if ever summer decides to show up ...

It's June and I'm still wearing my leather jacket! What is up with that? Someday, when the sun decides to finally bless New York in all it's summery glory, I'd love to suit up in these cute flowered bikinis from J. Crew—on sale, by the way, and priced between $19.99 to $30.80.

madden madness

If you're willing to brave rain and traffic for a pair of shoes, Steve Madden is having Rush Hour Maddness today. All shoes are 25% in stores from 5PM to 9PM. After giving the Balmain-esque Banglez flats tons of thought and a few tries, I've decided that I'm over it. I'd rather have a sleek pair of flat sandals that'll last through this Balmain-crazed season. I'm flip flopping between these two:

These are currently priced at $39.95 and $49.95 so with the discount they're really reasonable. Now if I can just make myself slosh out in the rain to shop ...

stuff on sale that i still can't afford

Eluxury has a clearance sale going on with lots of amazing clothes, but I still can't afford it. My rule is that if the pricetag on a piece of clothing shows an amount that can either a) cover my rent, or b) buy me a bed and mattress, I cannot even consider buying it. So since that's the case, I'll just have to do gratuitous posting on the blog ...

Zac Posen seersucker blouson dress at Eluxury (now $899 from $1500)

get graphic

Graphic black and white prints are on trend this season, and will definitely work way past it as well. Diane Von Furstenberg has some pretty, pretty dresses massively discounted right now, with lots of sizes still available. The jacquard dress on the left is soooo pretty and just $139.50 (compare to the original price of $465), and the wrap dress is just $97.50 (!!!) from its original price of $325. I really wish my shopping budget hadn't been appropriated by the move. *sigh*

i wanna be blair

A very Blair-esque Burberry military cape is on sale now at Bloomie's. It seems strange though that there don't seem to be sizes ... I mean $501.20 is a nice discount from $895.00 (use code FFTWENTY at checkout) but that's still 500 big ones! I might be too scared to splurge on this one ...

pretty little thing on sale

This antiqued gold sequin dress from J. Crew could come in handy on plenty of occasions: birthday dinner, New Year's Eve, night out in Vegas, or crashing LC's party dressed to outdo the birthday girl a la Heidi. It's now $299, originally $595.

Rag & Bone

Rag & Bone Bandage Halter Dress (now $385, was $550),
Rag & Bone Wrap Blouse (now $217, was $310)

Never really thought about Rag & Bone until I was lured to whip out my plastic for a Rag & Bone cape at the last Barney's Warehouse Sale. They actually have some pretty cool stuff! Their inspiration is the image of a turn-of-the-century peddler, and their clothes have a utilitarian elegance to them. I like. I also like that these two pieces above are on sale now at Neiman Marcus.

it's done with a "laser" *insert hand quotes*

BCBGMAXAZRIA Strapless Laser Cut Sheath Dress (now $177, was $298),
BCBGMAXAZRIA Laser Cut Satin Halter Dress (now $119, was $200)

I know, I'm totally lame. But every time I see the word laser I think of that scene in Austin Powers when Dr. Evil uses hand quotes everytime he says laser.

ANYWAYmovingalong ... these dresses by BCBG Max Azria are made out of laser-cut satin for a textural look. Aren't they pretty? Has a bandage-look to them but more delicate and with a lovely sheen. Best of all, they're on sale now at Nordstrom.

j. crew sweater sale

Is it just me or does J. Crew have some sort of sale going on every single day? I seem to always have an email from them in my inbox telling me "Last 2 days to shop at 20% off" or something, but after those two days are done, I get another sale notice!

Not that I'm complaining really. Sales are wonderful. Today, they have some sweaters at 30% off, and if I was letting my plastic go have some fun, I'd totally order these:

Cotton cashmere bouquet cardigan now $59.50 from $78

Merino flutter-trim tunic now $59.50 from $78

Rosette ruffled cardigan now $100 from $148

Can I tempt you with a sale?

My shopping budget has been redirected to refreshing my workout wardrobe (I shiver to think how old my sports bras are. Yikes!) and buying some yoga essentials, so I can't indulge. But in case YOU can, there are some very cute discounted dresses at Saks!

Like how cute is this Robert Rodriguez Black Label Cate silk chiffon dress? Totally au courant with the one-shoulder thing happening, and j'adore ruffles so I love it a little extra. It'll still cost you a pretty penny at $416.90 but it's a big discount from the original $695 retail price. However, the only color left is black at sizes 4 and 6.

I would post a few more pictures but alas, the Saks website has gone kaput on me. Must be tons of bargain hunters trolling the site now for deals. Happy hunting!

On Sale at Shopbop: One-shoulder Dresses

One-shoulder dresses are making a big resurgence this fall, but there are already some pretty good ones on sale at Shopbop. I like this Barron Duquette dress which is now just $115.50. I like the loose arm and easy jersey fabric. Not too structured but clings in the right places, and just kind of oozing innate cool.

For a more structured take, I like this Madison Marcus dress, on sale for $259. There's only a size 8 left though. But I like the pleating and the way the skirt falls. It all looks so crisp but still pretty.

On the fence about this Mason by Michelle Mason dress, on sale for $200.20. Too many things going on for me.

Not on sale but adorable nevertheless: this dress by Thread Social. I saw a seersucker version of this some months ago and totally loved it. This pink version is super cute too. But I am in no position to spend $473 on a dress right now so too bad! Here's hoping it goes on sale soon ...

Intermix Warehouse Sale!

Bleh, I can't go because I went off in the Barney's Warehouse Sale yesterday (I only bought myself a Rag & Bone cape, but got the BF Hogan sneakers, a cashmere shirt and a John Varvatos tee! Men's is so much better than women's *sigh*). But I've heard wonderful tales of Chloe bags and DVF dresses being unearthed at wonderful prices so I hope y'all enjoy!

