Altuzarra for Target: A Long Island Report

If you're looking for a great selection of the Altuzarra collection for Target, come on out to Long Island. I woke up Sunday morning and checked the Racked Report and social media. Twitter user @tammyesco tweeted "Empty racks at #altuzarrafortarget!! Good luck shopping!!! @ Target Westbury" with a picture of a lone pencil skirt and a single black sweater with crane embroidery. That part of Westbury is always hectic on a Sunday so I had never planned on going there, but this news made me less than hopeful for the trip I'd planned to the Target in Levittown. You can imagine my surprise when this is what I found:

   

 

The selection was fantastic! They had most of the collection and plenty of sizes to choose from - and it was all so well organized! A saleswoman was straightening the racks when I arrived and I asked if there was a limit on the number of pieces from the collection that you could buy. After a quick check with a manager on her radio she informed me that there was no limit. I repeat, NO LIMIT.

Now, I have been blinded by the allure of these capsule collections before; when the 3.1 Phillip Lim collection came out I purchased the black peplum top with beaded collar even though it didn't fit right. I never wore it and only recently gave it to my mother who was quite excited about it. With that in mind I was far more cautious this time around.

As you can see below the oxford shirts didn't quite fit me. The shoulders were too big and the sleeves were too long for my petite frame. The fabric is nice and I thought the detail of the decorative "Altuzarra" top button was a nice touch. A good value and $29.99 and $34.99 respectively, just not a smart purchase for me.

The dresses on the other hand are amazing. I had fallen in love with both of these when I previewed the collection and thought for sure that the tailored dress with crane embroidery would be sold out everywhere (Racked NY reported that it had sold out at the Target at Atlantic Terminal around 8:30AM). Needless to say I was thrilled when I saw plenty of each on the racks at the Levittown location. The wrap dress in that gorgeous "Ruby Hill" color is a 2 and and the Crane dress is a 4 (note: there's a lot less give in the fabric of the latter). My measurements are usually 2/8/4 (bust/waist/hips), so I would say that the fit of the garments is true to size. At $39.99 and $49.99 respectively I seriously felt like I was getting the deal of the year with these dresses.

The only item that they did not have in stock that I really wanted to try on was the velvet tuxedo, but according to the Target website there are a few locations in Suffolk County that still have it in stock. I may have to swing by one of those later this week. Until then, happy shopping, my friends!

Outfit Post: Adventures in Conservative Crop Topping

Crop tops have been all the rage for awhile now and, while my first instinct was to groan at the thought of exposed, dangling belly-rings (sorry, my last mental image of this type of top is from the 90's), my second thought was that this could really work in my favor. You see, at 5'1" I am petite. When paired with high-waisted pants and skirts, a crop top can really add length to my little frame. And so I began to experiment...

Here I am in Montauk back in June. V and I went out late Friday night and stayed at a fabulous little place called Hartman's Briney Breezes. The room and grounds were immaculate, the view was spectacular (an unobstructed view of the ocean, which was just across the street, no complaints here), and the location was great. While Montauk has gotten a bit more scene-y in the past few years, it still has a reputation for being laid-back, so I figured this was the perfect place to try out this trend.

Outfit #1 Lunch at Navy Beach
It was a bit chilly so I actually layered a Ralph Lauren Supply Company "Boyfriend" button-down over this look (not pictured). The outfit was super comfortable and I almost didn't want to change for our evening out (almost). Crop top: River Island Maxi Skirt: MINT Shades: Ralph Lauren Sandals (not clearly pictured): Nine West

Outfit #2 Dinner at Clam and Chowder House at Salivar's Dock and out (The Harbor Raw Bar & Lounge, The Electric Eel at Ruschmeyer's*, and The Surf Lodge)
I've never been one for dressing scantily-clad on my birthday (did I mention that that's what this staycation was for?). Instead I usually opt for light-weight tunics or feminine separates. This year I decided to mix it up and go for a look that could probably be best described as Jenna Lyons-inspired (I dunno, you can see it, if you have something more clever feel free to leave it in the comments). I love every single item that went into this outfit and I was beyond comfortable. Every outfit should feel like this. The only bummer is that you can't see how adorable this crop top truly is in this photo since I layered my favorite drape-y cardigan over it. Oh well, I'll just have to wear it again... Tank: Nordstrom Pants: Banana Republic Petites Cardigan: All Saints Kicks: Converse Crossbody Bag: Tory Burch Specs: Chanel

*Fun fact: Ruschmeyer's is an old summer camp that was turned into a hotel with cabin-inspired guestrooms.

