As promised, here is a list of my favorite places to buy my favorite things. I hope you will find this helpful in your journey of wardrobe-building and also very fun, because fashion should ALWAYS be fun.
Best Places for Trendy Pieces
There are multiple ways to include trendy pieces into your wardrobe, you can do the full on trend or you can be very subtle with it. Either way, the best places to find trendy pieces are
Forever 21 & Nordstrom. It's all about what kind of look and quality you're looking for. Forever 21 will give you the full on trend in many different varieties. This summer a big hit was tribal print, this store offered it on t-shirts, grandpa sweaters, dresses, skirts, pieces of fabric hanging from a chain as a necklace--they covered that trend! Nordstrom will offer the more pulled together, high fashion side of the trend. Within the print, they would focus on one bright color, then have the rest of the colors down-played, so as to not overpower the look.
Best Places for Basic Pieces
You can find basics almost everywhere, but these are the places worth looking at:
Romy, Aeropostale, H&M & Nordstrom. Romy features a different take on a floral print for every season, they incorporate this textile into blouses, skirts and dresses, making it the best place to find your basic structured floral skirt. They also always have great solid skirts in flattering silhouettes. PLUS, I guarantee that this is where you'll find your perfect Little Black Dress. Aeropostale I use strictly for camisoles, I never buy anything else there because it's one of those, 'Here's a t-shirt with our logo on it, put a flannel over it, and pair it with our jeans that also have our logo on it' kind of places-which I hate. Their camisoles last a lifetime, and only have a logo on the bottom. H&M is the perfect place to find cheap office wear. In the back corner of the store you will find a sea of black, gray, off-white and rosy pink, all done in a mixture of structured and free-flowing pieces appropriate for the working woman. Warning: their sizes are WAY off, (I'm normally between a 2 and 4, here I have to squeeze into a 6) Also, their clothing is not the best quality, but everything looks great for being dirt cheap. Nordstrom will be making an appearance in every section- and for good reason (best store in the world? YES!) They do everything in the best quality and at the
best price for that quality. I'm not saying it's cheap, but it's really not that expensive, you get what you pay for. This is where you want to get your basic t-shirts, layering tanks, solid sweaters and denim.
Best Places for Shoes
I'll get it out of the way-
Nordstrom. An entire floor dedicated to women's shoes, they know what we want-need I say more?
Ross- jdjkdjks?!!! Yea, I said that. Where else will you find the perfect bronze peep-toe booties with a great 4 inch heel and are COMFORTABLE for only $20?? Nowhere! And Steve Madden lace up winter booties, again with the perfect heel and so comfortable I can run a marathon in them-- $25. It takes some searching, but I promise you won't be disappointed.
Best Places for Bargains
Get over your pride--
Ross and TJ Maxx. You will find great pieces at these places. If you need to find something completely different from your typical style, these are the places to look. You WILL find that piece and you WON'T spend much money, so if you don't love the look, you didn't lose a lot.
Nordstrom-- There is always a 'Reduced' rack in every department and those racks are always 33% off or more. Some items will cycle through that rack just weeks after being out on the floor. It's always worth it to look. I have too much pride to bold this word-- Macy's. (I can't believe I'm doing this) In my opinion, Macy's is WAY too expensive for their commonly poor quality of clothing, however, you can sometimes find good things for a reasonable price. There's a trick though, you have to be looking for something for the upcoming season. For example, shop there in March for something you won't wear until spring or summer. They put their pre-season stuff out early, and if things aren't selling well, they get reduced quickly. I found a $50 pair of cargo skinnys for only $10. It's a tricky process, but worth a try.
Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
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