Bargain Bragging

This outfit features some of my latest purchases, both of which were amazing deals. First of all I must tell you about the J. Crew clearance store. If you are a fan of J. Crew you will be quite jealous that you don't live in Asheville. You probably don't know that J. Crew's central shipping and receiving is located here (I think that's what it's called, anways...I don't know all the exact details on this...). Right beside that industrial/warehouse-looking area is the J. Crew clearance store. Items there are way waaaaaay cheaper than those in the store. I got these jeans for $18 - I'm pretty sure they sell for $98 in store. The items are there for various reasons, most seem to be returns or items that just didn't sell well (maybe they were overproduced, etc.). A few may have slight defects but I've never seen anything unwearable. (It isn't the same as a J. Crew factory or outlet store.) This little clearance store also has seasonal "sidewalk" sales, one of which I attended this weekend. But these sales aren't actually held on a sidewalk, they're inside a warehouse. You walk in and are given a trash bag and a price list sheet. You then proceed to dig through tons of cardboard boxes full of J. Crew goodies in the hopes of finding something you like in your size. And I certainly did. However, the "sidewalk sale" items are much more likely to be damaged in some way. It is also terribly disorganized. I found tons of adorable bathing suit tops during my search but no matching bottoms. And it's not unlikely to find a mismatched shoe that you'd love to buy...which is pretty discouraging. But, if you can stand all that you're likely to find some great deals. If you're not up for that sort of shopping expereince the clearance store is still quite nice and well organized - that's where I found these jeans. I do have some items from the sidewalk sale...most of which are only suited for warm weather so you'll have to wait a while to see them.

Anyways, this corset-like floral top I'm wearing was also a great deal - $20, marked down from $60. I had admired it in the store quite often and daydreamed about it, but it seemed to impractical to spend $60 on. Considering that it's strapless and cropped, it's certainly not the most practical thing I own, but it may be my new favorite thing in my closet. The floral print is just so darn pretty. I love the zipper detail and the fit is perfect. Even though it's not at all winter-appropriate I just couldn't wait to wear it. With a cami underneath and a cardigan and scarf I think it's March-appropriate. Don't you agree?

Scarf, top - Urban Outfitters; Cardigan, jeans - J. Crew; Cami - Old Navy; Belt - Gap; Boots - Alloy