Verdict: I "heart" crop tops.

Outfit Post: Last Call for White Y'all

Friday night we were heading out for a simple dinner at a rooftop restaurant in town. I've been seriously neglecting my heels lately and with just one weekend left in summer I decided it was time to bust out the white pants.

Here's the outfit breakdown:

Pants: Free People - Found these at a sample sale ages ago. Wide leg pants have come in and out of style, but in my later years I've become a believer that, regardless of what's 'in,' you should wear whatever style works for you.

Shirt: Gap - V-necks are my weakness. While I typically prefer Old Navy to The Gap, you just can't beat a Favorite Tee.

Belt: J. Crew Factory - It's hard to tell from this pic, but this is a gold fabric braided belt (which I cannot say without thinking of Cappie from ABC Family's Greek saying, "And also shame on guys who wear braided belts, they just give me the willies," but I digress). Metallic belts really are essential (here's a silver option in a similar style) and this one has completed more looks than I can count.

Bag: Kate Spade - This bag is from the outlets ages ago. It's small, but it fits the necessities: iPhone, "going out wallet" (which, in my case, is the Coach Wallet my sisters bought be for 8th grade graduation), keys and a lip gloss. Perfect for a night out.

Shoes: Marc Jacobs - Ah, my very first pair of designer shoes. I cannot speak to the quality of Marc Jacobs shoes in recent years, as this is the only pair that I own, but if this pair is any indication I say they're worth every penny. My amazing mother bought them for me at Century 21 almost ten years ago.  They've held up remarkably well and they've never even seen the inside of Augie's Shoe Service (if you don't have a skilled shoe repair shop on speed dial, get on it).

Necklace: Gorjana - Layering necklaces has been in for awhile now and the Gorjana website is one stop shopping for these sort of pieces. They host a decent amount of sales as well as offering deals through their facebook page and you can find their pieces on flash sale sites like Gilt and RueLaLa too.

LuluLemon Yogabowl Warehouse Sale

In case you hadn't heard, LuluLemon is currently holding one of their massive warehouse sale out on Long Island (for those not familiar with the area, it's about 1/2 an hour outside of NYC and these things never happen out here). After a long work week I wasn't sure if I was up for it, but the brand's Twitter handle assured me that there was no line to get in, so I headed off to the home of the Islanders, Nassau Coliseum. 

As a bargain shopper I feel that is it my duty to share my findings with my fellow shoppers, so here's the skinny on the sale:

Pricing was good, but not great. Remember, this is a warehouse sale, not a sample sale; this means that there will be a lot in terms of quantity, but not so much in terms of markdowns. Here's the pricing they had posted when you walked in (there were also smaller signs throughout and each item had a tag with a corresponding sticker, very user-friendly).

From what I saw, keep in mind that I was looking mostly in the 2/4/6 sections and running clothes as opposed to yoga-specific items, the biggest selection was in pants and crops for bottoms and long sleeved shirts and tanks for tops. It was slim pickings in the accessories departments, probably because these items are one size fits all.

Rumor: Parking is $10
Truth: There was no one in the booths when I arrived -- hooray, free parking for me!
Update (Saturday AM): My sister went this morning and they were enforcing the $10 parking fee -- womp, womp.

Rumor: Mandatory coat and bag check.
Truth: Coat and bag check was optional on Friday evening, but it's also complimentary, so I seriously advise that you take advantage of it. The place is packed, you're going to be bumping into racks and people and working up a sweat, trust me, the less you have hindering you the better.

Rumor: No strollers allowed.
Truth: I almost ate it tripping over a stroller. The poor child inside had no idea, nor did she seem to notice or mind the fact that her mother was using the handles of her stroller to hold a variety of garments. Since it wasn't that crowded this wasn't a huge deal, but I'm sure Saturday and Sunday will be packed, so I would advise against it. Even if you bring someone else to watch your little yogi, there aren't many places on the sales floor for them to rest. People made makeshift seats on a couple of low platforms, but they definitely did not look comfortable.

