first chance at last chance

For years I heard rumors about this mythical Rack for the Rack in Scottsdale, called Last Chance. I thought it was another desert mirage.

Ladies, let me assure you that it's the real deal. All the rejects from the Rack, all the worn/damaged/returned merchandise from the full line stores make there way to Last Chance - a fitting name for the doomed.

I suppose if you had the time, and you went often, you would be able to find some gems. But for those of us in a hurry, it was overwhelming and a little bit disturbing. A couple of my girlfriends couldn't stand the germiness of handling used merchandise so they waited outside.

The rest of us scoured the haystack in hopes of finding that needle.

I scored with this pristine, oversized clutch by Longchamp. The rest of the bags and wallets were majorly damaged.

Mango snagged these amazing sky-high marc jacobs shoeties in black and Veen scored some olive Pierre Hardy suede peep toes. Damn their small feet!

i'm not good at math.. but i'm good at sales!

I can figure out discounts super fast. Sad. I know.

Anyway, I made a random stop at the mothership, I mean the Rack, on Saturday and as soon as I walked in, I saw a giant table covered in Giorgio Armani and Trish McEvoy makeup!

Most of it was seasonal stuff like bright coral lippies and seafoam green eyeshadows.. But of course I managed to find a couple fun things. I picked up a Giorgio Armani high color cream lipstick in a punchy berry color. I'm more of a neutral lip kinda girl but lately I've been intrigued by the berries so what a great way to try it!

(That photo really isn't true to color. Stupid lighting... It's more purply-fuschia, less orangy-red.)

The funny thing is, no one was even looking on that table until I started rummaging. Then all of a sudden there were five or six other women digging for colors. Good thing I snagged a couple glosses too! Each was under $10.

Done!

Not really. After the makeup frenzy, I looked around the unusually crowded store and noticed signs that said nearly everything was an additional 35% off! (Including the items in my hot little hands!)


So I grabbed this too!

Hope you guys all had a lovely Easter with loads of chocolate bunnies and fake grass and baskets and plastic eggs that I can never open.

hood rat stuff

I've had a bit of an addiction to hoodies lately. I don't know what it is. I guess I'm just drawn to their coziness and how easy they are to wear. I need ways to keep warm! Seriously, the weather here is crap. Don't get me wrong, I love winter but IT'S EFFING MARCH!!

Good grief.

Anyway, I picked up two during a recent trip to F21, which I manage to wear at least once a week (though I'm kinda annoyed that one of them has already shrank - or is shrunk?) I know, I know.. Tacky. Whatev.

So that brings me to my new favorite. I am insane over this Kerrigan pod hoodie that I snagged at the Rack while meaning to only return some what-was-I-thinking shoes. This isn't your regular old Russell hoodie from your bball days - dolman sleeves, a couple studs here and there and buttons that can be snapped all the way up the hood to cover your face, in case you want to hide from the paps. I WANT TO WEAR IT EVERY DAY!

Thankfully it had an 'additional 50% off' the lowest price. Yay!

I had a couple Marc by Marc Jacobs hoodies in my paw too but I was able to resist... ish. (I'm thinking about going back to the Rack to look at them again. D'oh!)

On another note, I usually keep my shopping to a minimum when I'm with Hunny Bunny. He just doesn't understand that when I'm shopping I'm a whole other being so if he's with me, I'm usually discreet and fast. This time, there were just too many racks to go through and I ended up with an armload of clothes. When HB saw me, his jaw dropped.

After I scraped his chin off the ground, I reassured him that I wasn't going to buy all of it - it's just part of the frenzy! I had to grab any and all m by mj and dvf items that caught me eye, just to try it on.

He didn't get it.

never too many dresses

Hunny Bunny once looked in my closet and commented on how practically everything in there was either a shade of pink or a shade of grey. I have finally found the perfect dress that not only matches my wardrobe but also my sensibilities.

So this painted Marni dress is kinda ginormous. But it was $33. In pristine condition. And hello?! It's Marni. Oh fairy tailor, please shorten and tighten my new love.

As I mentioned in the title, I'm a firm believer that one can never have too many dresses and while you may not agree, you must at least acknowledge that every woman must have the one go-to LBD.

This Jil Sander is that dress.

It's a delicious jersey that can easily go from day to night, from Lanvin flats to Jimmy Choo heels.

