Such Great Heights

Boots this season are higher than ever, and we’re not talking about the heels. With over-the-knee styles taking center stage as a prominent trend in boots, we are more excited than ever to dust off our own pairs, evaluate and perform a serious purge-and-purchase. As we work on our own closet update, we thought we’d share the deals we found online in all styles of boots. Our picks ranged from what we think are classic closet necessities, fun/trendy additions and more fashion forward designs.

One thing to remember about purchasing boots: a good pair will last (if cared for), but they typically run a bit higher in price. We picked styles on the lower end of the scale ($100-$250), but some really great boots range from $350-$750. Nevertheless, there are some decent sales on boots right now, so you can find a beautiful and affordable pair of boots that will last. Now, time to shop!

Piperlime is offering 30% off select shoe styles, including a decent boot selection, through Oct. 25th. Check out the complete selection here.  Take a look at some of our favs:

These Kenneth Cole Reaction boots are a minimal investment and will be your go-to for the winter. The design is unremarkable, but they are a classic black pointy toe healed boot that will go with practically everything in your closet.

We think these Boutique 9 scrunchy western boots will make a great weekend boot with jeans and a big sweater. We like both colors.

And these Pour La Victoire ankle boots (we like them in the tan!) with the front pleated ruffle are adorable. Now that booties have moved from trend to staple, the front pleated ruffle gives them a nowness that makes them irresistable. They are on the pricier side but we had to include them, because we love them so much. Warning: only size 8 left!

Lord and Taylor is having their Friends & Family sale – 25% off *almost everything (promo code friends), plus they have already begun marking down their boots. These Nine West booties at $99 (plus 25% off!) are a steal. We think they’ll command with black tights and a short red dress.

We think this entire line of J Alderage boots from Urban Outfitters is truly wacky. Only the bold of taste and skilled of styling proceed!

Aside from this line, Urban Outfitters has a decent boot collection right now. Like these Dolce Vita over-the-knee boots that are a bit more classic in style and easier to incorporate into your wardrobe.

While we can’t claim Anthropologie as a cheap store from which to purchase boots, we highly encourage you to check out their selection of more rustic artisan boots. We recommend keeping an eye out for good sales and perhaps waiting until later in the season to see if their prices go down. It’ll be worth the wait!

We don’t generally recommend going as cheap as Target for a pair of boots. However, we found some cute styles that could be good fillers for the season. You will have gotten all the wear out them that they are capable of by Spring, but considering the price, you will have gotten more than your money’s worth.

Xhilaration® Kamaria Ankle Boots – Black $29.99

Xhilaration® Kathy Lace-Up Ankle Boots – $29.99

Mossimo Supply Co. Katherine Leather Engineer Boots – $49.99

We couldn’t decide if these caged booties from Bebe are tacky or totally badass. We’re thinking block tights in a slightly shear coloring would be sexy…

These boots from Yoox would look awesome with a short dress, like this one from Urban Outfitters:

Finally, we loved these NAVY BLUE  boots from Topshop. We like the navy blue color because it is softer and more moody, which is a nice pairing with the sexy over-the-knee style. These are one of our favorites.

We also liked these cowboy boots from Topshop!

….And we just couldn’t help ourselves with this quilted velvet jacket from Anthropologie. It’s not cheap, but the structure of the body and sharp shoulders are fierce!

We hope you enjoy the deals this week! Questions, comments, email us at: chicboston@gmail.com

Fall into the Deals

There’s a crispness, both in the air and under my feet, with the inevitable cooling and leaves falling, and I don’t know about you, but this change brings me a renewed sense of purpose as the lazy days of summer give way to the chilly more productive seasons.

The renewed sense of purpose I’m feeling includes an annual overhauling of my wardrobe: tossing the obviously over-worn or outgrown (what I like to call “wishful thinking”) garments and making a list of new items I “need” to purchase. I’ll detail my strategy for wardrobe overhaul in my next post but, for now, since this is my first post since we kicked off the summer, I am offering you a few good deals and new spots I’m excited about to sit back and enjoy!

