Gucci Britt wallet I had purchased on sale at the Gucci boutique FOUR years ago at the same price! Where's the bargain there? Four year old merchandise, at the same price found at the Gucci boutique.
I think I'll be unsubscribing from all of these so-called discount sites promptly. Much better discounts can be found directly from the designer boutiques where they don't have to lie about the original retail price either.
Cheers!
Mon Idée Fixe=My obsessions. Professional author, writer, blogger, ghost writer, mother, wife, and lunatic. I write about what I want not what I must. If something catches my fancy I'll write about it here & hope it catches yours too! I have a wide range of interests & write about about it all! I hope you enjoy my blog and stop by often!
27 February 2010
My Bittersweet Blog Anniversary
On 11 Feb last year, I started this blog. I had a fun post planned as I was to be in London and Glasgow, and would be attending some LFW events as well.
Then the news that Alexander McQueen was found dead came through. I've always been a massive fan of Alexander McQueen, and to be honest it was him that got me started blogging as my first real post a few days later I talked about the McQueen for Target line. Having just a week previous lost an old, dear friend to suicide as well as a few months previously having this catastrophe hit our extended family, this news was a bit more than I could bear.
I won't go on as to why I adored Alexander McQueen, his death has left me a at a loss for the words to describe just how much I shall miss this incredibly creative designer. I send all my love and sympathies to his family who have sustained the loss of both a son and their mother. Please keep this in mind during this very difficult time of shock and grieving. There is an open void left where Lee's genius had shown through, and I know those of us who loved him and his talent are also feeling the pain. I'll not speculate or judge on his cause of death, I will express my extreme sadness by knowing the world is a lot more dreary because of the loss of his creative genius. There will always be copycats and knockoffs but there will never be another Alexander McQueen.
I did visit the McQueen store while in London and signed the condolence book. Though the whole time there my eyes wouldn't stop tearing up in spite of finding the perfect sunglasses I had been dreaming about but didn't know existed. This past week I visited the New York boutique, I think my craving to purchase has to do with holding on to a little piece of him before he is replaced and the line continues on. While there the sales assistant showed me Polaroid's of his last collection which of course is stunning.
Happy One Year Blog Anniversary and RIP Alexander McQueen. Bittersweet indeed.
XXX
PS posting shall continue to be sporadic as I've developed "ulnar neuropathy" from sleeping in a funny position on the plane ride home. Unfortunately this makes my hand pretty much useless and will take another two-three weeks or so to heal. Apologies, as I have some fun posts planned about my travels.
Then the news that Alexander McQueen was found dead came through. I've always been a massive fan of Alexander McQueen, and to be honest it was him that got me started blogging as my first real post a few days later I talked about the McQueen for Target line. Having just a week previous lost an old, dear friend to suicide as well as a few months previously having this catastrophe hit our extended family, this news was a bit more than I could bear.
I won't go on as to why I adored Alexander McQueen, his death has left me a at a loss for the words to describe just how much I shall miss this incredibly creative designer. I send all my love and sympathies to his family who have sustained the loss of both a son and their mother. Please keep this in mind during this very difficult time of shock and grieving. There is an open void left where Lee's genius had shown through, and I know those of us who loved him and his talent are also feeling the pain. I'll not speculate or judge on his cause of death, I will express my extreme sadness by knowing the world is a lot more dreary because of the loss of his creative genius. There will always be copycats and knockoffs but there will never be another Alexander McQueen.
I did visit the McQueen store while in London and signed the condolence book. Though the whole time there my eyes wouldn't stop tearing up in spite of finding the perfect sunglasses I had been dreaming about but didn't know existed. This past week I visited the New York boutique, I think my craving to purchase has to do with holding on to a little piece of him before he is replaced and the line continues on. While there the sales assistant showed me Polaroid's of his last collection which of course is stunning.
Happy One Year Blog Anniversary and RIP Alexander McQueen. Bittersweet indeed.
XXX
PS posting shall continue to be sporadic as I've developed "ulnar neuropathy" from sleeping in a funny position on the plane ride home. Unfortunately this makes my hand pretty much useless and will take another two-three weeks or so to heal. Apologies, as I have some fun posts planned about my travels.
