The Recessionistas

Rain Rain Go Away

2009-12-07T10:35:00.000-08:00

Ralph Lauren seems to have the answer to the rainy day blues with this amazing Equestrian Print Rain Boots. They are classic with a bit of a retro feel, bringing me back to my 80s riding boots from High School.

Pictured here at $239 Regular $395

ON SALE AT MACYS FOR $118

Not Too Early to Think About Holiday Gifts

2009-10-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

The truth of the matter is that the holidays are right around the corner and it's not too soon to start looking at bargains and selecting gifts for friends and family. In today's economy we probably won't be going to Tiffany's for bulk orders.

Etsy.com is a great website for creative hand made gifts with a wide array of selections including those which you see below:

Vulva Pendants available to display your own "inner" beauty.

http://biturl.cc/xKX

Fall Wrap Up

2009-10-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

Nothing quite spells fall to me like Burberry. In all its glory Burberry is a classic and an investment in fashion that won't go out of style. That being said it doesn't come cheap either, so here's are some wrap grabs for under $200

Burberry Bluebell Cashmere

$174.99 Amazon.com

Burberry Skinny Giant Check Scarf

$195.00 Saks.com

Free Shipping on all orders with code: OCTSHIP9

Featured in Regiment Red Check

OverPrint Scarf

$150 Neimanmarcus.com

Merino Wool

From My Favorite Pocket Sized Designer

2009-10-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

Who could possibly forget the pocket sized fireball designer from Project Runway, Christian Siriano? I mean hell, he coined the term "Hot Tranny Mess" which will forever be apart of our lexicon.

Here's a boot from his collection for Payless Shoe Source....Not bad!!

Anna Sui for Target

2009-10-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

I have been relatively uninspired as a Recessionista for a while, but lately things have been turning around for me and it started right here with Anna Sui for Target.

How very smart of her to provide a collection of well made, tailored pieces for fall that actually don't look like they were sewn together in the dark some where.

Coupled with the fact that Anna Sui teamed up with Gossip Girls it was a win win situation.

Now personally I'm tired of collections that are all hype with no substance, ala McQueen for Target however Anna Sui hit the spot. Get it before it's gone.

iPhone For the Win-Recessionista of the Week

2009-08-10T04:30:00.001-07:00

This weekend I was privvy to the deal of all deals. AT&T was selling refurbished iPhones for $50. That's right $50. (with 2 year extended contract) I was hoping to find a cheap blackberry but came up on the motherload of all sales.

check out att.com for the sale.

Shoe Works

2009-08-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

I have a few favorite shoe designers and the Cole Haan Air line is way up top. The quality of Cole Haan leather and craftmanship, along with Nike comfort cannot be beat. I've been wearing their shoes for years, back when they only made flats. The year they came out with their first wedges, I copped 'em, and now they have all kinds of styles to choose from.

This is my current obsession. Air Hurache Cole Haan.

Regular $328

Available at Amazon.com (of all places) for $163.oo

Shop Here

Personally I was hoping to find them for $99, but we're a fan of halfsies at The Recessionistas.

Traveling in Recessionistas Style

2009-07-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

The Recessionsistas know that travel is still an imperative, no matter what the ticker on CNN says, so instead of forgoing travel we find great sales on travel wear and learn how to book travel on a string.

The best travel helper I know of right now is Quickbook.

It beats Expedia and Hotels.com by a long shot and I'll be staying at The Ace Hotel in NYC for cheap I can't even tell you, but know that it would be criminal for me to miss out on such a deal.

Quickbook

Sephora Sales

2009-06-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

Admittedly sometimes I like the cosmetic floor of a good retail store. I like the hum and buzz of the ladies in their smocks and the annoying ladies who spray perfume hither and yon..but sometimes you need a little Sephora in your life.

A place where all of your favorite goodies are collected in one good spot. A place where you are pretty left alone to you own devices and you can go from Nars, to Bare Minerals, and back to Nars without feeling like a traitor.

Well here's some goodies from your favorite good dispenser.

HTTP://WWW.SEPHORA.COM

Needless Mark-Ups-Tory Burch

2009-06-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

Anya Flat Sandal $168 + 25% off=$143

Neiman Marcus Online Sale http://biturl.cc/pk

Okay...I still think she's a hack, but I've been bitten by the Tory Burch bug and of all places...Needless Markups having a sale that interests me..

Cayland Sandal $96

Nordies isn't doing too bad either...

And if you like those you may like these...

Lottie Metallic Hurache Wedge http://biturl.cc/8D

$138 Regular $275

With an extra 25% off for a limited time only...

