"You saved $1302.43 off department store prices"

When I saw that, I was flabbergasted...

Yesterday, I went to the mall to buy birthday presents for a couple of guys (guys are soooo hard to shop for). After finding what I think are fitting of their individual personalities, I still had some time left before my 3-hour limit for parking expired. Hey, I paid for it, so I may as well use it up. Little did I know that I would end up paying more for parking when my stay was unexpectedly extended.

I decided to head off to Loehmann's because I still needed to find some decent work clothes. I've found a really nice but cheap skirt at FIDM the day before (along with a $2.50 Charlotte Russe dress in my size and in perfect shape), but I still needed pants and dress shirts. I can never seem to find dress shirts that are small enough to fit me and long enough to stay tucked in, and I'm sad to say that I still can't.

For every piece of clothing I really needed, I ended up getting something that I merely wanted. Normally this would be a very bad thing, but I made an exception because if I don't buy them now, I'll never be able to afford them. That's because previously unbeknownst to me, Loehmann's just kicked off their Red Star Clearance event yesterday, with an addition 20% off reduced recent arrivals, and 40% off clearance items! Better yet, I got to use my 15% birthday discount. Everything I bought retailed in low 3-digit figures; but for the additional discounts, even the clearance prices would have exceeded my budgetery limits (usually, I'm only willing to buy if the price is around $10 for tops and $20 for pants, with slight upward and downward adjustments based on quality and fit). Even for clothes I need, I am not willing to pay an arm and a leg for them.

By happenstance, I was there on the day the sale started, which meant I got to pick out the good stuff before things got too picked over. There wasn't anything new and exciting in the contemporary or women's section, but the Back Room (where merchandise is usually either too expensive or unappealing to me) was where the real action was at--all sorts of goodies at jaw-dropping prices.

In the end, I bought 6 clearance pieces ranging between $6 to $14. 3 were "need" items: a pair of Joie pants that had a relaxed but not frumpy fit, a suit skirt that practically matches the suit jacket I got at the crazy BCBG warehouse sale, and a "Miu Miu" slip skirt (didn't have a label inside, but that's what the tag said). The pants are a bit long, but now that I know how to shorten them on my own, I don't need to pay the tailor. My 3 "want" pieces were a perfect-fit Milly cashmere-silk blend tube top, a non-classic but timeless Jak & Rae "sweater," and a beautiful Jak & Rae silk top. I'll talk more about the Jak & Rae items in a later post.

Back to the $1302.43 figure--wonder what made it so high? Well, everything I bought retailed around $200-300. Some of them are just pricey based on the designer status, while one is simply unjustified. The two most expensive things, believe it or not, are the skirt and the slip. The skirt retailed $300, but at least it's an Italian suit skirt. The $350 slip, on the other hand, is just your ordinary linen slip. Who pays $350 for underwear, or even the Loehmann's retail of $99? I paid only for its true worth--$6. Unfortunately, as my friend said, there are people out there who are flushed with cash and not care. So very sad...that money could have gone to a better cause.

I spent a lot of money yesterday, and overall this year I've spent a lot of money on "want" items. I'm officially all shopped out. If it's not the perfect dress shirt, I ain't buying. Seriously.