26 February 2010
Links à la Mode ****for week of February 25th, 2010****
Links à la Mode :
****for week of February 25th, 2010****
Project Beyond the Runway
Edited by Fashion Pulse Daily
Reading through the links this week, I realized that fashion week or no fashion week, fashion will most certainly go on! A winter snowstorm couldn't even slow down New York Fashion Week, and the links below are testament to the wonderful style that exists beyond the runway, such as Ode to Awe's jewelry discovery, how to look chic while lounging by Cafe Fashionista, and tips for vintage shoe shopping by Wicked Whimsy. Don't get me wrong, I love being 'in the know' on runway looks and trends, but how you interpret them and work them into your personal style is so much more important than remembering which designers showed one-shoulder looks this season!
As expected, there was a fabulous round-up of links in the forum as well, all worthy of your eyeballs!
Links à la Mode : February 25th
39th and Broadway - A Side of the Industry Unknown by Most: Life as a Corporate Fashion Designer
British Style Bloggers - Cherish forever what makes you unique, 'cos you're a yawn once it's gone
Cafe Fashionista - A step-by-step guide to looking luxurious even when lounging
Clutch22 -Up close and personal with Vivienne Tam as she expands her fashion+tech innovations to a new category
CMYKaboom - Independent Fashion Bloggers (IFB) 'Tweet Up in the Tents' event
Debutante Clothing - Vintage Jewelry: Q&A with Lucite line Circa Sixty Three
Fabulous Finds Gal - Moonstuck at the opera with photographer Bersa
Fashion Pulse Daily - Sonia Rykiel Pour H&M; the debut and the review
Holier Than Now - New Take on Florals (5 Under $50)
Idiosyncratic Style - A Girl's Guide to Maternity Style
Independent Fashion Bloggers : Evolving Influence Recap : Part One
Individual Chic: - Would you have wanted a Computer Engineer Barbie when you were smaller? Or would you love one now?
Night Watch - 10 Questions with Model Clara Zapffe
Ode to Awe - Denmark based Alidra Alic's Alice-inspired jewelry
Oranges and Apples - Rules for advertising and sponsorship on blogs
Retro Chick - The Ethics of Blogging
Smiles Go with Everything -10 Tips for Shopping on Ebay: How to find great deals on awesome duds.
The Coveted - Visits Nine West HQ for a sneak peak of AW10 shoe collections!
The Style PA - Gives Henry Holland a grilling ahead of his House of Holland show.
The Sunday Best - Do men get better service when they shop?
Wicked Whimsy -What to look for when buying vintage shoes
Workchic - Fall 2010 NY Fashion week collections: recreated runway to the office outfits
09 February 2010
Early Valentine's Gift!
Since my Punk Glam King and I will be in different countries on Valentine's Day, he wanted to get me a gift early. That meant something I've been coveting from Wendy Brandes. The Isabella Wolf-Fang Earrings! I had fallen in love with them but was dubious because of the diamonds. I adore diamonds, but despise losing them! On our summer holiday the final act of the black cloud that was over only me out of our whole family (seriously, I nearly severed my ring finger resulting in a nasty break, had to be heimlich-ed in a restaurant, passed out from shock, and lastly...) I managed to lose one of my beloved diamond studs given to me by my Punk Glam King for our anniversary 8 years ago. A bit of paranoia set in, but I overcame it only to discover Wendy had done a new version without the diamonds. How perfect, she read my mind! Honestly it takes nothing away from their beauty, they still sparkle so you just don't miss them. And I feel much more comfortable wearing them. Due to the impending snowpocalypse my dearest was able to pick them up for me today so I have them in my greedy possession and love them so much I just had to share.
Close up of the Isabella Wolf-Fang Earrings in sterling silver. What gorgeous details! And I must say all of Wendy's jewelry has such a nice weight to it. There's simply nothing like the quality you get with fine, well made jewelry.
Wearing my "She Wolf of France" earrings with my "Barber" vintage faux fur ski jacket which looks exactly like her. Barber (I refer to her as Barbarella as she is so sexy with those icy grey eyes!) is my brother's Husky that is the sweetest love bug! (And my little Westie lets her know who's the boss, heehee!)
Slightly blurry shot of my left ear with my orphaned diamond stud above.
