A Thrifty Shopping Exerience...and Marc Jacobs was in attendance.

People, we are in a damn recession! As much as I have fought it, I have resorted to vintage (a.k.a thrift) shopping. Don't get me wrong, I'm not too proud to wear a used piece of clothing but vintage shopping requires more effort and patience than shopping retail. With this crappy economic crisis we are in, I decided that forgoing some extra time to get some worthwhile vintage finds is worth keeping some extra loot in my pocket. Vintage shopping for the friends of fashion should come with a very strict set of rules. Here are my rules:

1. If you feel like you are paying to much then you are! If you find yourself trying to negotiate with yourself why paying that price is OK for secondhand or consigned new goods then that is a telltale sign of buyers remorse once you get home.


2. Remember cost includes tailoring, cleaning, hemming, re-buttoning, etc. If you start to add the costs of updating the garment before use and it is more than its worth...see Rule #1.


3. Aim for labels! Big labels! The ones you probably couldn't afford retail (even on sale). Some vintage stores recognize fashion labels and will hike up prizes but if you are patient you will find one or two high-end labels in mixed in the the $10 - $20 pile.


4. See The Budget Fashionista's rules on shopping and cleaning.


5. Last but not least - Be patient...very.....very....very patient. It may take a couple of days of checking in with stores and hopping around the city until you find something that appeals to you and your wallet. Remember, giving up your extra time is that price you pay to keep cash in your pocket.

My latest awesome find is a Marc Jacobs coat for $150 at the Angel Thrift Store Coat Sale. All I need cute bag to match!

Funky Fresh Fingers For Fall-Winter

Here is the skinny on the polish trend for upcoming cold months: Go Dark. Go Metallic.
Blacks, purples, blues, browns....Very dark polish is no longer just for punk rockers and goths. Take a look around on the train tomorrow morning, women of all ages and professions are embracing this powerful fashion statement in the boldest of colors with a splash of metallic shimmer. I stopped one fabulous 40-something on the 3 train last week wearing a striking yet feminine blackish-purple and asked her "where did you get the polish?". Her response was Essie - Sexy Divine. Essie is a very respected brand on the manicure circuit..now would they (or I) steer you wrong? Of course not! The economy sucks...if you can't spruce up your wardrobe just yet, get your nails a new doo!

Essie-Sexy Divide $8

TIP: I've been a huge on DIYmani/pedicures after I discover the secret to professional manicures at home....Step-by-Step buffers. They start you off with course buffer until you end on a smooth side to give your nails a natural high gloss shine. No matter how much of a rush I'm or if I screw-up my polish, a well buffed nail will ALWAYS look salon finished. I bought one at CVS for $3 and it has 7 steps. Also, I received Obey Your Body Nail Kit as a gift which has a great buffer,but is more costly.

Obey Your Body Buffer - $14.99

"Anya" wouldn't belive who I saw in Target today...

Do the words "I'm not a plastic bag" ring a bell? Of course they do. You remember the craze that plauged Manhattan Whole Food stores that faithful rainy July morning last year. So many wanted that bag and who wouldn't...uber-affordablity, eco-friendly, well-made, designer label all rolled into one cute shopping tote by an awesome handbag designer fairly unknown to Americans before "INAPB" took us by storm. For her encore, Anya created an affordale collection of her chic handbags with that preztel-knot logo we've come to adore. Anya Hindmarch for Target is available online for (2-6 weeks delivery). My pick is below. But before you snub at the $50 price tag for Target bag, let me let you in on a secret. My Proenza Scholer for Target handbag from March of last year is still holding strong and continually collects a healthy set of compliments on a daily basis. I don't expect disappointments here!

Anya Hindmarch® for Target®
$49.99

Shh....I have a fab SATC secret.....shhhh

I love Sex and the City...no big secret. Chances are you do to and you bought the extended cut of the Sex and City Movie DVD. One of the several bonus scenes has Carrie using a payphone with a fabulous set of gloves - the too cute (and 10 time more practical then its awkward 4 finger predecessor) 5-Finger Leather Half Glove!!! Now here is the secret...after being sold out for the umpteenth time...Patrica Fields will have these in stock Nov 1st in her Manhattan shop. Shh...don't tell anyone until I get my pair!

Patricia Fields - $48

JCP's Good Deal

You may be wondering why I'm giving info on JC Penny; isn't that where moms and grandmothers shop? Yes and no. We may not think of JCP as fashionable but there is more to buying clothes...think of home; electronics; furniture and the list goes on.

Right now JCP has a promotion where you can save 30% off your purchase - OMG! You can seriously decrease a comforter set (which I just did) AND you can use it on sale items.

Use the following code: FallFun
Coupon code expires on 10/20/08.

One cool feature about JCP is that if you are worried about ordering and not being home to accept delivery and you really don't want to send it to your job, well JCP has various centers throughout the city where you can have it shipped and pick it up at a different time- sweet!

Good Deal at Enterprise

Now that it's getting a bit cooler, I bet all the errands you have to run will be so much better if you were behind a wheel versus waiting at a cold bus stop. For those that don't own a car and need to rent once in a while, I found a pretty good deal on retailmenot.com for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Here are the details:

Promotion: 20% off

Code: ETC7HC

Cool factor: This is not limited to airport locations - yes!

I've used this before and even the people that work at enterprise comment on how good a deal it is . You can practically get a Saturday AM to Monday AM rental for a little over $80 - now that is a everywhere-outside-of-NYC price:)

Enjoy!