Best Buy of 2011 - or - How High Heels Saved My Feet

I tend to do a lot of walking on the weekends. Any given Saturday is guaranteed 2-4 hours of swap meet shopping and, on top of that, you never know when Hubs and I are going to take a walking tour of Koreatown, pop into a mall to browse before a $2 movie, or walk a mile or two to avoid random parking fees. With all this foot traffic in my life, I always figured that the pain, fatigue, and cramping in my arches and ankles was a given - after all, I always wore sensible, flat-to-low-heeled boots and sneakers. It doesn't get more comfortable than that, right?
Wrong!

One day in mid-2011, I browsed some online boot sales (as I am wont to do) and fell in love with the design of Dr. Martens' Marcie boot. The feminine twist on the classic combat boot made my heart patter, and reviews claimed that the boots ran narrow - great news for a gal who always found Docs much too wide! But the heel... 3.5 inches? My feet already hurt in flats.

I told myself I shouldn't get them. Be practical.

But I want them!

Take care of your feet.

But I love them!

Think of the pain.

Love hurts!

You already know I bought them. I wore them to the swap meet and on walks on the beach trails. And you know what? My arches ceased to cramp and spasm. My shins did not ache. My super tall, platform wedges were the most comfortable shoes I'd ever owned.

I bought another pair. Then I bought more boots in similar heel heights. I tromped all around town in all of these heels, making all my sensibly-shod friends gasp and wince and omigoshhowcanyouwearthosethings. I felt wonderful. I don't think I'll ever buy a heel under 3" high again.

I'm not posting this story to say, "Haha, heels don't hurt my feet! Naner naner!" I think there could be some science behind this. Maybe other people who are hurt by flat shoes can replicate this success.

It's more than just arch support, though that helps. I put on an old pair of flat boots the other day and marveled at how much work my feet had to do with each stride. My feet are pretty big for my stature - 8.5-9 on a 5'4" frame - and I felt like I was walking around in big, floppy clown shoes - or snow shoes - or flippers. Compared to walking in my heels, my arches had to invert way more to propel me forward, and my ankles had to contract way more to bring my foot around for the next step. Instead of normal, elegant footsteps, I had to lift each foot up in the air and clomp like a Clydesdale in order to keep from scraping my long toes along the pavement. Walking in flats, for me - with my long, feet, long toes, and short legs - was work. I actually tripped twice.

My heels, it seems, solve all those problems. Setting the foot at an incline decreases the amount of shoe that actually makes contact with the ground and reduces the needed amount of ankle action. Granted, I can't see the future; they may come a day when I'm punished for my altered posture with horrible back or hip problems. For now, though, I'm enjoying my new, blissfully pain-free gait.

If you're someone with large or otherwise cumbersome feet, and you sometimes have trouble with pain or... er... y'know, with walking correctly, then a higher heel might be worth a try.

One Dollar Revelation: 99 Cents Only Hosiery

Want to know a secret? Yesterday, I wore Queen size hose from the dollar store -- not my recommended size according to the sizing chart, but they fit just fine anyway. Yes, the waistband came up all the way to my armpits, but some people pay darn good money for high-rise tights these days. Seeing as how most stores want $7-$10 for an item that usually runs on me in a handful of wears, I'll take the plus-size option for a buck any day!

What's Your Damage, Heather?: Shopping Irregular & Imperfect Items

I like buying damaged goods. Half my Ebay searches specifically look for items that need a little TLC. So where does one draw the line between a torn-up piece of junk and a really good deal?

1. Is the damage visible? The lining of my Tahari jacket sports some pretty impressive discoloring from deodorant - but since no one sees it, it's like the damage doesn't exist.
2. Is the damage repairable? My now-blue bowler bag was purchased as a filthy and stained lavender color, but a fresh coat of dye brought it back from the dead to look good as new.
3. Is the damage lovable? My recently-purchased pair of Hudson Signature jeans sports three rips - two of which sit on the inner thighs. But I love grunge, deconstruction, and post-apocalyptic fashion; I love these rips, too.
4. Is the damage represented in the price? Ah, yes: the bottom line. We can't forget about that! Even if the damage seems cool or insignificant to you, you should still get a significant discount for the item. When Goodwill asked for just $5 for my cognac boots, I still talked them down to $4, because I felt that was a more appropriate price for boots with cracked leather soles.

It seems I like my clothes like I like my friends: smart, thrifty, and just a little bit off. :)

Swap meet? What is this "swap meet" you speak of?