Rumors: Yoga demonstrations and dance contests.
Truth: These happened earlier (I know this because I saw pictures on Twitter, seriously, if you are even thinking about attending this event you'd be foolish not to check out their account), but by the time I go there the only yoga "demonstration" was a random, really fit guy in a tank top doing some fairly impressive* yoga poses at the base of the escalators on your way in. Props to him though.
*take my terminology with a grain of salt, I know all of 3 yoga poses, most of which my 3 year-old niece can do better than me.
Update (Saturday AM):  Little kids were doing a dance routine around 8:30, we hope they gave them and their parents a discount.

Rumor: Crazy lines
Truth: 5:15 on Friday evening must have been the time go because the only line I waited on was for the fitting room and it couldn't have been more than 5 minutes. We'll see how my sister fares with this factor when she goes tomorrow morning.
Update (Saturday AM): The line is back, big sis waited about 1/2 an hour, gave me her haul report about an hour later: 2 tanks, 1 long-sleeved top and 1 pair of crops.

What I walked away with:
(2) pairs of crops @ $45/ea (Yes, they are 2 different pairs of grey pants. The pair on the left fits like harem pants, the pair on the rights are cropped sweats with a back pocket - I do love a pocket.)


(2) long-sleeved tops @ $39/ea (All of the l/s shirts had the thumbs holes. As someone who grew up in the age of grunge and made her own thumb holes, I am obsessed with these things.)


(2) pairs of running shorts @ $29/ea (Both pairs have a pocket in the back, perfect for putting your ID, keys and a few bucks.)

(1) "Brisk Run Headband" @ $4

Favorite item purchased: Pink/purple/black running shorts.
Total spent: $240.64
Total time: Just under 1 hour including walk to and from car.

Added advice
Tweet them: seriously, whoever is handling the sale's Twitter account is amazing. They give constant updates about the size of the line, they post pics of outfits put together from the current offerings and they answer any questions you tweet them. Before leaving work I tweeted asking if there were any accessories left and they replied "hats, undies, mat bags, scarfs are looking good!" (We will ignore their misspelling, they're answering an absurd amount of tweets.)
Size yourself up: I went in knowing that I had a handicap -- I had never tried on any of their clothes before! This is a rookie move in the sale world, so the first thing I did was try on a variety of items in the 2 sizes I thought might work for me. Just so you have an idea, sizing for LLL gear is kind of like bridesmaids dresses -- whatever size you wear, go at least a size up (i.e. I normally wear a 0 or a 2 and everything I bought was a 4 and if I'd gone for the tight crops I would've needed a 6). It's funny because I often comment on how I have no ass... and then I try to put on yoga pants.
Leave your modesty at home: If you plan on trying anything on, you had better not be shy. The group fitting rooms are basically just a big black curtain separating you and 50+ other women from the sales floor. Which leads me to my next point...
Clean your sweep: Wash everything you buy as soon as you get home. This might seem like an obvious statement, but the fact that there were women trying on yoga gear without underwear was kind of disgusting. I was seriously the only woman in the group fitting room who had on boys shorts, it was either thongs or commando, so clean those fatigues!


Happy shopping and namaste*!
*Again, not a yoga person, mostly know this term from LOST. Thanks, DHARMA Initiative.

Inspiration Board? More Like Inspiration Book

Ever since I was a little girl, collecting leftover Sassy and Seventeen magazines from around the house, I have been tearing out "looks" that I love. Over the years I've collected these images and when I came across a leftover art journal I knew that those fashion tears had found their home.

While I've been really good about continuing to tear images that inspire me, I've been a bit lax about organizing them. But recently I've been struggling with my closet and, in an effort to edit down my wardrobe and reveal my style, I have revisited these images.

Watching design shows you see design boards and that's great for one look, but when it comes to a wardrobe I need more room to work -- and so the rebirth of the inspiration book. Out came the images, out went the ones I'm already over and on went the rubber cement to secure the keepers. It's my hope that my style progresses along with the book and, when I'm having a fashion meltdown, it will serve as a place to go for answers.

Originally I wanted this to be a style blog, but I'm so sick of the standard style blogs; put-together women in their 30's being photographed by their significant others in whimsical poses and whatever setting mimics a soft filter on their SLR camera (which they probably received as an out-of-the-box wedding gift from their equally hip friends/family).