Close-up. Sorry for the blurriness, I just couldn't get a clearer photo.
Close up of the Isabella Wolf-Fang Earrings in sterling silver. What gorgeous details! And I must say all of Wendy's jewelry has such a nice weight to it. There's simply nothing like the quality you get with fine, well made jewelry.
Wearing my "She Wolf of France" earrings with my "Barber" vintage faux fur ski jacket which looks exactly like her. Barber (I refer to her as Barbarella as she is so sexy with those icy grey eyes!) is my brother's Husky that is the sweetest love bug! (And my little Westie lets her know who's the boss, heehee!)
Slightly blurry shot of my left ear with my orphaned diamond stud above.
Close-up. Sorry for the blurriness, I just couldn't get a clearer photo.
Ack these were all taken sans makeup, I was too excited and managed just a quick slick of lipstick to brighten my otherwise dreary face! So there you have it, the Punk Glam Queen au naturale. (Ew. Sorry if I ruined anyone's appetites!) Yeah not too glam, eh?
I've mentioned before how much I love Wendy and her jewelry line (see my post on my Wendy B's Swear Rings), but I'd like to add again that if you are looking for quality fine jewelry, made in the US by a creative, intelligent, funny, and classy woman (and blogger!) do check out Wendy Brandes and don't miss out on this sale if you can. (Obvs I'm not suggesting you blow your rent or food money, use common sense!) These are pieces worth saving up for. I think of them as future estate pieces that I'll be able to hand down to my Punk Glam Princess (who has already expressed her desire for my earrings!) They aren't pieces you buy then toss in a jewelry box to languish, they are designed with intention -- each piece has a story to tell and is created with such care and attention to detail. As someone who used to sell jewelry in my old brick and mortar shop, I've learned what's "good" versus what you would buy on a whim and forget about (and I have a sad jewelry box filled with such things!) To me these are statement pieces, even the Teeny Genie or Little Woolf necklaces may be inexpensive but are lovely, and have such detail for their small size that they will bring joy for years to come (seriously, they're even 3-D with back detail!)
As mentioned in my previous post Wendy is hosting a Valentine's Day sale. If you can't make it do contact her at wbjewelry at hotmail dot com for a price list of what you are interested in and she'll ship to you. Hopefully the snowpocalypse won't put a damper on the actual sale Wednesday evening, but she'll be keeping an eye on the weather and will extend the internet pricing as well as reschedule the sale if it does indeed turn out to be blizzard conditions. I do hope I can make it to show my support for this stylish, smart, witty, and talented woman so I'm praying the weather reports are just scare tactics! Hell, I think a pendulum is more accurate than the weather reports most of the time, so perhaps I'll do little weather witching to see what's up!
One last note. The Teeny Genie necklaces will not be discounted. Proceeds from these are going to help out a fellow blogger who has had the recent tragic death of her husband, and has two small children to support. Wendy is contributing $35 from the sale of each Teeny Genie necklace to Janet of Je Ne Sais Quois until her current inventory is sold out. So by purchasing one you'll be helping someone in need, truly a lovely way to send a magical message of love on Valentine's Day, don't you think?
Cheers!
PS more to come about my upcoming trip, and the one year anniversary of Idee Fixe!
I've mentioned before how much I love Wendy and her jewelry line (see my post on my Wendy B's Swear Rings), but I'd like to add again that if you are looking for quality fine jewelry, made in the US by a creative, intelligent, funny, and classy woman (and blogger!) do check out Wendy Brandes and don't miss out on this sale if you can. (Obvs I'm not suggesting you blow your rent or food money, use common sense!) These are pieces worth saving up for. I think of them as future estate pieces that I'll be able to hand down to my Punk Glam Princess (who has already expressed her desire for my earrings!) They aren't pieces you buy then toss in a jewelry box to languish, they are designed with intention -- each piece has a story to tell and is created with such care and attention to detail. As someone who used to sell jewelry in my old brick and mortar shop, I've learned what's "good" versus what you would buy on a whim and forget about (and I have a sad jewelry box filled with such things!) To me these are statement pieces, even the Teeny Genie or Little Woolf necklaces may be inexpensive but are lovely, and have such detail for their small size that they will bring joy for years to come (seriously, they're even 3-D with back detail!)
