Bargains Galore

Most stores are having big sales right now to clear out their leftover fall/winter merchandise and make room for spring arrivals (Many of which have already arrived – I can’t remember seeing so many short sleeved t-shirts in stores in the middle of January!).
Below are a few standout items I came across on my recent ‘day of shopping’. Sadly, the only thing I ended up buying was a pair of pantyhose.

Forever 21 – tattoo printed tees, sweaters and hoodies for under $35 (regular price).

H&M – hot pink, faux rabbit jackets for $20. These were very impressive as I thought they were real fur when I first saw them but a quick “petting” made it very evident that only polyesters/acrylics were harmed in the making of these disco throwbacks. They also had racks of tank tops and cotton sundresses for $7 and $10. Not on sale, but of note, pink heart-shaped, lace lingerie bags were a mere $4.95 and angora blend knee socks were selling for $17.95.

RW & Co – very cute ruche neck, cap sleeved t-shirts for $19.50 (that’s the regular price) and a good selection of colours.

Blue Marine & Co – selected items reduced by 20%-50% (mostly Ed Hardy and some Juicy Couture).

Garage – slim fitting, cap sleeved (do I see a trend here?) tees in either v-neck or round neck 2 for $14.

Jacob – I’ve never shopped here before so I was not aware they had a lingerie line. Though not overly impressive, they did have satin lace-up corsets in red or black marked down to $49.99. They also had a set of three wristlets for $28 that came in metallic or phone snake skin.

Aldo Accessories – large jewelled bracelets and cuffs were 2 for the price of 1 with most of them originally priced at $29.99 each.

Lucky Brand Jeans - 60% off the lowest ticketed price. They had some really pretty embroidered cotton tunics.

Zara – I have to admit that I’ve never been impressed by this store. I find they’re overpriced for the quality they offer, but they are having a major sale (almost every rack had a frenzy of people around it). I did spot a black cotton bustier top with gray polka dots marked down to $19.99 and a cute, red short-sleeved, leopard print sheer blouse for $9.99.

Winners – though nothing that caught my eye was on sale, the prices were all great as per usual. The Winners I went to had a very impressive lingerie section. I nearly didn’t make it out of this section to look at other items, there was just so much to check out.
They had such lines as Hot Kiss, XOXO, Marilyn Monroe Intimates, Doll House and (plus sizes) Delta Burke and Miss Behavin’ by love affair. A few bras that caught my eye were the red sequined number by René Rofé for $14.99 and the two by Playboy Intimates – a black number with ruffled straps and a black satin/purple lace one, each priced at $14.99 (regular $30) and of course both discretely sporting the bunny logo in rhinestones. $50 silk scarves and $11 knee socks by Ed Hardy were fun and colourful finds.
Every now and again Evian does limited edition bottles and Winners had the lacy look ones by Christian Lacroix for $12.99 per twelve bottle case.

Super Sales

Jones New York Factory Stores are having in in-store warehouse sale. You can save up to 80% off the original ticketed price on all fall and holiday fashions. They are also offering 20% off new arrivals. The sale ends January 27th.

Cotton Ginny is offering great deals on their fall and winter merchandise. Depending on the original price of the clothing you can get 2 items for $15, 2 items for $25 or 2 items for $35. You can also pick up 3 items for $15 from last years spring/summer lines.

I Love OPI

Last year I cleaned out my nail polish collection (three year old polish is not pretty) and decided that I would stick to buying only OPI polish due to its quality and the amazing range of colours they offer. I'm always on the lookout for when their newest colour range will become available and this week was doubly rewarded (sort of). They have come out with an Alice In Wonderland mini pack containing four colours - multi glitter, blue glitter, coral (they call it red, but it's not) and metallic red. Today I saw an ad in a magazine for their new colour range inspired by Hong Kong. This collection contains a little of everything - blue, green, orange, red, pink, mauve, gold and white. It will be available February 3rd.
the Alice colours are pictured below (one photo shows off the glitter better)

Disco Queen

For those who like to glitter but not leave a trail of glitter behind, sequined tank tops are the way to go. Wear them under a blazer or cardigan in the colder months and on their own in the warmer months. Fairweather has patterned and solid coloured tanks priced at 3 for $20. For those just wanting to add one to their wardrobe, Designer Depot has patterned ones for $10 each. I like that the patterned ones mirror the same image on the back sans sequins.
(other desgins available: butterflies, tiger, peace sign, jaguars)

Sending Flowers or Not

My favourite alternative to sending flowers is Edible Arrangements. They're just as beautiful as flower arrangements but you get to eat them instead of throwing them out after a week or two. This is a great idea to send to people just home from the hospital with a newborn or recovering from surgery as it's a ready made snack they can grab out of the fridge and enjoy. I have recently discovered another alternative to sending flowers - PopFlowerShop. These brightly coloured blooms are made of dirt-resistant lightweight polypropylene plastic made from recyclable #5 plastic. They're the perfect item to send to someone in the hospital as they are cheerful, low maintenance, fragrance free and hypoallergenic.

William Ashley Sale

William Ashley's two retail locations are now having their big annual sale. You can save up to 70% on brand names such as Royal Doulton, Noritake, Wedgwood, Mikasa, Waterford and more. Stock up on half price china and silver place settings. Open stock crystal stemware and most gifts are 40% off. Sale ends January 31st.
Locations: Square One, Mississauga ON & 55 Bloor St. W (Manulife Centre), Toronto ON

JNY Factory Outlet Sale

Jones New York Factory Outlets are having their January clearance event. Get 50-80% off the original ticketed price on all winter items.