Swap meets, as you may have noticed, are the backbone of my entire shopping strategy. I seem to get everything there, from business shirts to leather jackets to boots. But where the heck are these swap meets? And how can you take advantage of these veritable shopping wonderlands, too?

Identifying Your Options
First and foremost, I highly recommend keysfleamarket.com, a comprehensive swap meet database searchable by state and organized by city. This site is wonderful in providing the dates and times when the swap meets are active, and it also provides a brief description of each site's atmosphere and wares. Besides the internet, you can often also find swap-meet like environments at churches and schools. They may call them "rummage sales" or any number of names, but the idea is that a wide variety of sellers congregate in one place for your shopping convenience (this sets them apart from garage sales, which can be equally inexpensive but a waste of time and gas based on their limited selection). These sales are often advertised in school/church/city newsletters, but sometimes you only know about them when you drive past a sign or banner advertisement. The fiance and I have even used this site to find swap meets to visit while on vacation -- cheap souvenirs, ahoy!

Choosing Your Poison
If there's one thing you should take away from this post, it's that not all swap meets are created equal. Definitely take your shopping goals and limitations into account and study the swap meet descriptions for a good fit. For example, if you're looking for cheap clothing, then you should stay far, far away from swap meets which advertise "antiques" or "collectibles" or frequent visits by "celebrities" (Rose Bowl Flea Market, I'm looking at you and your overpriced "vintage" wares). Instead, scan the descriptions for "lots of used" or "2nd hand" merchandise.

Stay tuned for an in-depth look at how to swap for the best deals!

work outfits: works of art (continued)

Here I am wrapping up my submissions for the YLF Picture Perfect Challenge, which encouraged everyone to base a work-week's worth of outfits on famous paintings.

Wednesday's inspiration was another Picasso: Nude, Green Leaves and Bust. I had a tough time with this one, worried that the bold lines and bright colors called for a type of color blocking that would make me feel uncomfortable. I initially thought of wearing my cobalt blue dress layered over a bright, white top, but that felt too loud. Instead, I settled on a classic base of black and white, and let my accessories carry the color in the outfit. This olive green sweater and air force blue handbag felt much more in keeping with my personality.

Item	Original Price	My Price	Vendor Type	Location
Halogen Button Front	$58	$1	swap meet	Huntington Beach
Bloomingdale's Wool Skirt	$100	$1	swap meet	San Fernando
Benetton Wool Wrap Sweater	$90	$2	swap meet	Huntington Beach
L'Incontro Bowler Bag	$485	$10	Goodwill	Santa Monica
Dolce Vita Jayce Boots	$103	$10 (funded)	Amazon	internet

Thursday's inspiration was Dora Maar with Cat. I am rather proud of this interpretation, as I even had a black cat near my shoulder, just like Dora! I felt drawn to the red/purple combo in the painting, and ran with that theme for the rest of the outfit.

Item	Original Price	My Price	Vendor Type	Location
DKNY Cashmere Shell Sweater	$160	$1	swap meet	San Fernando
Ann Taylor Pencil Skirt	$108	$1	swap meet	Huntington Beach
Ann Taylor Red Fabric Belt	?	$0 (came w/ dress)	thrift store	Ontario
Cettu Handbag	$250	$10	swap meet	Huntington Beach
Vintage Brown Sweater	?	$1	swap meet	San Fernando
Cat Pin	?	$1	swap meet	San Fernando

Friday's work was Van Gogh's Irises. I almost gave up on this one, as I had used up all my purple clothing, and the wrap sweater I wanted to wear was in the laundry pile. I still love how this one turned out - I think the yellow-green skirt recalls the wavy lines of the iris leaves. I topped off the ensemble with some Prada Infusion d'Iris, which I received as a birthday gift last year - one of my favorite scents now!

Item	Original Price	My Price	Vendor Type	Location
Ann Taylor Sleveless Shirt	$58	$1	swap meet	Huntington Beach
Apriori Skirt	$213	$1	swap meet	Huntington Beach
Express Cashmere Sweater	$60	$1	swap meet	San Fernando
Cognac Leather Boots	~$80	$4	Goodwill Outlet	Santa Ana
L'Incontro Bowler Bag	$485	$10	Goodwill	Santa Monica
Hawaiian Heritage Love Pendant	$250	$0	gift	gift

...and that's a work week! Huge thanks to YLF forum member -- and fellow blogger! -- Bella for organizing a fun and challenging week!

work outfits: works of art

These outfits are inspired by a fun thread started on YLF: the Picture Perfect Challenge urges women to find their outfit inspiration in famous paintings - too fun to pass up!