But it gets better. The back is somewhat drapey so this isn't just any old black dress - it's the caped crusader version. It's hard to tell in the photo but there's just a hint of the cape/drape on my right.

And finally. My favorite of them all. Who knew that all it would take was four little digits to make me feel so glam.

How effin hot is this 6267 dress?

It's like the ultimate mullet - business in the front and party in the back!

I haven't had this much luck at the Rack, EVER. Has anyone else seen stickers for an additional 90% off the lowest marked price before? I did some calculations and I paid about 3% of the original price on nearly all the pieces. Un.be.liev.a.ble.

not super exciting, but super cheap!

These are a couple of my more boring purchases during my Rack frenzy. And yes, it was a major frenzy.

Was this close to passing up this navy Lanvin cami on account guilt, but as I said before, Mango talked some sense.


"Lanvin for $23! *smack smack* BUY IT."

Yes, ma'am!

It's actually really pretty though with black trim and distressed/frayed edges. If I was edgy, I could picture wearing it was a black lace bra peeking out the back. We'll see! I might go all old lady on you and wear it with a cardigan instead!



I'm not usually a mini-skirt gal but since I was already on my way to try on an armful of clothes, I figured it wouldn't hurt to throw in this metallic bronze/silver Burberry skirt.

It looked great in the dressing room paired with my Loeffler Randall boots (umm, that's another story...) and tights. Not too short and just A-line enough for me to not feel like my booty is taking over this side of the moon. (___*___)



I mean, it was only $13. So why not right?

At the last minute, I also picked up a pair of navy Jil Sander shorts. (Sorry no photo, but seriously just shorts.) Really nothing to write home about other than they were $17! Way nicer and better fitting than my Old Navy ones, that's for sure!

looting

This whole recession thing is turning out to be a fabulous thing! Now now... Before you bite my head off, I only mean that in terms of all the discounts! I'm just as worried as about job security as the next person but I do have three jobs!

I swear, my wardrobe has gone up several notches after this spree.

Do you love this silk charmeuse Proenza Schouler top? The color is a deep navy/grey with black trim and it's incredibly soft. I just want to rub it all over my face!

It's my first Proenza that wasn't from their Target collection and I can't wait to wear it.



I was lucky enough to also pick up this fun Lela Rose silver cloud top. I'm not sure why it was originally $850 but I don't care!

Paired with navy shorts and a yellow jacket? Oh this outfit? I just threw it on this morning. Uh huh. Yup.

Okay, so this next purchase was a bit of an impulse but I felt like a princess in the sherbet colored frock by Armani Collezioni. It's a few sizes too big but I know my genius of a tailor will work her magic and it'll fit like a glove.

Summer weddings? I'm ready.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!! part II

I couldn't resist! I went again.

• Armani Collezioni skirt $17 (orig. $440)
• Lanvin cami $23 (orig. $795)
• 6267 dress $60 (orig. $2000)
• Marni and Jil Sander dresses $33 each (orig. $1100)

I'll have to get the Marni dress taken in and up but at $33, I can afford to never wear it! And I almost didn't buy the Lanvin cami but Mango made a good point. I buy tops at F21 for the same price without so much as a thought, and this one is Lanvin!

Maybe Mango will do a guest post to gloat about all her goods! Givenchy LBD anyone?

EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a quick post:

Went to the Rack during lunch and now I can die.

• Proenza Schouler top $20 (orig. $500+)
• Lela Rose top $30 (orig. $800+)
• Armani Collezioni dress $60 (orig. $2000)
• Burberry skirt $13 (orig. $350)
  

Pictures coming soon!

soia joy

I think I found my coat. I'd just about given up on finding a new winter coat that fit all of my qualifications - to the point where I was even upped my price point to $400-500!

That's crazy talk!

Luckily, I picked up a Soia Kyo coat at the Rack for under $200, similar to the one pictured. The buttons and the back are slightly different.

I really like the collar and how it can be worn up with a strap to keep the cold out.

One of the reasons I've been having such a hard time finding a coat is that I hate long coats. I like them to hit about mid-thigh - anything longer and I won't wear it! If it's too short though, then my tops stick out and while that's cute and stylish sometimes, it doesn't always work!

Anyway, I have 30 days to find something better.

balencia-ah-ahhh-ARGH!!!!

I had some time to kill before meeting some friends for happy hour on Friday so I thought, why not go to the Rack.

What's this?

