Favorite Places to Shop
My first love language is quality time, but my second is gifts. I love to get myself gifts, I love to receive gifts from others, I love unexpected blessings in the form of a free drink from Starbucks or a free medium fry from Chick-fil-a. My mom refers to this situation as a "sursis." The literal French translation is a "reprieve," but with her it was usually just a small surprise she'd leave on the end of our bed or on the kitchen table for us to find when we walked in from school.
It can be a real test in restraint for me to have to go too long without picking out a gift for someone else, something for our home, or a treat for myself--usually clothes. Today, I'd like to share specifically where I tend to shop for what I consider to be quality, affordable clothing. My style has changed over the years, as have the standards and requirements for my wardrobe. Since I don't exactly have the luxury of tossing my entire closet at the conclusion of a season and starting from scratch, I've accumulated a list of the places that have always had the pieces I've wanted to add to my collection within my desired price range.
First, I have always been a jeans and tee gal. Like, my-brother-and-I-shared-the-same-tees gal. I've pretty much stopped that since I graduated college, and many of my dramatically flared jeans have been replaced by more modest, knee-length denim skirts. Regardless, the only place I have purchased denim in any form over the past two or three years has been thredUP. I have found, personally, that the Gap 1969 jeans are just the right fit for me. It may sound insane, but I bought a pair at an outlet in 2009 that just perfectly met my standard of comfort and also happen to look super flattering and presentable. You can filter your search terms to certain brands, design lines, colors, price points, or even new with tags. The jeans and skirts I've purchased so far have been in very good shape, and you can't even tell by looking at them that I'm not the first owner of the garments. Not to mention, I pay about $15-$25 per item, which I deem quite reasonable for quality denim.
Moving on to tops. I am still very much a tee gal, but my shirts tend to be more stylish and in a women's cut, these days. J. Crew, LOFT, and Old Navy are some of my favorite spots to find these, especially at the outlets and end of season sales. I have also had a lot of luck at Target since they launched their new clothing lines, and they have possibly the softest tees in the history of ever. I love them and they are around $16, full price.
Lastly, I have really found that I have a true love for dresses and blouses this past year. Especially since it requires very minimal mental effort to throw on a dress and some shoes and you're ready to leave the house. My newest discoveries for modest and practical dresses (read: pockets) have been Slaydon & Rose and Lace & Lilac boutiques. They are smaller businesses and I especially love that each shares my personal desire to find classy, current options at affordable prices. The quality of their items has been excellent and I have had no problems with sizing based on the information they provide.
Other than the aforementioned, Amazon has always been my go-to source for anything trending in fashion. It can be hit or miss, and I always read the reviews to see what other verified buyers have to say about the wear and fit of the item. Some of my favorite trendy shoes and tunics have been purchased on Amazon for a fraction of the price of the same items I've seen in brick and mortar boutiques. They are almost always under $30 and, since we are Prime members, shipping and returns are free. I honestly don't remember the last time I walked into a store and bought a pair of shoes.
As you can see, I do most of my clothes shopping online. I installed Ebates on both my phone and laptop a few years ago to see if it was really useful in earning cash back for online purchases. While I don't spend a great amount on my online purchases, I am happy to report that I have racked up a little walking around money on the purchases I have made since installing the app. If you, too, are an online shopper, you may find it's worth checking out. I hope this was helpful, and definitely be sure to check out the wonderful selections for Spring and Summer at Slaydon & Rose and Lace & Lilac!
Best,
Emily
P.S. None of these companies or brands have any idea who I am. All opinions are strictly my own, curated over the years through trial and error.
It can be a real test in restraint for me to have to go too long without picking out a gift for someone else, something for our home, or a treat for myself--usually clothes. Today, I'd like to share specifically where I tend to shop for what I consider to be quality, affordable clothing. My style has changed over the years, as have the standards and requirements for my wardrobe. Since I don't exactly have the luxury of tossing my entire closet at the conclusion of a season and starting from scratch, I've accumulated a list of the places that have always had the pieces I've wanted to add to my collection within my desired price range.
First, I have always been a jeans and tee gal. Like, my-brother-and-I-shared-the-same-tees gal. I've pretty much stopped that since I graduated college, and many of my dramatically flared jeans have been replaced by more modest, knee-length denim skirts. Regardless, the only place I have purchased denim in any form over the past two or three years has been thredUP. I have found, personally, that the Gap 1969 jeans are just the right fit for me. It may sound insane, but I bought a pair at an outlet in 2009 that just perfectly met my standard of comfort and also happen to look super flattering and presentable. You can filter your search terms to certain brands, design lines, colors, price points, or even new with tags. The jeans and skirts I've purchased so far have been in very good shape, and you can't even tell by looking at them that I'm not the first owner of the garments. Not to mention, I pay about $15-$25 per item, which I deem quite reasonable for quality denim.
Moving on to tops. I am still very much a tee gal, but my shirts tend to be more stylish and in a women's cut, these days. J. Crew, LOFT, and Old Navy are some of my favorite spots to find these, especially at the outlets and end of season sales. I have also had a lot of luck at Target since they launched their new clothing lines, and they have possibly the softest tees in the history of ever. I love them and they are around $16, full price.
Lastly, I have really found that I have a true love for dresses and blouses this past year. Especially since it requires very minimal mental effort to throw on a dress and some shoes and you're ready to leave the house. My newest discoveries for modest and practical dresses (read: pockets) have been Slaydon & Rose and Lace & Lilac boutiques. They are smaller businesses and I especially love that each shares my personal desire to find classy, current options at affordable prices. The quality of their items has been excellent and I have had no problems with sizing based on the information they provide.
Other than the aforementioned, Amazon has always been my go-to source for anything trending in fashion. It can be hit or miss, and I always read the reviews to see what other verified buyers have to say about the wear and fit of the item. Some of my favorite trendy shoes and tunics have been purchased on Amazon for a fraction of the price of the same items I've seen in brick and mortar boutiques. They are almost always under $30 and, since we are Prime members, shipping and returns are free. I honestly don't remember the last time I walked into a store and bought a pair of shoes.
As you can see, I do most of my clothes shopping online. I installed Ebates on both my phone and laptop a few years ago to see if it was really useful in earning cash back for online purchases. While I don't spend a great amount on my online purchases, I am happy to report that I have racked up a little walking around money on the purchases I have made since installing the app. If you, too, are an online shopper, you may find it's worth checking out. I hope this was helpful, and definitely be sure to check out the wonderful selections for Spring and Summer at Slaydon & Rose and Lace & Lilac!
Best,
Emily
P.S. None of these companies or brands have any idea who I am. All opinions are strictly my own, curated over the years through trial and error.
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