Monday's inspiration piece was Picasso's Boy with a Pipe. I don't own any non-abstract florals, so I took my inspiration from the colors used -- cognac and blue, with a pop of green. I don't have anything that exact shade of blue, either, so I tried to soften it a bit with a charcoal sweater vest. You may remember my cognac boots from my Goodwill Outlets post.

Item	Original Price	My Price	Vendor Type	Location
Off-Brand Navy Blouse	?	$1	swap meet	Huntington Beach
Vintage Rifle Strap	$24	$10 (on sale)	gun store	Seattle
Handmade Feather Skirt	?	$1	swap meet	Huntington Beach
Cognac Boots	~ $80	$4	Goodwill Outlet	Santa Ana
Ted Benson Handbag	$300	$6 (funded, Ebay price $60 shipped)	Ebay	internet
J Crew Sleeveless Sweater	$42	$1	swap meet	San Fernando

Tuesday's piece was Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer. Once again, I did not have the exact colors handy, but I approximated the feel of the work with this beige blazer, hopefully bringing out the yellow in it by adding my bright yellow hobo.

Item	Original Price	My Price	Vendor Type	Location
Benetton Blazer	$120	$12	Goodwill	New York
Converse Plaid Flannel Dress	$32	$1	swap meet	Torrance
Liz Claiborne Belt	$26	$1	swap meet	Torrance
Green Tights	$12	$1	swap meet	Torrance
Gianni Bini Boots	$80	$10 (funded Ebay price $55 shipped)	Ebay	internet
Cristina Hobo	$450	$0 (gift)	TJ Maxx	Culver City

The challenge is still going -- to be continued!

How to Shop: Goodwill Outlets

Be thee fairly warned: thrifting has never been for the faint of heart, but a Goodwill Outlet could still give you a coronary if you aren't prepared. For serious.

Few and far between, these establishments are basically where unsold merchandise gets one final go at being re-homed. There are no racks. There are no hangers. There are no "departments." There are no price tags or bathrooms or dressing rooms or mirrors. What they do have is giant bin after giant bin of unsorted, unwashed, pre-owned miscellany priced to sell by the pound. It's not a place where everyone would choose to shop -- and that's precisely the point. The crux of the matter is that Goodwill Outlets allow adventurous and industrious bargain hunters to trade in petty amenities for the one thing that matters most (at least on this blog): a better bottom line.

How it works:
1) Visually assess intimidating mound of clothes/shoes/whoknowswhat.
2) Snatch up anything that looks cute, and throw it in your shopping cart.
3) Grab an armload of stuff and shift it to the side, so that you uncover more stuff.
4) Repeat steps 1-3 until your arm/patience/nose gives out.
5) Assess stuff in cart for wearability/quality/fit/weight.
6) Haggle and pay.

A few tips for mitigating the peril:

1) Dress to dig.
The Goodwill Outlet browsing process is something akin to an archeological dig, and you should dress accordingly. Hands-free bags, ponytail holders, short or roll-up-able sleeves, and easy-moving fabrics are a plus.

2) Know your clothes.
This process goes a lot faster if you are the type of person can spot her go-to brand of shoes from across the room or recognize cashmere by touch. Get familiar with the look and feel of the things you love, and finding more things you love will get to be second nature. I only spent about ten minutes at the outlet this time around, and I left with one of my favorite brands of jeans for $2.50 and perfectly fitting leather boots for $4.

3) Figure out some fit cheats.
There are no dressing rooms or mirrors in the outlet, so you have to find other ways to tell if a garment will fit you the way you want it to. For example, I know that I like my jeans rise to go no higher than my hip bones, so I throw shame to the wind and line up the crotch seams of prospective jeans to the jeans I'm currently in to see how high the rise goes. I also know that I like my tops to define the area under my bust, so I usually lay tops over my chest and make sure the side seams wrap around my torso no farther than my armpits.

4) Don't be shy!
There is a chance that your outlet location will be filled with lots of other bargain hunters so eager to find their own deals that they will physically jostle you out of the way. Don't let yourself be run over! Put your head down and jostle them right back. And if the cashier quotes a price that seems too high for you, make a counter-offer. These leather boots were originally quoted at $5 but, because the soles are cracking a bit (an easy enough fix for me, but a significant shoe flaw nonetheless), the cashier let me have them for $4 -- Don't laugh! That dollar I saved could turn into an awesome swap meet purchase later!