Another designer shoe delivery, even more fabulous than Ms. Style-ish's last visit?! I had trotted over there as quickly as I could but all the good ones were already gone.

I was lucky this time! (Perhaps a little 8-8-08 charm?) I couldn't resist picking up these gorgeous, yet simple, Balenciaga sandals. I'm a Balenciaga-virgin, ya know. I love how the insoles are this amazing metallic blue. You can just barely get a glimpse when I walk.

But wait! Get this.. The shoes are marked as size 39 wide! There is now way my 7 1/2, sometimes 8, feet can fill out a size 9 shoe. When I saw them, I just knew they couldn't be a true 9 so I tried them on and voila. There you have it - not a bit big.

Found some lovely Valentinos too but they were a 38 1/2 and waaaaaay too big..

Moral of the story, it never hurts to try!

recessionista indeed

On a tip from my new friend Style-ish (thanks TamPham!), I rushed over to my neighborhood Rack to rummage through their new shipment of designer shoes. Style-ish was right.

Cute shoes everywhere! A pair of fun, patent Alaias reminscent of those saltwater sandals I wore back in the day, a sky-high pair of snakeskin Nina Riccis, bright blue Balenciagas, silvery, braided Stella McCartneys (actually would have bought these if one of the straps wasn't missing!) The list goes on and on!

Alas, I chose to save my pennies. I liked, but didn't love. Mango was with me and had a very good point - yes, they were all very cute but still at $200+.. Might as well pay the extra couple hundred and get the Lanvins from the other day, if I'm gonna bite the bullet. (I still remember when you could get a pair of Pradas or Missonis for $99 at the Rack! Oh the good ol' days!)

No bullets will be bitten today.

free sneakers!

Okay, not really free. I had $60 in Nordstrom Notes and I went to the Rack and bought some Nike Air 360.

Gawd, I'm kinda disappointed in myself! I feel like I should have saved them for a special occassion. But the shoes were only $60 and amazingly comfortable. I need to start running again.

Why have I been so pragmatic of late? I didn't even buy anything during my trip to F21 yesterday. Lame. Am I losing my shopping touch?

*smack, smack*

What am I saying? That's crazy talk. Just for that, I'm going to order everything that's already in my shopping cart. So there!

not my fault

Everytime my friend comes home (she works in Japan) for a visit, she makes me want to shop and buy fancy things that I can't afford. It's not her fault. It's all me. I covet everything she has! I told her that if she ever has a garage sale, to please put me at the top of her list.

Since she's not having a blowout sale anytime soon, I decided to do a little online window shopping. I really love the color of that 3.1 Phillip Lim dress.. And I do love the Jimmy Choo Mahala bag. They're both on sale.. I'm waiting for them to get marked down once more. *wink*

But you'll be so proud to know that I did not buy the Zac Posen dress I found at the Rack yesterday. It's gorgeous, but do I need it? No. Even though it was orig. $1675, marked down to $449 with an additional 40% off! Wait a minute. Maybe I should get it! Dammit. I may have just talked myself into it.

*spank*

Bad.

I think I'll hold out for the Phillip Lim dress. It's more my style. hohum...

choose or lose

I bought this Nanette Lepore dress at the Rack yesterday. I can't decide if I should keep it! It was originally $250, but marked down to $65.



It's a really bright, cobalt blue chiffon with a matching slip underneath. I really like it, but will I wear it? Is it too dressy to wear to work? I suppose I could wear it with some legging and flats to make it more casual. And it could be one of those dresses I wear on fat days. Hahah!

What do you think? Cast your vote on my poll on the right hand column or post a comment. I have a lot of dresses and feel totally guilty with another one.

HB says I should keep it, but what does he know? He's a guy who bought some rastafarian board shorts for our trip to Mexico. Yikes. A Tribe Called Quest, anyone?

gladiator

I totally succumbed to the bah-humbug season and bought something for myself. I know, I know, I still have gifts to purchase but it was such a good deal! Not to mention it was really cute and it'll give me a reason to do something for NYE (besides sit at home and fall asleep at 11:30 pm.)

I found it at Nordstrom Rack yesterday for $124.50 from $498. I mean, that's good right? Fine, fine.. Maybe I should return it. But isn't it so cute?

UPDATE: Sorry, I forgot to mention that it's by Marc by Marc Jacobs.

At least I didn't buy anything when I went to Target yesterday! I should get points for that!