Halfsies

2009-06-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

Tobi.com is having a sale and you can score another 30% off with the code: BLOOM30

I like the See by Chloe Shop and Drum Big Shopping bag that's half off and $80

29% off 9 Adidas Items

2009-06-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

Women's 3/4 Length Tights $42

Yoga Vest $50

Men's Madrid Track Top $70

Adidas 29 for 9 is happening right now. Get 29% off 9 items...http://biturl.cc/Ur

I can always use more work out tops and bottoms I don't know about you.

Jimmy Choo for The Recessionistas

2009-06-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

If you have two feet you are well aware of the imfamous Jimmy Choo. That name is synonymous with fashion. Well there's good news if you're one of us Recessionisatas because Jimmy Choo will be pairing with H & M soon.

H&M said the famed shoemaker -- one of the favorite pump labels of "Sex & the City" character "Carrie" -- will launch the collection in 200 H&M stores on Nov. 14, including covetable shoes and bags as well as a women's clothing line to match them. Wall Street Journal

This is exciting for various reasons, but mostly exciting for our pocket books and also because November comes before the Holidays when we there will be holiday parties abound.

In the mean while JimmyChoo.com is having a sale and these little babies look kinda nice don't they? Half off on JimmyChoo.com coming in at $247.

J Crew Private Sale

2009-06-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

The J Crew Private Sale ends today..

20% off any order of $175 or more.

I should probably get the dress for the wedding now huh?

Enter Code: TOPSECRET

WWW.JCREW.COM

eluxury....

2009-06-16T21:40:00.001-07:00

Looks like our dear friends at eluxury.com are biting the dust. A sign of the times I suppose. Ironically I remember when they started in the late nineties and it was the PLACE to work for San Franciscans who worked in fashion...

For the good times, a shiny silver skirt to remind of us of what it was like NOT be a recessionista.

Did I mention sale apparel is an additional 50% off? Well it is!

Dolce Gabbana Skirt

Sale $450 plus an additional 50% off

Piperlime 50% off Sale

2009-06-16T21:21:00.000-07:00

Check out Piperlime.com for the 50% Sale

I'm thinking about scooping up that Marc Jabobs personally...

See by Chloe Medium Daytripper

On sale for $469

Marc Jacobs Totally Turlock Faridah

On Sale for $249

Bloomingdale's Private Sale

2009-06-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

Tuesday thru Thursday

June 16-18

www.bloomingdales.com

Recessionistas Fail

2009-05-14T21:56:00.001-07:00

So I was trying to save a hundred dollars, as any good recessionsista would. I needed some facial moisturizer and I made a bold claim to a sales lady and got myself a tester of Creme de le Mer. I told myself since it was free it didn't really matter and that I wasn't an addict, I could quit any time.

Well it was free, so I felt good because I like free but then something happened. After two days my skin looked visibly better. I mean seriously. The fine lines in my forehead were barely, if visible at all, and I really think I looked younger. Immediately.

So my and my free bee kept on keeping on, until the dreadful day that I reached the bottom of the tester. I did some research and was told that Oil of Olay Regenerist was just as good for the price.

WRONG!

Not only did my fine lines come creeping back, the strong scent of Regenerist irritated my skin so bad that it I had to bathe in aloe vera.

Well I'm not on my second free tester, my skin is back to what it was and this weekend I'm taking my hard earned money down to Nordstrom and buying an ounce of a the good stuff. (Please note I've carried my lunch for every day for almost a lunch in order to justify my purchase)

Ressioinista of the Week

2009-05-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

Oprah for buying the country lunch from KFC. That's Oprah, The Recessionsitas of the world love for you helping us eat for free, because after all, Free is The Recessionistas Middle Name.

check out oprah.com for more details

Summer Sandals

2009-05-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

Living in Los Angeles the two most important things I've found being skinny and having a manicure and pedicure as often as humanly possible. Getting a mani pedi is often easier than dropping ten pounds and finding cute sandals to show off your pink toes isn't always as easy as you'd imagine.

Right now I'm getting heavily involved in the Miss Trish of Capri line for Target.

Why?

Because they are on average about $100 less than her regular line and we all know that for The Recessionistas saving $100 is the name of the game.

You have to admit the selection is lovely, they may only last for the summer, but you'll look good wearing them

for more information http://www.target.com

Money over Matter

2009-04-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

So while in Seattle over the weekend I became enamorate with a hand bag. Not any old hand bag, but a hand bag that was still in the stores selling for full retail price, now marked down to half. It was like one of those moments when the clouds part and the gods of shopping smile upon you...kinda. I mean the original asking price was $700 and now the bag was marked down to $379 which is roughly $400 with tax and not quite but almost half off.