5) Have fun!
You might not end up coming home with anything, so don't put pressure on yourself to find a diamond in the rough every time. Enjoy the thrill of the hunt, and quit when the thrill is gone. There are always more stores to browse, and new items are always arriving. :)

When Saving Doesn't Pay

I have a confession to make.

I bought these Lucky Brand Maggie Jeans at full price. From the actual Lucky Brand retail store. Not an outlet. Not Ebay. Not the hallowed swap meet.

How could I do such a thing?

Well, I was much younger back then -- naive, living off scholarship money, suspicious of this whole "online shopping" thing, and desperate to shuck off the shackles of my thrift-store-exclusive past and buy The Perfect Jeans for the first time ever. I saved for months. I researched for weeks. I dragged my little sister from store to store for hours, agonizing over every little detail. I quizzed the poor shopkeeps for information like they were Jeopardy contestants. And I walked away with these jeans.

Yep, I mean that I bought these exact jeans seven years ago -- and they're still going strong. And looking at these photos, I think they're actually the most flattering part of the outfit (not sure why I layered those two particular top pieces... oh well).

After I'd worn my perfect jeans for a couple of months -- oohing at my own backside in the mirror every time I put them on, strutting around because I felt utterly fabulous in them, doing mental fist pumps when I received compliments on them -- I knew I wanted to feel that awesome all the time. I actually found 2 more pairs at thrift stores. The two purchased at thrift stores, however, simply weren't the same. The fabric content was different, the pocket embroidery was different, the washes were different, and I do believe the denim had molded to the exact specifications of someone else's ass.

I don't think in terms of "cost per wear," even though it is a popular philosophy in the fashion world. There are just so many things that can go wrong and blast your initial I'll-wear-it-forever plans out of the water. Me, I spill things. I get shredded by cat claws. I get bored and donate clothes before a single season has fully elapsed. But if I could go back in time, I wouldn't buy the secondhand jeans again -- even though they cost about one-tenth the price of retail, they weren't perfect enough to stick by my side or give me that elusive clothing high.

If you're out looking for The Perfect Item, and if that type of item varies from wash to wash or batch to batch, the least-expensive option might not be the best. You may be better off buying at full price, in a fully hands-on, try-it-on, test-it-out-before-purchasing environment... and funding the splurge.

Item	Original Price	My Price	Vendor Type	Location
Carters Children's Jacket	$17	$3	Goodwill	Santa Monica
Gap Pullover Sweater	$49.50	$1	swap meet	San Fernando
Lucky Maggie Jeans	$99	$99	Lucky Brand	Santa Monica
Army Surplus Boots	$30	$30	internet	internet
Chococat Necklace	$32	$0	gift	gift

work outfit: embracing the bow blouse

Right after I heard that bow blouses would be big this Spring and Summer. At first, I didn't think the look was for me, but I found this olive-hued piece for a buck, and figured I could try out the trend without breaking the bank. I liked it so much that I recreated its inaugural outfit to share with you today... also, I hadn't picked out my clothes the night before, so it was easier to go with the old tried-and-true. ;) Also featured are my favorite blazer, my favorite pants, and my shiniest shoes.

In other news, a friend of mine thought it would be fun if I contrasted the retail prices of my clothes with the prices I actually paid. The Asian side of me tsk tsks and warns against being a braggart, but the blogger side of me thinks people might find it helpful to see how much of a "discount" one can get by shopping outside of the normal retail realm. The latter impulse wins out for now, so here's a fun chart depicting price details (but please do let me know if you think it's too much):

Item	Original Price	My Price	Vendor Type	Location
Ben Sherman Cotton Blazer	$200	$1	swap meet	Huntington Beach
Merona Polyester Blouse	$22	$1	swap meet	Huntington Beach
Ann Taylor Slacks	$88	$1	swap meet	San Fernando
Carlos Santana Pumps	$88.99	$25	Ross	Los Angeles
London Fog handbag	$150	$0 (X-mas money)	Marshall's	Costa Mesa
Outfit Total:	$549	$28

Because of the secondhand nature of my clothes, some items are no longer available in stores. In these instances, I've done my best to find the closest approximations (considering brand, material, size, et cetera) for the purposes of price comparison.

Funding the Splurge

Remember this bag? Its original retail cost was $108, but I only paid about $10 total. No, it wasn't used -- and no, it didn't "fall off a truck" somewhere downtown.

