Becoming a Savvy Shopper

One of the things that Bailey, Mary, and I all love to do is search for great fashion steals and deals both in stores and also online! In the past, we have all gotten some AMAZING deals on some high end items, and over the years we have all become savvy shoppers in our own ways!

As we have discovered, there are many great places to look for great fashion deals, and with a bit of time, patience, and knowledge of the clothing market, you can really become a smart shopper! Here are some of our favorite stores and websites and a bit about some of the amazing finds we have came across in the past!

1. Twice-
I have discussed my love for Twice in an earlier post, but have to mention it here again! Twice is a great place to find designer clothing in excellent used condition for great prices! Though some of their stuff is definitely dated, if you really search through their items they sometimes do have some really great, on-trend clothing and handbags! One cool feature on their site is that you can sort by your size and specify which brands you like/are looking for and this information is saved each time you visit the site. Another thing I like about Twice is that they were frequently have promotions and coupon codes which make their prices even more attractive! When you first sign up, you receive a coupon code for 40% off your purchase, and you can also invite friends to join the site and receive a $20 credit for each friend! As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of my favorite steals from Twice was when I purchased a Fossil foldover crossbody bag for only $17! After using some $20 credit and applying a coupon, I couldn't believe that I got such a beautiful bag for that low of a price! I have seen the bag in a few department stores and online for around $250! Mary and I have also gotten some items from J Crew, Anthropologie, Lily Pulitzer, and other brands, and each time they have been in great condition and such nice pieces of clothing!

Tips: Pay attention to the promotions going on and take advantage of the occasional 30% off coupon codes! Another crazy thing Twice is doing now is buying your unwanted gift cards from select retailers and giving Twice credit for the gift card's face value! I have had a gift card for a few years that I have not used, and recently traded it in for Twice credit which I know I will be using soon!

Some great Twice steals I have recently purchased!

2. TJ Maxx
Over the years I have definitely turned into a "Maxxinista!" I used to think that TJ Maxx didn't have the nicest things, but once I had the patience to actually look around the store, I fell in love! TJ Maxx is now one of my favorite stores to browse for hidden treasures and great fashion finds! Any time I see a TJ Maxx I always have to stop and look around. One thing I love about TJ Maxx stores is that each store is unique and has different merchandise and brands depending on the state/area/time of year! Coming to Boston from the Chicago area, I have noticed some different brands and unique finds  in the stores both here in Boston and back home! Here are some great deals I have found from TJ Maxx:

  •  A few years back I purchased a  Fossil medium-sized leather crossbody for around $80 (originally $180) and I have gotten tons of use out of it!
  • Some other great deals I have found from TJ Maxx include two EXACT J Crew Excursion vest look-alikes, one in the herringbone pattern and one in the navy and cream striped pattern! When I saw the vests in a store in the Boston area, I had recently purchased the real J Crew Excursion herringbone vest, and immediately bought the two vests for $30 each and sold the real J Crew vest on eBay! I am not usually one for look-alikes, but if they look exactly like the real thing, quality and style-wise, then why not save on the money! I still can't believe I found those adorable vests in my exact size!
  • This past summer I purchased a pair of Jack Rogers sandals for $30 that are great summery shoes! I love checking out the shoe selection at TJ Maxx!
  • I was also able to find a darling tortoiseshell Fossil watch at TJ Maxx for only $40! It has since become one of my fashion staples.
Tips: Make sure to check out the handbags, shoes, jewelry (sometimes they have adorable Kate Spade jewelry), athletic-wear (they have Lululemon-look alikes that are really great quality!), women's clothing, and don't forget about the craft/decor section and the clearance section! I have scored some adorable cards, journals, gift wrap/gift tags, and many other cute accessories from these  often-missed sections of the store!
Though I have do not own the Kate Spade Gingham tote, I have seen it at two stores recently!

3. Nordstrom Rack- 
Another great place to find great fashion finds is Nordstrom Rack! If you really take some time to look throughout the store and in the clearance sections, you can find some great items at amazing prices! In the past, I have found the best deals on shoes, outerwear, and jewelry! This winter, Nordstrom Rack had a "Clear the Clearance" deal of 25% off clearance items including shoes, and they really had some high end designer items for deep discounts! One of the items I found during the "Clear the Clearance" event was a pair of Frye Jenna Disc boots that were part of the 30% off promotion! I was able to purchase the boots for around $120, which is an incredible deal for Frye's! Some other great deals I have found in the past were on a pair of summery Sperry Anchor Espadrilles for $15 and a pair of cute New Balance tennis for $20! The shoe section is really a gold mine, and has tons of great brands for prices much lower than original retail price. This past year, Mary has also found some great deals on outerwear from the Rack! She found the North Face vest pictured below for only $30 and the beyond adorable Soia & Kyo black and white wool jacket for only $99 (originally around $400!) During this Christmas season, Nordstrom Rack also had cute initial necklaces in gold and silver for $15! I snatched an "H" gold necklace, and wear it very often!

Tips: Make sure you check out the clearance sections of the store and really take advantage of occasional discounts they offer! You can truly get excellent deals with the additional percentages off the already lowered Rack prices.



4. Ebay
Though I do not buy as much from Ebay as I do from some of these other retailers such as Twice or TJ Maxx, I have gotten some great deals from Ebay in the past and have sold many things on Ebay! Bailey is the "Ebay Queen" and manages to find the greatest deals on Ebay, and gradually I am learning some of her wisdom on how to navigate the huge Ebay marketplace! One Ebay seller that Bailey recommended to me in the past is Linda's Stuff! I have ordered a Lululemon Jacket for $40 and a pair of Lululemon workout crops for $30 from Linda's Stuff, both of which were in excellent used condition and I wear all the time! Sometimes Ebay can definitely seem overwhelming and can take a lot of time to find great deals, but the things I have found in the past have been great buys! Soon Bailey will be posting about how she finds the greatest deals on Ebay, and I can't wait for her to share her knowledge!


5. 6pm.com
Another website I love to browse for deals is 6pm! 6pm is a sister company of Zappos, that is aimed at selling designer brand clothing, shoes, and accessories for up to 75% off retail prices! 6pm has a variety of great brands, some of which include Fossil, Kate Spade, Frye, Sperry, Patagonia, Cole Haan, and HUNDREDS of others! In the past I have ordered a few pairs of Sperry's and some running shoes from 6pm, and I check out their site relatively often! About a year ago, I purchased a pair of leopard printed calf hair loafers, and I get so many compliments on them whenever I wear them!


6. Flash Sale Sites- Ruelala.com, ideel.com, gilt.com, hautelook.com
I also love checking out flash sale sites such as Rue Lala, Gilt, Ideal, and Hautelook!  Occasionally these sites can have sales from great designers, including Kate Spade, Longchamp, Tory Burch, Ray Ban, Cole Haan, Lily Pulitzer, among others! This year I ordered a Longchamp Le Pliage Large tote from Gilt in a pretty olive green/brown color for around $30 less than the normal price! Mary ordered her senior Prom dress from Ideel which was a gorgeous blue pleated long gown from Haltson Heritage for only $180 (originally around $650!) Though I don't tend to use these sites as often as some of the others listed, I love checking them out once in a while to look for great deals.

Tips: Check out these sites at the beginning of the week and peek at the calendar of designer sales for the next few days! That way if you see any brands you like, you can know to check back, and if nothing fits your fancy, you don't have to visit again!

        Hope you enjoyed this post and please share if you have found some great steals and deals from any of these places, or any others! 

xo, 
Hannah 

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