I don’t know if a red carpet event qualifies as such if it starts at 8am at a discount department store and there is no booze or paparazzi involved… If, however, it means that a corporation spoils the spit out of you for 24 hours, then yes, I attended a red carpet event. In Glendale, California.
Thank you very much to TJ Maxx for inviting me, putting me up at the Hilton and then, so very kindly, offering to buy my “return” leg to Tucson. You could say that the price of my interstate move was on the dime of a corporation. That’s how I roll. Thanks again, TJ Maxx.
 Two rad DKNY dresses. The one on the left is, like 99% off. Or was it the right one. Anyhow. Style expert and TV personality, the lovely Alison Deyette, explained to us the ins and outs of why off-price retailers, Marshalls and TJ Maxx are so effing rad. In the words of legit wordsmith, Well-Heeled With a Mission:
TJ Maxx buyers travel 40 weeks out of the year to speak to vendors all over the world.
Off-price retailers engage in “opportunistic” buying, i.e. when forecasting mistakes, canceled orders, or overproduction result in more items that a full-priced retailer can buy, an off-price will come in and buy the merchandise at vastly discounted prices.
Most of the merchandise at off-price retailers are in-season, and are released at the same time as full-priced merchandise at department stores. (i.e., you can find a dress at Nordstroms and the same dress at TJ Maxx in the same week.)
Off-price retailers have a fast turnaround time of as short as 2-3 weeks from the time a shipment is ordered to the time that the products are delivered, processed, and shown on the floor.
Department stores have the option of shipping back merchandise they don’t sell, but off-price retailers’ purchases are final.
As you know, I am not huge into “labels” and “names,” but I do, indeed I do, appreciate quality and a good deal when I see it. At this TJ Maxx, I managed to score:
A cozy blouse for $1
A gorgeous liberty print tiered halter dress by Grass (missing the neck tie – a 2 millisecond fix) for $3
Some Amplify styling mousse with moisturizer sample for $4
An amazing zebra print backless one-piece swimsuit for $15
And… a pair of wowza 70s-licious cornflower J Brand jeans made out of the softest denim in the known universe. I literally had to close my eyes as I smoothed them on. Only $39. A splurge for me, but leaving them in the store would be akin to leaving my first born on Michael Jackson’s doorstep (Ok, sorry! Even I cringed at that one. TOO SOON).
I am currently editing photos from the Preen Glam Rock Fashion Show! Here’s a teaser:
 These WILL be joining the ranks of my closet soon enough. That is legit vintage python. BELIEVE.
So I had my birthday on Saturday.
I would like to tell you that it was a badass Chicago blowout where over a hundred people sang me the Happy Birthday song and I danced my face off with some of my closest friends for 12 hours… Well, slap my ass, I did enjoy telling you that because it really happened, but it wasn’t my birthday party. Congratulations to my dear friends Andrea (of Forkable-the food blog equivalent of Painfully Hip) and Ira (of Being Totally Sweet in Chicago – the best Chicago blog in the webosphere) on their funky, sweaty, no holds barred, beauteous wedding!
But you know what else happened? I had honed in on this shifty 60s summer number (a murderous vintage confection of crisp-as-a-freshly-starched-mens-shirt cotton, scalloped eyelet lace, bijou buttons, and thoughtfully placed darts) the day before my birthday whilst shopping at a high end vintage boutique (US#1) in Wicker Park with Rory, but had practically swallowed my own tongue gulping back a tear as I slowly backed away from its glorious perfection and $60 price tag. Instead I resorted to sneaky fitting room cellphone shots and the half-assed plan of a pathetic, blurry blog post about The One That Got Away.
The tag reads, “Designed by Mary Quant for Penny’s.”
MARY fucking QUANT. She’s like the Andy Warhol of 60s fashion. She practically invented the 60s.
Eat your heart out, Alexander McQueen for Target.
Around midnight after a birthday nightcap, I was again considering blowing my internet bill money on something that I had convinced myself would be inexplicably magnetic to all forms of processed tomatoes. As I turned the corner to our gracious hosts’ guest room, there it was… lying there like a freshly printed $100 bill on the sidewalk, The Dress.
Thank you sweet Rory, and Jeebus too!
I even considered wearing it to the wedding next day because technically the bride’s dress wasn’t white, so why couldn’t mine be? I abstained.
 mary quant for pennys When I returned from Chicago and got together with my twin sister Eve for our belated birthday dinner and she unceremoniously handed me these pristine vintage mary jane ankle booties in the most amazing goldy green color of peachfuzz suede, I nearly shed a tear.
The best part is that my boyfriend had actually managed to talk the price of the frock down to about $30 (so proud! sniff!) and the shoes were scored at a thrift store for $2!! Coral beaded earrings were $3 at Target and the metallic wrap bracelet (belt) is from Thunderhorse Vintage and is available here.
So, kids? Just promise me you’ll never stop hoping.
Best birthday ever.
Again, apologies for the photo quality, I should have some form of functional camera sometime next week.
Oh and make sure you check out the Crossroads Trading Company Fashion Photography Contest! Vote for my PHDC Summer at the Ranch photos and I will continue loving you forever.