I initially spotted the bag at my local Marshall's discount store. I loved the bright yellow color, the laser-cut daisies, the functional pockets and key clip inside, and the way it looked with my outfit at the time (cut off jeans shorts, black tights and combat boots, and a tan cardigan). I was smitten, and full ready to buy myself an inexpensive pleather treat. Then I checked out the price tag: 75 clams! For PU! When I'd probably catch one of those poor, delicate flowers on something and destroy the bag within a month! I regretfully put the bag down and left empty-handed.

Cut to a week later, and I was rabid to find this bag again. I could suddenly picture a million different outfits that desperately needed a shock of yellow, and I sure as heck could not find anything I liked as much in real leather. So I trekked back to Marshalls - the bag was gone. I trekked to yet another Marshalls -- and another -- and three more TJ Maxx locations -- only to yield the same results (cue pathetic fallacy).

I eventually found the bag on the Jessica Simpson site but, as you see above, retail was over $100, and that didn't include shipping. I still wanted the bag, but I just couldn't justify the extra cost. I had to get creative.

Now honestly, I've lusted after stuff I couldn't afford long before this, so I already had a plan in place:

1) Find a better offer: $108 was the original retail price, yes, but there's always a discount to be had. In this case, the discount wasn't much - I ultimately paid $82.59 on Amazon, but 25 bucks is 25 bucks. Ebay is also a treasure trove of deals waiting to be had.

2) Chip away the cost with coupons: Although it didn't apply in regards to my yellow bag, I can often find coupons that waive shipping or reduce the cost of my desired items even further. A quick Google search is all it takes to save a cool $10 on shipping!

3) Liquidate assets: I've worked at hedge funds and brokerage firms (at a very low level, but still!), so I know that, when wealthier people want to make large purchases, they have other options besides busting out a credit card and generating debt -- and one of those options is to liquidate assets. I didn't have extra money set aside for frivolous purchases, nor did I have any income-generating investments. I did, however, have a pile of ill-fitting clothes ripe for Ebay selling.

Ever since I was a starving, unemployed college student, I've bought most all my clothes at the swap meet for $1. At the time, I averaged an Ebay sale price of about $10 (it's less now). This left me something like $8 in profit per item sold after fees. Thus, I was able to raise the 80-odd bucks I needed for the bag by selling $10 worth of clothes.

If you don't have a surplus of used clothes lazing about, chances are you have other stuff you aren't using - that 4"-screen netbook you haven't looked at since the iPad came out, the old Razr flip phone you were saving for "emergencies," random garage kitsch. You might not value this stuff anymore, but that doesn't mean it lacks monetary value. You can sell things on Ebay/Craigslist/Etsy/Bonanza or, if you dislike selling through the internet, you can hold garage sales or resell items to friends and acquaintances.

Other such success stories:

B. Makowsky Rebel crossbody bag (mine is black) - original retail $154 - net damage $12
Cole Haan Hooded Travel Jacket- original retail apparently around $300 (similar) - net damage $10


Michael Kors Lead Me On boots - original retail $169 - net damage $-10 (sold thrashed, gifted Frye boots for $10 more than these cost on sale).


As you can see, I don't like to deny myself much of anything. If I love something, I'll find a way to make it mine, even if it means giving up something else -- and dude, if I'm not willing to give up something else for a new purchase, then I probably don't want it that much, right? On that note, I hope I've helped give you another excuse to shop... and one idea about how to shop without breaking the bank.

Sincerely,
Your Friendly Neighborhood Enabler :)

The birds and the bees and the flowers and the... shoes!

It was another scorcher in LA today, but it was still fairly cool in the office. I wore long sleeves to protect me from our polar A/C, but I kept the legs bare for the inevitable outdoor food-finding excursion. It was too hot for jewelry, but I think my shiny skirt and blindingly-yellow bag made enough of a statement on their own... at least for a corporate office.

- Club Monaco zippered button-front blouse, $5, Goodwill (Pasadena? Somewhere to the north with an open-air shopping area)
- Handmade feather-patter skirt, $1, swap meet, Huntington Beach
- Jessica Simpson Floral Garden satchel*, $60, stalked on the interwebs
- Mossimo gray slingbacks, $2.50, Goodwill, Santa Ana


*You may notice that the yellow satchel was not really that great of a steal, but I can tell you that my net investment in this bag was only about $7 -- further explanation coming soon!