It's the "it" bag of the season no doubt, and with it on my shoulder would I be the "it" girl?

Was it so "it" that no one in my circle would guess I'd spent my car payment, or 3/4 the price of a new set of tires on it? Did it look like flatscreen tv money, or just a silver bag? To be completely honest it was questionable to me and further money I've long ago decided that nothing on earth feels better than money in the bank. I thought about the bag though, debated it and considered it, and although it was HOT it wasn't something that I couldn't live without, and that conclusion alone surprised me.

On the plane home what I realized is that I should have bought the bag and sold it on eBay for full price and MADE some money off of it, instead of spending my good money on it! That moment right there defined my financial reality for me. I mean trust me when I say that it's a hot bag and it would have gone perfectly with my wardrobe, however there's something inside of me that knew if it was almost half off, it was worth what it was retailing for in the beginning, which is to say that it immediately lessened its value.

9 times out of 10 when you see a celeb with a bag she didn't pay for it. She's wearing it to be photographed in it, to make us the average consumer believe that WE should have it...no matter how absurd the cost. I'm literally NOT buying it.

I DID come to the conclusion, however the Longchamp is the REAL "it" bag of the season, having made a HUGE come back it's right at the tipping point and priced to move at $145...more than half of the almost half off See by Chloe bag.

In the end it's money over matter, how you spend your money only matters to you, however how I spend my money is important to me. There are so many things I could do with money I'm saving by choosing Longchamp over Chloe and that right there is the selling point for me, not which celeb chose Chloe....

Cassie's New Hair Cut!!!

2009-04-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

Bad Boy recording artist Cassie debut's her new cut via twitter.com...

Talk about a true recessionista using twitter for free publicity world wide! You Go Girl! The Hair Cut is hot to death, her single with Puffy is in heavy rotation and she's said to be currently in the studio with a new album.

Cassie is The Recessionistas Girl of the Week!

Bottle Talk

2009-04-10T15:43:00.000-07:00

One of the things I'm not willing to give up on this budget on a string is my wine. I mean I let go of my housekeeper..briefly but my wine I cannot live without. One of my favorite wines to enjoy on a budget is Beaujolais, very much like the Champagne region, this is a wine that's name from the region the grape is grown. It's a delightful red wine, for someone like myself who knows little about wine, but what I like it. It's fruity and full and reminds me of a shiraz/syrah and is priced to move at under $20 a bottle.

Beaujolais Nouveau is more of a holiday wine that is bottle and distributed right after Thanksgiving and it is best enjoyed while young (up to a year old). While the traditional Beaujolais can be enjoyed with age.

You can usually pick up a bottle at your local Wholefoods, when you stop by to get your organic kale.

It's All in the Bag

2009-04-09T21:18:00.001-07:00

To quote Malcom Gladwell I noticed something has recently hit the Tipping Point. Longchamp of Paris. What's ironic is that there has been no advertising, none what so ever, and the bag no where near new, however none the less it's on shoulders from coast to coast. My initial reaction to Longchamp was reminiscent of sorority girls with pearls and cardigan sets on the

East Coast, and or Soccer Moms, once again with pearls and cardigans, which is to say that it didn't appeal to me.

What I've seen lately is a trend in the Hip Prepsters, you know the ones...The girl with the less than perfect hair and the decent job, who is looking for the place where function meets fashion. What's awesome about Longchamp is that it makes a statement, subtle but clear. Quality over trend..but now it's trendy.

La Pliage, priced at $145, it's not something that will break the bank, it won't go out of style and it will last until you hit soccer mom status. Now that's a deal!

Smooth Sailing

2009-04-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt one of this season's must have's are the sailor pants. Personally I find these to be classic, the nautical look has been kept alive by fresh faced blondes on yachts, wearing Topsiders for years in Ralph Lauren Ads.

This year Gaultier took ownership of sexy meets classic in his high rise rendition of the pant we all know so well, but priced at $785, I'd just assume pick up that See by Chloe bag I've been eye balling, and call it a day. Just because a wardrobe item is a classic doesn't mean it should cost me the same amount as a weekend in Maui, especially if it's a denim classic.

In defense of Gaultier there's not allot of strong competition in this area, there's a fine line between high waisted and sexy and a hotmess the closest The Recessionistas have found are the Kenneth Cole New York Metro Pants, sleek, not quite as sexy but won't dip into the money you've been setting aside to invest in that Ford stock either.

Hurray for the Huarache!

2009-03-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

This is not a personal assault on Tory Burch and her hack design team, as much as it's insulting that they would try to assault our finances with such hack items.

Exhibit A

The Huarache

Known as Chancleta in Spanish

Better known as Chacla..