Deals on Local Services
Register for the websites below and enjoy deals on local services such as half-off paintball or $30 worth of services for $15 at a local spa. Here’s how it works: Sign up and every weekday they will send you an email with that day’s offering. Interested? Click the appropriate link! If enough people express interest to meet the minimum requirement then you got it! If not, then nothing happens and you wait for the next deal. This can be an especially useful service as we get closer to the holidays, so sign up!

http://www.groupon.com/boston/

http://deals.livingsocial.com/

Newbies
Among the stores on Newbury Street that I frequent for inexpensive party dresses is Lit on Newbury (see post Newbury Street on the Cheap). While the dress quality can sometimes be lacking (I purchased 2 dresses that needed to be returned due to poor construction), their selection is otherwise worth exploring. Lit also offers inexpensive costume jewelry, jeans, shoes and other apparel.

Rejoice! They have opened another location in the North End…check it out!

Another newbie is day spa Ambiance that I passed by on my home from work this evening. Located on Main Street in Charlestown, this sleek and welcoming spa is brand spankin’ new. Haven’t got much information on it yet (they don’t even have business cards), but keep your eyes out for press in the coming weeks. Perhaps even a launch party?

Injeanius
Boutique duo Injeanius and Twilight, both owned by the very talented Alison Barnard, are having a Monster Madness 75% off sale the weekend of October 17th & 18th. Jeans start at $50, tops at $15, and you can bet that there will be killer deals on Twilight’s impeccable selection of cocktail dresses.

These are just some of the highlights. I’ll have more plus the as-promised wardrobe update guide to come!

~Devin

Stroll into Summer

The convenient thing about fashion for those of us on a budget is that it is always at least one step ahead of us. This means that if you are shopping for a seasonal item within that given season, you are actually in luck. Since seasons as per what you feel outside and “seasons” as they are deemed in the fashion industry are somewhat different beasts, you can actually catch a deal if you are shopping for an item at a time when it is actually appropriate to wear it. Thus, we took to the streets this weekend to find deals on some sweet summer sandals and found endless options for our readers.

Our search began in Downtown Crossing, where there were the greatest number of stores with excellent shoe deals in one area. This meant that if we had any buyer’s remorse (in our world, this means something we DIDN’T purchase) we would not have far to go to reclaim the orphaned pair of shoes.

Stop number one was a store called Expressions (486 Washington St), a kind of street wear store that carries mostly styled sneakers, t-shirts, etc. We were looking for a pair of sandals that might stand out from the chic, bohemian, dressy or athletic styles we see most often. While we did not find sandals that caught our eye, we did spot these flats from DC that we thought were very ‘Miami’ and cost a mere $29.99.

A few doors down we noticed Aldo was having a sale: Buy 1 pair get the second free (on select styles). Grab your sandals and a flashy pair of pumps and you are good to go for day and night.

We were en route to Macys when we decided to stop into the Corner Mall – you know, those double doors you avoid like Tello’s or Wet Seal. This time we thought we’d check it out and see what it had to offer. We didn’t spot any sandals, but we did find a small costume jewelry store (aptly named The Jewelry Store), where you can snag any piece of jewelry for $3 apiece or 2 for $5. If you are feeling uber tight-walleted, peruse their sale section where each piece is $1.49. Here’s what we found that we thought were among the best pieces. Caveat: if your ears have any type of metal allergy, most of this stuff is not for you (they do carry a small selection of stud earrings made of sterling silver).

 

On to Macys where we found their sandal selection to be uninspiring, however, their clearance section was decently fat and discounts ranged from 30-50% off. Also worth mentioning: they currently have an enormous selection of beautiful summer scarves on sale. We were so excited by the beautiful assortment of colors, fabrics and prints that we feared we would not make it out of the store with less than 10 scarves! 

We realize that we got a bit sidetracked on this trip, and the next two stores will be no different. At DSW we found aisles of sandals on the first floor that ranged from $20 and up, with many on sale for 30% off. On the second floor we decided to shop the clearance section to see if any sandals had made it there yet. Still too early, but we did find a pair of Stuart Weitzman black suede round toe chunk healed pumps for $90 – size 38 (Sticker showed $179.99, but they were an additional 50% off)! Other than those beauties, we found such brands we love as Naughty Monkey, Modern Vintage as well as Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Betsy Johnson and the usual Steve Madden, etc.