I have been on a major vintage-scoring roll lately. Here are my absolute favorite things in my closet to sport this week.
High-waisted leather pin-up shorts (Thunderhorse Vintage, $22) – For SERIOUS. These made of the most soft, thin, buttery leathah ever. I cannot believe my luck. The shape is EXACTLY what I’ve been craving- with the slight flair at the bottom, they breathe well enough that I just might be able to wear them into the depths of summer, and believe me, I will be wearing them every chance I get.
Oversize fish necklace (Thunderhorse Vintage)- I always feel like I’m wearing some kinda whimsical breastplate when I’m wearing this. Makes me think it could stop bullets.
Filigree bird earrings – I just have a filigree fetish. I’ve had the black ones for a while and are consistently my favorite pair, so when I saw these colorful rooster ones for $5.99 on eBay, I just had to own them too (BTW, if you like vintage bird earrings, Penelopepups Vintage has an AWESOME pair here.
Native American necklace – I scored this at a flea market for $10, the dood said he made it with his own two hands. So I guess this doesn’t qualify as vintage, but… SCORE.
Buckle boots – $8 at the flea market. By far the most comfortable and versatile boots I own.
 
70s deadstock terrycloth dress (Thunderhorse Vintage) – Eek! Sherbet-colored chevron stripes?? Sign me up! This still has tags on it from the 70s, but it just felt wrong to remove them when they’ve been on this long – call me crazy, but I just tuck them in and wear it anyway.
 
Orange woven wedges (Atelier, $1) – Comfy cozy and sexy as hell.
Of course, this is just the tip of the ‘berg. I have some amazing things in great condition that weren’t my size that I just couldn’t abandon to the unnamed masses. They’ll be up in the Etsy store later this week!
Also, welcome Chicagoans! I was featured on the front page of ChicagoTribune.com via Being Totally Sweet in Chicago today! Thanks, Ira, and CONGRATS!
Everybody loves contest time!
Do you ever wear jeans? Or maybe go out on the town? Do you ever do those two things simultaneously?
Then you TOTALLY QUALIFY to enter to win.
Win what, you ask? Oh nothing… just the chance to be featured in Lucky effing Magazine AND maybe even style a photoshoot for Lucky Brand Jeans!
I know, RIGHT?
If that prize isn’t good enough for you, Ms. Fancypants, then the deal’s about to get sweeter. Take your insulin shots now, because if you enter the contest at Lucky Style Spotter and then paste the URL of your entry into the comments of this post, voila, you are also entered to win this lavish cornucopia of goodies worth $250!
Click to zoom.
Holy hell, are those TIC TACS??
TAKE NOTE: This part of the contest is only for the legion of the Painfully Hip (US residents only), and after we vote on Tuesday November 4th, we’re going to feel empowered enough to choose the 3 best outfits! Each one will win $250 worth of awesome, so your chances to win are seriously colossal.
To Enter:
1. Sign up for Lucky Style Spotter.
2. While there, upload a photo of your sweet self wearing a pair of jeans styled for a night out.
3. Paste the URL of your entry into the comments of this post.
Easy Peasy.
Remember, you must paste the URL of your Lucky Style Spotter “My Denim Transformation” contest entry into the comments of this post to be entered to win the gift bag from Painfully Hip!
So hurry up and show us yer denim. Make us proud. Blow those previous entrants out of the proverbial water. They wouldn’t know hip if they broke one. Oh wait, I’m totally one of those entrants (you expect me to pass this up??). I take it back.
Good Lucky to you.
Winners will be announced on Election Day Tuesday, November 4th 2008!
EDIT: Ok, its been 24 hours and only two entries?? We have THREE PRIZES to give away. C’mon guys, I know you have a photo of yourself wearing some futhermucking jeans! Git ‘er dun.
my husband recently bought one damn sexy motorcycle, a beautiful collector from 1971. he was elated of course, but my first thought? finally an excuse to invest in THE PERFECT leather jacket!
sounded like fun, but it wasn’t easy. i had major monetary restrictions to deal with, and after losing an eBay auction for this lovely Allen Schwartz at only $25:
and then missing out on this Bebe one at $49:
[actually, i'm gonna have to pause a moment here for a public service announcement regarding why i lost that first one. did you know that if you place a bid that is under the reserve price and then the seller lowers the reserve price to under your top bid, that eBay will automatically lower your top bid to under the reserve and you will have to reconfirm your bid before the end of the auction?? does that make sense? no? well i had no idea that was the case and it sucks, and i got screwed. ok, i'm done now.]
… the planets then aligned and the eBay clouds cleared and i finally scored this one by I.N.C. for only $22 including shipping!!!
it’s not exactly the skinny bomber style i was hoping for, but it’s totally adorable and much more timeless. and at that price? i can buy 3 more if i wanna.
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All images were either created by the Painfully Hip Design Collective, used with permission, or found on the web and believed to be in the public domain. If any images that appear are in violation of copyright law, please let me know and i will remove them immediately.
Thanks for reading,
Amber
painfullyhip at gmail.com
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