When we had a place in Mexico as a child, Huarache's were cheap leather sandals, with soles from recycled tires that you would buy and spend the entire summer wearing with your bathing suit. Not so much as a fashion item but a summer staple..

Fast forward 20 years. Today our dear friend Tory Burch of the impeccable ballet slippers has given us a new and updated version of the Huarache for a price on steroids.

Tory Burch Anya Sandal $250

Advertised as a day to night sandal, trust and believe that the soles of your feet will be hotter than fish grease pounding the New York pavement for a day in the these puppies, which is not to say that you won't be cute, but you'll be blistered and sore...

Luckily our favorite resident knock off hack, Steve Madden understands that in order to be able to buy season tickets to the Hollywood Bowl for the summer, a girl's gotta have some cash in her wallet...

Introducing The Addisonn Sandal Priced to move at $69.99

Anyone who dares tell you that your Addisonn sandal isn't cute, isn't really your friend anyway. Plus the only way to get tix to the Femi Kuti, Santigold, Raphael Saadiq Concert at the Hollywood Bowl is to buy 5 at a time, which means I'm gonna need some cash in my BANK, not just on my feet!

Doctor's Orders

2009-03-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

I've gone back and forth on the Tory Burch factor. The face that her flats are literally the most comfortable on the market and said to be the only ones worth investing in caught my eye early in the game. There was something to be said about a ballet slipper flat, in a fun color, with a garrish gold logo on the toe. As her empire grows and we now see Tory Burch rainboots and hand bags and clothing I cannot say that all of her products represent the simplicity and quality of her flats...

Case en Pointe

Dixon Sandal

$195

This is a Dr. Scholl Original Sandal reloaded.
$30

So we have the TB logo all over the insole and details not shown in this picture are the TB logo on the sole and the gold TB buckle...but seriously for $165 MORE dollars than the original? For $200 you can have the original's in almost every color they come in, which will inevitably make you much more fly than the girl with one pair of expensive sandals...If you think about it.

Even if you're eco conscious and you Dr. Scholl has something for you, their high end sandal is still coming in at $73 and for that you get natural vegetable dyed leather, hemp, and 10 trees planted for every pair of sandals you buys.

DOCTOR'S ORDERS

KEEP YOUR MONEY IN YOUR POCKET AND LET TORY BURCH KNOW SHE'S A HACK!

Gone Fishing

2009-03-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

A question was asked on another blog as to whether or not the recession was hurting anyone's dating life. I would certainly hope not. According to Patti Stanger on Millionaire Match Maker all a girl needs is some extensions or a good blow out and flat iron and to keep her legs closed to get the ring and the man of her dreams. In real life we know that it takes much more and who are we to let a little thing like an economic down turn keep us from finding the man of our dreams?

Plentyoffish.com

A totally free dating website with all the bells and whistles of those pesky websites that want you to pay to play, and probably filled with the same men since after all they don't call it the World Wide Web for nothing. So save that match making membership fee for that Marc Jacobs bag you saw on Ebay and catch a big one on Plentyoffish.com.

Spring Fling-The Case of the Missing Trench

2009-03-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

Target's Merona Trench $24.49

J Crew's Icon Trench $298

Banana Republic's Classic Trench $300

Although it snowed in New York yesterday, marking a gloomy first day of spring, the reality is that Spring has sprung, especially on the racks. Regardless of whether or not you and still sporting your winter Uggs and heavy Cashmere, it's still time to make sure that you have your Spring Essentials. The Recessionistas know that even staple items don't have to break the bank.

The Case of the Missing Trench

We all need one. It's a fact. The trench is a spring staple, for those flirty spring dresses, or wide leg navy pants and Tory Burch flats that will take you into summer. The key is of course to look your very best without breaking the bank.

Target's Merona Trench wins hands down at $24.49 on clearance at Target.com

While J Crew and Banana Republic come in at $298 and $300 respectively.

The point once again is to look fly, without your hard earned dollars flying out of your pocket and saving $250 on a coat is no small feat and The Recessionistas way!

Paint Job

2009-03-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

No one wants to walk around with shabby looking nails. Especially in winter when the weather wrecks havoc on your cuticles so here's a good way to make that manicure stretch on a budget...

Change nail polish after a week.

It will usually run you about $5 dollars at most nails shops, sometimes less and you can still get the professional look, (base coat, top coat shine) for less than the cost of an actual manicure.

The Recessionistas Must Haves for Fall

2008-09-01T23:36:00.001-07:00

Cole Haan Air Moc Penny Loafer in Lacquer Red Paint-$195

Bass Wayfarer(Red)-$93
Available at Zappos