We did an obligatory browse of TJ Maxx (and later Filenes Basement), but knowingly found nothing worth mentioning. Among the discount stores, the only one worth shopping, we think, is Marshalls. And while we generally skip the Downtown Crossing location (350 Washington St) and head straight to Boylston Street (500 Boylston St) where we think the selection is better, we found 2 amazing steals in the DC store that we have to share. The first: these Roberto Cavalli pumps for $99 (sizes 36 & 37):

 

and these green metallic Dolce & Gabbanas for the same price (size 38):

 

We did make our way over to the Boyston Street Marshalls where our assumptions were confirmed by the much larger selection of sandals. True to form on this shopping trip, we got distracted by these vicious heels that we had to purchase – a mere $24.99!

 

Another very important mention is shoe store, Leokadia (667 Tremont St), in the South End. Price points here are a little higher than the other stores we mentioned, but the quality and uniqueness of the shoes owner Jessica Lynn carries is worth every penny.  For just a little bit more, you can get a pair of sandals that will not only stand out among the more trendy styles, but they will last much longer than the Steve Maddens you bought for only a little less. Among the many styles we love at Leokadia, here are a pair of Dolce Vita sandals that we like for a mere $75.

P.S. You can also shop her store online: www.leokadiashoes.com.

Moving on, we decided to continue our shopping online and began with JCrew. While overall we think their sandals are fairly pricey, we did find some cute flip flops ranging from $16.50 to around $36 in various prints, solids and their signature preppy styles, like these cute yellow floral flip-flops:

And these preppy yacht club Skinny Classic Grosgrain flip-flop’s, which are available in three different colors and are priced at $24.50 (20% off 2 or more.) They aren’t necessarily our cup of tea but for the right person, the right engagement and if the shoe fits their ¾ rubber sole will last you through the summer.

 A Creative Walk on the Wild Side

Gap and Havaiana have partnered and invited shoppers to “Make Your Own Havaianas”. This special ‘pop up shop’ opened May 1^st and offers the latest styles at their always-affordable prices ($18-$32). They added a Customization Bar, which allows customers to add their personal style and includes such decorative options as: personal initials, crystals, flowers, etc, which can be added to your flip-flops for an additional cost of $20.  You can check this out exclusively during a weekend trip to NYC. Information below:

Saturdays: 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. 
Sundays: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Embellishment Customization Bar is open seven days a week, during store hours. 680 Fifth Avenue (between 53rd and 54th Streets), New York

If a trip to NYC isn’t in the cards for you in the near future, we recommend designing your own summer foot ware. Head over to Old Navy (www.oldnavy.com) where you can purchase a pair of $6.50 rubber flip-flops* and add your own bit of style by super gluing gems, faux flowers, buttons, coins, etc, We recommend Pear Art (579 Massachusetts Ave) as a good place to get your decorative supplies.

*Style Note: We were a bit skeptical as in the past of Old Navy’s “Classic” flip-flops for $3.50, because they wore out before our first summer pedicure; however, we believe that this year’s model (made in Brazil) is comparable to our beloved Havianas in texture and strength and worth a shot. We purchased 2 pairs in the Spring and due to the early warm weather have worn them a lot, and they are as good as the day we purchased them.

After all this shopping for sandals, we realized we walked away without a single new pair! It seems our distraction got the better of us this week, and we were just as dazzled by jewelry, slip-ons, pumps and scarves as we were by our target item. Nevertheless, we were pleased by the selection we found and think you will be to. Until next week….happy shoppping!

Newbury Street on the Cheap

We took on Newbury Street this weekend to look for some sweet steals to share with you and were excited by some of the merchandise and sales that we found. We tried to focus on boutiques rather than chain stores, but there were a few sales we have to mention, because they are too good to keep to ourselves – Enjoy!

United Colors of Benetton
No. 140 Newbury

Everything in the store is 50% off – even new merchandise! According to one of the sales associates, they don’t know exactly when it ends, but he assured us that it will continue at least until Thursday. Devin bought a pair of white cotton drawstring capris for $30.

Nanette Lapore
No. 119

No matter how on sale Nanette Lapore is, her clothing is still out of our price range. Nevertheless, if you are looking to invest in a well-made, designer piece, now’s the time to check out Nanette Laopore. Her store has 2 large clothing racks at 50% off and select shoes at 30% off. You won’t get out of there for less than $200, but down from $400 or more, you can invest for less!

