Elements of Style

A co-worker told me today that when she was growing up she wanted to become a teacher because of the style! She reminisced about seeing her teachers in monochromatic pencil skirts, fitted blazers, and chic heels. We laughed about the mess that we had gotten ourselves into in the name of fashion, but agreed that it was fun to have a job that requires us to wear pretty things everyday!  Here is a list of my current favorites:

Naomi and I are in it for the fashion!

1. Wrap Dress: This Banana Republic dress is my go-to uniform;  I have quite a few in different colors and prints.  Wrap dresses are great because they can be dressed up or down, and they are a good blank slate for accessories.  Plus, this particular dress is washable and rarely needs ironing.  The Gap sometimes comes out with wrap dresses in cute prints, but beware of Old Navy wrap dresses because they tend to be too short for work.  I always wait for 40% of sales, which seem to be happening on a weekly basis at Banana Republic online.  Plus,  the Banana Republic Factory Store on 125th Street offers a teacher's discount with valid ID.

2. Statement Necklace: Any one who knows me knows that I love a good necklace.  When I was younger I had my ears pierced and developed keloids that had to be removed by a plastic surgeon.  I never had my ears pierced again, and since my lobes are always bare, I choose to wear my jewels around my neck. My favorite pieces are from J. Crew, and of course, I never pay full price for anything!

This Midsummer Statement Necklace is definitely on my wish list!

4. Suede Booties: Recently, I had been eyeing a pair of these boots at J.Crew, but they were too expensive to pay for so late into the season.  Plus, I was concerned about spending a lot of money on light colored boots when there has been so much snow, ice, and slush on the ground.  On a whim, I decided to visit the Nine West Outlet on 125th Street while Chloe was getting her hair braided and found these for around 30.00.  They were having a buy one get a second pair 50% off sale, and I wish that I had gotten another pair.  These boots are as comfortable as flats, and a welcome relief from wearing ugly rain boots everyday.

3. Downing Tote: I have two of these bags and they are stylish and utilitarian- cute yet sturdy. Mine carries a laptop, a Kindle, several books, papers, a water bottle, keys, wallet, and various lipsticks- and the straps have not come close to breaking yet.  This would be a great item to have monogrammed.

Banana Republic Comes to Harlem (Sort of)

I have to admit that I have been cheating on J.Crew with Banana Republic.  I love wearing dresses and Banana Republic has a greater variety of sizes, silhouettes and fabrics than J.Crew.  Banana Republic dresses are good waist minimizers, and they are less structured so they work better for women with boobs.

A few of my favorite Banana Republic dresses

However, when I heard that Banana Republic was building a Factory Store on 125th Street I was more disappointed than excited.

261 W. 125th Street

Factory Stores are known to stock surplus product from previous seasons or lower quality pieces created specifically for the Factory Store. I am happy that places where I shop want to invest in Harlem, but why are they only willing to build second tier shops Uptown?  The Gap Factory Store directly across the street from the new Banana Republic Factory Store is always crowded, but it definitely does not offer an appealing shopping experience. Anyone who knows me knows that I do not like to dig for fashion!

Clearly the 50% sign got me in the door!

This Saturday, after brunch with James and Kyle, we decided to walk across 125th Street in order to burn off the biscuits, french toast and friend chicken that we enjoyed.  We were surprised to see that the Banana Republic Factory Store was open already and decided to take a look.  Except for the exposed ceiling rafters, the interior of the store seems very much like a Banana Republic.  Clothing was hung up neatly, or stacked in orderly piles.  Within the first 30 seconds of entering I saw an animal print wrap dress that James confirmed was definitely my style.

Chloe and Kyle (tired of shopping and trying to inch their way out of the store)

Make no mistake about it, upon touching the Factory dress I could tell that it was not the same quality as the (many) other wrap dresses that I own from Banana Republic.  Although the tag did not indicate that it was a "Factory" dress, there were three small diamonds on the label that I am assuming indicated it. The way that the clothing is labeled is a subtle way of convincing customers into that they are getting the same product that they would get at a Banana Republic on the Upper West Side.

The dress was cute and the price tag indicated that it was 70% off!  Of course that eliminated any doubt about the fact that I would  buy it.  However, this is another example of the psychological manipulation behind shopping.  Everybody likes feeling like they are getting a deal, but since no such dress exists in the regular Banana Republic store it is impossible that it is really 70% off any concrete price.  In the end, even at 70% off I was paying more than it cost to manufacture the item so that the company can make a profit.

Nevertheless, shopping is an emotional experience and when I was in that store I forgot that I was mad that it was a Factory store, and I forgot that I wasn't really wasn't really getting a deal.  I was too busy thinking about where I was going to wear my new dress, and simply glad not to have to travel to another neighborhood in order to buy something a step above Old Navy.  Plus, they gave me a 10% Teacher's Discount which is always nice!

This dress was also shorter than regular Banana Republic wrap dresses

I saved so much money on this dress that I could afford to take my daughter out to dinner!

I also got this scarf for about $10