Like so many women my age, I don't quite have it all together. I'm getting there, but I'm not going to post phony photos that make others envious of my Brooklyn loft and my impeccably groomed puppy. I'm 29, I live on Long Island, I work in a small office and see the same handful of people every day; so my day-to-day attire simply does not call for high fashion. The problem is I'm also tired of the jeans/tee/hoodie combo, not to mention that I'm terrified of Stacy London and Clinton Kelly ambushing me for the new season of "What Not to Wear," and I think it's high time that I figure out how to adapt my dreams of everyday dressing to fit my reality. Yes, I escape to the city and the Hamptons as frequently as possible and when I do I use that as an excuse to wear the clothes I dream of, but it's still not my reality.

So this isn't an established style blog in the traditional sense, it's a finding-my-style blog. Let the editing down begin.

Bag Binge

The past few weeks have been crazy busy with weddings and weekends away so tonight, when I finally got the chance to unpack and organize my room, I realized for the first time that I've been on a bit of a bag binge.

In the last month I've purchase 5 handbags. 5!

Granted not one of them was full priced and 2 of them were exceptionally cheap, but that's still a lot of bags in a very short period of time, even for me.

The Rebecca Minkoff is already mentioned below and that's one of the 5, so here are the rest, each with their various purposes and price points:

Pietro Alessandro 2081 Tote in metallic champagne.
Purchased from: ideeli.com
Original Retail Price: $112.00
Price I Paid: $69.00
Reasoning: I don't have a gold going out bag. Okay, so that's not entirely true. I have a metallic gold-ish bag, but it's from Old Navy, which a bunch of guy friends dubbed my "Members Only" purse because of the fabric. I was due for an upgrade. Plus, this one can be used as either a clutch or a cross body tote. It's a 2-in-1!


Nordstrom Ruched Silk Wristlet in champagne.
Purchased from: Nordstrom.com
Original Retail Price: $48.00
Price I Paid: $22.90
Reasoning: I needed a bag to go with a bridesmaid's dress. This fit the bill.


Barney's Black and White
Purchased from: Barney's Outlet at Tanger Riverhead
Original Retail Price: $120.00
Price I Paid: $19.50
Reasoning: It was so cheap and I have a weakness for bags that I know to be somewhat cheap/cheesy looking (hence the "Members Only" purse mentioned above).


Be&D "Twiggy" Large Tote in green
Purchased from: Saks off 5th
Original Retail Price: $1,080.00
Price I Paid: $125.99
Reasoning: While the markdown is reason enough, this bag is just amazing. I had my "Girl in the Green Scarf" moment, a la Rebecca Bloomwood in Confessions of a Shopaholic, I could see myself walking into an interview carrying that bag and the people in HR would just know that they had to hire me.


So now I'm on a bag shopping freeze. I think I actually have every type of bag I could possibly need at this point... I think... haha

Today I Miss My Friend

It's overcast and breezy outside and as I stood in the parking lot at work I thought; it's a perfect day to be on Fire Island.

My mind went back to so many summers when, as great as the sunny days were on the beach, my favorite days were always ones like this. Dressed in a sweatshirt and shorts and no shoes, our feet calloused to the point where no splinters from the boardwalk could penetrate, my friend and I would go down and enjoy having the deserted beach to ourselves.

My first instinct was to text or message her on facebook, knowing that she would agree, my second was that she is no longer with us to do so, and then I thought of this song.

But I can still feel the sand between my toes...

Mad About "Mab"

Do you remember when you were little and you got a new pair of shoes and you loved that so much that you just had to wear them out of the store? That's how I feel about the Rebecca Minkoff bag I bought last night at Saks Off 5th.

I literally brought it downstairs with me when I got home and just had it there while I watched TV and then I put it on when I carried everything upstairs.

It's the "Mab" bag with handles and a strap and it's black fabric with black leather accents. The lining is a black and white stripe, which I was excited about because I had also wanted a black and white striped bag, but that's so limiting and this is much more practical. This way I still get the striped fabric in there somehow.

Originally priced at $375, marked down to $259 with an additional 30% off bringing it to $181 and then I had a 20% off Tanger Outlets coupon making the final price $145!

While I don't have any real plans for the weekend, I will somehow manager for the bag to make it's debut. Like in "The Power of Female Sex" episode of S&TC when Carrie gets the Dolce & Gabbana feather boa shoes and just has to wear them out. (Because as my middle sister will tell you, I can relate everything in life back to Sex & The City)