Pikyotto
No. 156

We had to explore this new boutique and see what its all about. Their clothing appeared to be constructed primarily from vintage-inspired fabrics, lots of floral prints and had an overall younger feel (we thought).  We didn’t find any crazy deals there – the dresses range from around $118-$178 – but their price point is about half of what you would find at other boutiques on Newbury Street, so we gave it a “not bad”. Take away message: We are looking forward to their sales.

Zinnia
No. 172

Inexpensive jewelry that ranges from trendy to traditional. At first we thought their selection was boring, but after looking more thoroughly we discovered some beautiful pieces. Devin bought a pair of sparkly gold hoops for $14.99 (shown below), but our favorite were the chunky cuff (we think plastic) bracelets that separate into two halves and magnet together around your wrist. They came in turquoise and brown (sorry no pic!) and were about 3 ½ inches wide. Here’s their website: www.ilovezinnia.com. We couldn’t find either item mentioned above on the website, so the selection in-store is still unique.

Second Time Around
No. 176

An oldie but goodie. In the front of the upper level store they have a rack of Marc by Marc Jacobs and a rack of Juicy Couture. Not bad. We enjoyed the selection of tops upstairs and a found a few cute dresses downstairs.

Poor Little Rich Girl
No. 166

We remember Poor Little Rich Girl when it was a tiny shop in Davis Square. They eventually moved into a much larger space in Davis a couple of years ago and now have a second location on Newbury Street. Owner, Meredith Byam, does all the buying and even includes some new clothing at second hand prices. We found four dresses out of her collection of new pieces that we loved all ranging from around $30-$42! This dress (below) we thought was the cream of the crop because it looks expensive and formal but it is so cheap!

The Closet
No. 175

Second hand clothing store across the street from Second Time Around. They have a nice selection of designers including Milly, Theory, Twelfth Street by Cyntha Vincent, BCBG and Diane Von Fursteberg.

LIT on Newbury
No. 223

We like LIT for their sizable selection of inexpensive party dresses and accessories. They also carry a considerable selection of tops, denim and some shoes, but we think the best deal there are the dresses, which range in price but are typically around $70 – $140. They also have a large sale rack in the back that brings the price range down even lower, as long as you can find your size!

Maya
No. 268

Maya has beautiful selection of handmade sterling silver and semi-precious stone jewelry. We almost didn’t go in thinking it wouldn’t be our style, but we found gorgeously chic hammered silver pendants with black leather cord necklaces (below) for similar prices to that of cheap costume jewelry elsewhere. Of the necklaces we looked at the range was around $30-$60 (though we think they might go higher FYI). The cherry on top: they had sale signs all over the store ranging from 20% – 50% off select jewelry.

Dajuli Sparkles
No. 304

Dajuli has a large selection of costume jewelry, in addition to some more toned down pieces (see necklace below that Devin purchased and received 5 compliments on it the first night she wore it!). What makes this place such a good deal is that their entire store is on sale with discounts ranging from 30% – 75% off all summer long! You might need to sift through the flashy jewelry to find something that works for you, but it is definitely worth checking out. (P.S. The carry Swarovski – also on sale!)

Chemistry
No. 324

Chemistry is a large store similar to SoGood Jewelry in its large selection of costume jewelry; only we think the selection at Chemistry is a little more unique. They have a sister store on Winter Street in Downtown Crossing (MUCH smaller, so start with the Newbury St. location), and they also carry some accessories like bags, sunglasses, hats, etc. We say stick with the jewelry.

After several hours of shopping on Newbury, we were ready to rest our feet and definitely missed some stores that we are sure also had some great deals. This time around, we wanted to bring you a mix of stores including the obvious go-tos and some you might not stop in on your average amble down Newbury. So check these places out and let us know what you find! We enjoy hearing about your finds as much as we like sharing ours!

Until next week….happy shopping!

We Digress….

Gander at these insane earrings from Karmaloop! They came as chandeliers as well and were only $22!

No amazing sale to report at American Apparel, but we did find two large boxes of scrunchies that had us puzzled….are they coming back in style? While we pray the answer is no, we did think they looked cute and were worth a photo.

Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

As the cold Boston weather reluctantly passes, poolside parties and weekend trips to the shore are resuming their seasonal residence in the forefront of Bostontonian’s minds. And what better way to prepare than to purchase a new swimsuit and gear!