As mentioned in my previous post Wendy is hosting a Valentine's Day sale. If you can't make it do contact her at wbjewelry at hotmail dot com for a price list of what you are interested in and she'll ship to you. Hopefully the snowpocalypse won't put a damper on the actual sale Wednesday evening, but she'll be keeping an eye on the weather and will extend the internet pricing as well as reschedule the sale if it does indeed turn out to be blizzard conditions. I do hope I can make it to show my support for this stylish, smart, witty, and talented woman so I'm praying the weather reports are just scare tactics! Hell, I think a pendulum is more accurate than the weather reports most of the time, so perhaps I'll do little weather witching to see what's up!
One last note. The Teeny Genie necklaces will not be discounted. Proceeds from these are going to help out a fellow blogger who has had the recent tragic death of her husband, and has two small children to support. Wendy is contributing $35 from the sale of each Teeny Genie necklace to Janet of Je Ne Sais Quois until her current inventory is sold out. So by purchasing one you'll be helping someone in need, truly a lovely way to send a magical message of love on Valentine's Day, don't you think?
Cheers!
PS more to come about my upcoming trip, and the one year anniversary of Idee Fixe!
07 February 2010
Where I Make My Only Superbowl Post
In honor of today's Superbowl Sunday, I leave you with this:
Taken Halloween 2008 at Best Buy, 86th and Lex. NYC.
Oh and they still totally rock.
Cheers!
Taken Halloween 2008 at Best Buy, 86th and Lex. NYC.Oh and they still totally rock.
Cheers!
03 February 2010
Special Wendy Brandes Valentine's Day Sale
Question: What could be better than a Valentine's Day jewelry sale?
Answer: A Valentine's Day sale of scrumptious creations by the inimitable Wendy Brandes!
Wendy will be hosting a Valentine's Day sale on 10 Feb. at Fair Goats and a Goat on the upper east side. The sale is to have Wendy's drool-worthy jewelry up to 50% off regular prices! So if you were planning to treat yourself and splurge on a gorgeous piece of fine jewelry, now is the time to take the plunge. Or if your sweetheart would like to buy you something unique but still in keeping with the tradition of Valentine's Day (not to mention much healthier for you than candy!) make sure to not so subtly send them the link!
If you're planning to attend, please RSVP to Libby at: Libby at lschmitz@rmtprmanagement.com, or RSVP via Facebook here (at the moment the RSVP feature doesn't seem to be working, but I'm sure that's just a glitch that will easily be fixed.) Because she's just that type of person, Wendy is also extending the sale to those who can't be there. Just email her on 9 Feb. at wendybrandes at hotmail dot com and ask for a list of sale items and prices as the sale pricing will not be shown online. Not all of her line will be on sale, so if you're interested in a specific item make sure to inquire about it. I've got my eye on a few different designs, so this is perfect timing for me. Yippee, I get to wear some yummy new jewelry at LFW! I'm planning to be there, are you?
Cheers!
Answer: A Valentine's Day sale of scrumptious creations by the inimitable Wendy Brandes!
Wendy will be hosting a Valentine's Day sale on 10 Feb. at Fair Goats and a Goat on the upper east side. The sale is to have Wendy's drool-worthy jewelry up to 50% off regular prices! So if you were planning to treat yourself and splurge on a gorgeous piece of fine jewelry, now is the time to take the plunge. Or if your sweetheart would like to buy you something unique but still in keeping with the tradition of Valentine's Day (not to mention much healthier for you than candy!) make sure to not so subtly send them the link!
If you're planning to attend, please RSVP to Libby at: Libby at lschmitz@rmtprmanagement.com, or RSVP via Facebook here (at the moment the RSVP feature doesn't seem to be working, but I'm sure that's just a glitch that will easily be fixed.) Because she's just that type of person, Wendy is also extending the sale to those who can't be there. Just email her on 9 Feb. at wendybrandes at hotmail dot com and ask for a list of sale items and prices as the sale pricing will not be shown online. Not all of her line will be on sale, so if you're interested in a specific item make sure to inquire about it. I've got my eye on a few different designs, so this is perfect timing for me. Yippee, I get to wear some yummy new jewelry at LFW! I'm planning to be there, are you?
Cheers!
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