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A New Designer Holiday Dress & Bag for under $300

RentTheRunwayJustCavalliDressLots of holiday parties & events in the coming weeks.  How can you splurge, guilt free, for something new & fabulous?  What if you want your INVESTMENT pieces to be financial and not sartorial?

Consider renting. (more…)

winter trends tips you can use- from Ken Downing

Ya’ll missed a GREAT fashion show & commentary last Thurs pm at NM.  Seriously.  Fingers crossed that Ken Downing comes again, and that you are able to enjoy his delightful take on the trends.  Here are a few tips I picked up which we can all use (at least in theory):

Bare No More.  The “Covered” Leg is It. (more…)

Bringing some OC to the QC - SwapHandbags.com

Designer handbags to buy, rent, rent-to-buy or consign online:

chloe-paddington-242There aren’t many cities where women buy more handbags than Charlotte (only 11 at last count, but that was in 2007 when money was honey).  So what’s a girl to do now-a-days?  Swaphandbags.com is for women who want, need, gotta have a new bag every season.  Or for women like me, who just want a nice, gold evening clutch for this one party on this onenight.  Why shell out several hundred for a one-night stand?  I mean, why buy the cow when you can have the milk for free? (And who let my mother in here?)

Swaphandbags.com (HQ right here in the Queen City) will rent you a new designer bag by the week or the month.  Prices range from $46/wk or $88/mo for lower end designers up to $65/wk or $242/mo  for Prada, Gucci, YSL, LV, etc.  Best of all, you don’t have to just rent.  You can test-drive your new bag with SWAP, renting for a bit to see if you want to buy.  You can buy new bags outright at better prices than in stores (since these aren’t the most current styles).  You can buy a “gently-loved” bag or consign to sell your own bags, the ones sitting un-loved in the back of your closet.   You have so many choices!  Check out the SWAP selection here.

must have something new, don’t have much $$$?

musthave's $35 bagcheck out the new website www.musthaveconsignment.com.  Created and operated by a charlottean, musthaveconsignment has great prices on pre-owned accessories.  like this purse, just $35.  a definite must.

so you can’t afford a $1,270 Vuitton bag?

photo courtesy avelle.comBut for some reason you need to look like you can? Bag,Borrow or Steal.com is for you.  Rent this or one of over 2,000 bags for a week, a month- as long as you want to pay.  This one is $168/wk.  Also for rent are designer watches, jewelry and sunglasses. (rented sunglasses??).

this is fashion genius

Photo courtesy nytimeswww.phooterly.com sells sandals w/interchangeable parts…select your sole & buy as many cute tops as you want.  The 1st complete pair costs btw/$200-$275 and each add’l. upper costs btw/$90-$160.   So, 3 for as low as $125 per and tiny to pack.  For a few examples of how it might work : (more…)

your dad is custom-made. so customize his gift.

cafepress graphicwww.cafepress.com has customizable EVERYTHING for the dad in your life.  My favorite is the new Sigg water bottle, which I will customize with a photo of our son and his dog.  But the options are endless & not very expensive.  And if you just want to click & buy something cute, there are lotsa options for that too.

tortured by the special occasions?

weddings, graduations, garden parties, derby parties, bridal luncheons and showers…the kind of outfit you don’t always have hanging in your closet.   Of course, you do have the “special” dress  you bought 4 years ago just for this type of thing if you  can bear to see yourself in it again.  But why?   Check out WEAR TODAY, GONE TOMORROW for designer fashion online for RENT for about 10% of retail.  Wear it, clean it and return it.  www.weartodaygonetomorrow.  You’ll never have to say, “what, this old thing?” again.