We did some store searching to find the chicest deals for the cheapest prices. We found some exciting suits from the Matthew Williamson line, which is currently featured at H&M stores. His designs show bikinis that are colorful with his signature Indian influenced patterns and range from $16.90 to $24.90 per piece. While your at it, pick-up one of his vibrant cover-ups for $24.90.

Target also never fails to deliver exciting new summer suits. Their website allows you to shop by shape, color or price point (keep in mind: when orders are over $50 shipping is free), so you can find the suit that’s right for your body and your budget. We really liked the period-influenced Monokini pieces and think they are going to be hottest suits on the beach this year.

Victoria’s Secret is in the midst of their semi-annual sale and swimwear is now 25-50% off. We found some bikinis for as low as $19 for the set!

This BCBG Max Azria bikini is a steal at Nordstrom – a mere $68 for the set.
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3043954/0~2376776~2374327~2379759~2383542?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=2383542&P=1

If you are into edgier swimwear, try this black-studded bikini from charlotterusse.com for $16.99 per piece. http://www.charlotterusse.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3454371\

This bikini top from www.figleaves.com is different. This site offers other cute swimwear, that range in price. Our suggestion is to sort in price from low to high to browse what we think is a decent selection of inexpensive suits.

If you are more of the one-piece type, here is an adorable suit from Gap that we love for $49.99.

They also have an assortment of more basic designs and colors for both bikinis and suits, including this super chic one-shoulder suit in black. 

By far the best deal for swimwear we found was at Old Navy. From cover-ups to beach bags and towels. You could outfit yourself for the beach for under $100, including suit, cover-up, towel, bag and sandals.

Our overall advice when shopping for anything is to diversify your purchasing source to help make the ensemble more unique. So, if you are buying a Matthew Williamson bikini, hit-up Target for your towel and bag, Old Navy for your cover-up and sandals. This will keep you from looking too trendy or mainstream and also allow you to show off your own personal style!

Monday Preview and Weekend Recommendations

Took an impromptu shopping tour of the North End on Sunday on our way to Puma City and discovered several new boutiques and some oldies but goodies with excellent affordable finds.

The most exciting stop was at Bobbles & Lace, a new women’s clothing and accessories boutique on Prince Street (formerly occupied by consignment store Karma, now relocated to Fleet Street). B&L, which has another location in Marblehead, has a small selection of clothing, including cute trendy dresses priced from $68-$70. I had by eye on a classic black sleeveless dress with low-cut scoop neckline, a fitted bodice and A-line skirt. They also have a large and may we say dazzling selection of jewelry priced for the most part below $50. Check out this bracelet, their best seller, offered in several colors, for a mere $36.75 (including tax).

As we made our way down Hanover we discovered the ultra new (open for 3 weeks) Filthy Rich, a boutique that sells replicas of celebrity jewelry at affordable prices. Been dying to wear the engagement ring that Brad designed for Jennifer Aniston? Well, you can pick it up here. In addition to celebrity jewelry, they also offer a line of handbags made from recycled license plates and fenders (no pics yet – sorry!). At first we had a hard time imagining what outfit these handbags would style well with, and then we noticed a Red Sox-themed line and realized that that they would be great game totes for those female fans that enjoy Soxwear that is a bit more fashionable (not to mention durable and waterproof).

For more details on our trip to the North End, check back next Monday! In the meantime, stay up-to-date on sales by following Cheapchicboston on Twitter!

Must see this week:

Matthew Williamson for H&M in all stores May 14th
We are so excited for Matthew Williamson for H&M. Downtown Crossing location is still under construction. Though it IS open, we suggest starting with Newbury.

Do you Know this Label?

Check out http://shopknowlabel.com/ for inexpensive women’s apparel and accessories. We have purchased from this website and not only can we attest to the quality of the clothing, jewelry and handbags, their presentation within the shipping box makes you feel like you just purchased items from a boutique.

Shop Local

The opening of the South End Open Market is this weekend – Saturday and Sunday at 500 Harrison Ave www.southendopenmarket.com/. We love, love, love the SOWA Open Market, because it gathers local vendors and designers in one location at a range of price points – outside! Find vintage clothing, trendy jewelry, cool prints for your apartment, etc, etc, etc. No excuse not to wander over there after a leisurely brunch. We’ll be there for sure!