Jan 10, 2018
How the BMT Audience Has Upped My Game
My Bonnie’s Mixed Tape audience pushes me and I wanted to share this example! During my recent Houston trip, I did two fashion-related things. My primary purpose of my daytrip was to see the Oscar de la Renta exhibit. (I will write about that separately.) However, if I’m going to drive to Houston, I’m going to shop, too!
Houston gets a bad rap. It has excellent shopping, food, and culture. I don’t miss living there, but I often miss those things (and some great friends)!
I decided to keep it simple and pop into the Galleria after the exhibit. It was the weekend between Christmas and New Year’s. My followers know that I LOVE to take advantage of sales during that window. Sure enough, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue were offering an additional 25% off sale items.
I was determined to follow my own advice: look for something special and distinctive rather than buying lots of things just because they are on sale.
So instead of buying several things and splurging on yummy meals, I kept my meals very inexpensive: breakfast was a cookie from the AMAZING Paulie’s, lunch was a Cherry Coke (from Chick-fil-A, of course), and dinner was from the delicious, modest hole-in-the-wall Romano’s.
I found two really unusual designer pieces while at the Galleria. I will be frank: were they “cheap”? No. But are they amazing pieces? Yes! Were they greatly discounted? Absolutely. (The caftan was over 70% off and the shoes were 50% off.)
In addition, they were both things that were on my mental list as discussed in this previous story. (Hmmm…it sure would be nice to have a caftan and a really low bootie-type shoe if I were to ever find the right pieces.)
While at Neiman Marcus, I found this crazy, unusual shoe that is a hybrid of a heel and a bootie. I hate closed-toe shoes, but this pair was discounted, had the softest leather I have EVER felt, a manageable heel, and was just a killer pair of shoes from the iconic Celine.
When I went to purchase them, I was told they were not subject to the additional 25% off. After some sweet-talking, the salesperson figured out a way to over-ride the system. She had to track them down in my size, so I patiently waited for them to arrive. I received them today!
They are kind of witchy, but I’ve decided I really like them, so they are staying in my closet. In the meantime, there has been one more price drop. I have a call out to the manager to see if I can get a price adjustment. (It’s a long shot, but worth inquiring.)
I found my second special purchase at the newly remodeled Saks Fifth Avenue. It is FANCY — it reminds me of Selfridges in London! After perusing the cheaper racks and striking out, I decided on a whim to look through a few of the designer racks. To my surprise, I found a groovy caftan that was $1000 off!
It’s the whimsical combination of a 60s cut with a bold tropical influence AND an unlikely 80s Vans-inspired checkerboard. Although it is loose-fitting by its nature, it nips in just a bit at the bust. It’s short on the model, but I’m only 5'4" so it is the perfect length and doesn’t even need to be hemmed!
The styling in the accompanying runway photo is atrocious. I will probably wear my embellished silver Tory Burch Miller sandals with a gorgeous bracelet that I have on hand. Earrings are to be determined. If I say so myself, it really is very cool in person and fits beautifully.
Both of these pieces make a statement! It’s possible NO ONE in Austin owns either of these.
Final note: after finding two designer pieces, I re-visited some of my earlier purchases made prior to Christmas. I returned several things to help defray the cost of my new caftan and shoes.
Having a blog and writing about fashion has improved my own game and helped me articulate my philosophy. I realize both of these purchases were still splurges and are pretty wacka-doodle-do, but I love them! I feel distinct and cool in them — and they are both comfortable! Feeling good is what it’s all about! Thanks, BMT friends!
If you enjoyed this story, you might also like: “I’m Glad I Broke This Fashion Rule!”