So Blair Waldorf

Isn't it? I can totally picture the Queen B wearing this cape over a red shift and paired with a little beret or a headband. This merino wool and cashmere blend cape is 50% off at Nordstrom, going down to $294.90 from $595!

Here we go again!

According to reports from Racked, there's no sign of a recession at the Barney's Warehouse Sale. Bargain hunters flooded the scene as early as 6AM today to get first dibs on the goodies. I am dying to go but probably can't hit it up til tomorrow after work when it's bound to be insane. I've only gone to one Barney's Warehouse Sale before so I'm not an expert on how best to do it. Some people say wait until the last week when prices are slashed like crazy. But last Summer I went on the last week and found zilch. What to do?

Stories of Louboutin, Lanvin and Margiela sightings on the racks are making me wanna run to Chelsea though. And I'm particularly enticed by this pic of well-stocked size 5.5 and size 6 shoe racks! Arrrrrrgh.

Multiway dress

In these tough times, we have to shop smart. One very smart fashion investment, I feel, is this multiway dress by Butter by Nadia at Calypso. I remember seeing the many options and just being flabbergasted ... Now that's a dress worth splurging on. This would be a dream to pack on a vacation. The black one sells at the regular price for $270.
In tawny and navy, you can get it on sale for just $199. Worth every penny, for sure!

Secret's out

I'm really specific about what coat I want to buy (red wool/twill and short) but Victoria's Secret is confusing me with all these other gorgeous long coats that are on clearance AND have an additional 50% off.

I want this coat, which is nice enough right?

But it looks so boring compared to this ...

... and this ...

... and this!

Ok I know that last one isn't a long coat. I really love it but it's only available in black and I have a longer black coat that's almost exactly like it so I can't get this with a clear conscience. If they had it in red, that would totally be perfect. But of course they don't ...

UPDATE! So I stopped being fussy and just bought the red twill peacoat plus this really cool bomber sweater below. Now the thing with this 50% off thing they have going is that it's only for ONE sweater or coat. So when I first put in my order, I got half off the peacoat but not the bomber sweater, which brought my total up to roughly $118 (includes shipping). That got me thinking ... what if I make 2 separate orders? By splitting my order in two, I was able to get 50% off both pieces, and only had to take a hit for extra shipping. Both orders add up to just $99.98, which means I got up to $20 more in savings! So if you're ordering more than one piece, try this trick and get more bang for your buck!

Red

I hate it when I get silly ideas into my head. Like, "I really need a short red wool coat." Where did that come from? How did I start feeling that I need one? Those are the dangerous shopping compulsions, you know. When I start thinking that something would make my wardrobe SO much better, I'm screwed.

I saw a cute Jessica Simpson coat (yes, I said Jessica Simpson) on the Macy's website that's now going for $119.25 from its regular price of $240. But according to reviews, it's not very warm and with the freezing temps in New York, I'm not shelling out dough for something that's cute but not necessarily functional.

I think I quite like the J. Crew classic peacoat though. It's timeless and very warm, since you can order it to have thermal insulation sewn in. It's not quite as cheap at $189.99 but I think it's worth it (plus, the original price was $225). Unfortunately for me, there are no more red coats my size with thinsulate. I'll have to order one without. But my friend Ludette tells me that J.Crew wool coats are SO warm, so that might work out just fine.

We'll see if I'll buckle ...

Marimekko

Today I finally took my makeup out of the ziplock bag I stuffed them into for our Europe trip, and gave them a new home: a jaunty little bag I bought in Finland from Marimekko.

For some reason, I shy away from prints in my wardrobe, but I really love them! They add such a nice touch. Mika's mom gave me a pair of red Marimekko potholders for Christmas, and they totally pop in our kitchen.

I would love to have some more Marimekko in my wardrobe, like this Ikoni dress designed by Mika Piirainen that's on sale now for $155 (from $255) at the Marimekko US concept store website.

I saw this Fleur jumperdress also by Piirainen in the airport but it was way too big for me. It's the perfect layering piece for winter though (it does not come with the black turtleneck), and would also be a nice summer dress. It's on sale too for $180, but the smallest size available is a size 4. I might have better luck shopping in the kids section.

I think this jacket designed by Samu-Jussi Koski is pretty awesome too. It is reversible so you don't have to commit to that print. It's also on sale for $380, but since the site notes that "this jacket can be ordered up to 3 times smaller", I have a feeling it'll look like a tent on me.

I wish Marimekko would do another collaboration with Anthropologie so I'll have a chance at getting something that actually fits. No more collabs with H&M though, that collection was monstrous.

So pretty ...

I wish I was tall enough to wear dresses like this. This silk wrap dress by Diane von Furstenberg features their Wonder Woman-inspired print and is on sale for $291 from $485.

Also known as: a few good deals

AKA New York had somehow escaped my radar in the last 4 years, despite the not-exactly-low-pro women behind it: former ELLE Editors Abigale Levinson, Karen Reinitz and Ana Maria Pimentel. Personally, I'm a fan of Ana Maria Pimentel, who's currently the accessories director for Harper's Bazaar. I always love her picks and the accessories pages make my heart leap every time!

Which leads me to my approval of their collective choices in the line. Incidentally (or not, since this blog is called The Chiconomist), some gorgeous AKA New York pieces are currently on sale at Net-a-porter. I love these two pieces below because they somehow achieve the feel of vintage whilst still being very of-the-moment. I love the delicate detailing: the crochet collar, the jaunty bow. And I love how the details are imposed on colors and finishes that feel modern.

Crochet collar dress ($192 from $320), liquid lamé blouse ($210 from $350)