Sleuth Shopping

Every once in a while I'll come across a Polyvore set or blog post that shows off some fantastic item from seasons gone by that I somehow missed. I scour the internet, searching and hoping for a glimmer of clearance hope but usually I'm out of luck (especially with J Crew items).

In the same vein are all the items I've owned, loved, and lost for one reason or another. My favorite sweater left in an airport terminal. A fabulous t-shirt stained by grape juice. Gorgeous skirts that I grew out of.

So eBay has become my friend. My very good friend. So good, in fact, that eBay corporate actually mailed me an "I Heart eBay" decal for my car. It's like Facebook for clothes - reconnecting me with things I thought I might never see again...okay so maybe that's too far.

Here is a consolidated list of the things I'm always in search of:

Marc Jacobs Ophelia t-shirt, which I have pretty much given up on. I bought this shirt in '02 or '03 and wore it to shreds. I can't even find a photo of it!


This unbelievable ikat dress from DKNY. Kristen Stewart wore it to some event and now it's nowhere to be found.

Lots of J Crew items, which do turn up on eBay from time to time (which is how I snagged my Ochre Ikat skirt):

Any of the summery lobster print items, including this dress.

Another ikat print? Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!

The Deco print tank. I just missed this on eBay a few weeks ago!

The lovely Citrus Paisley skirt. Can J Crew make a pencil skirt or what?!

What items are you always on the lookout for?

Who is this Talbots?

Last Christmas, my husband purchased a gift for his aunt from Talbots' website. Today, almost seven months later, we received a catalog.

Who is this Talbots?

The front page of the catalog is reminiscent of J Crew of years passed. Fresh, preppy, elegant, and chic. Talbots is stepping up their game - love it!

The catalog is full of bright (nary a muted neutral in sight!) classic pieces that appear to take their inspiration from Palm Springs 1960s vacations but look modern.

Look at these gorgeous dresses. I can't get over the colors!

They've layered a short-sleeved cardigan over the loop button-up blouse but the real faves here are those necklaces. Gorgeous!

I browsed through the site and found lots of cute, bright pieces:

Like this cheery yellow pique a-line skirt


Pebbled leather handbag - under $100!


This dotted ruffle blouse reminds me of an old J Crew fave of mine.


These dotted capris are adorable!

I am super impressed with Talbots right now. Unfortunately the one closest to me closed last year but up until now I never had a reason to seek them out. What are your thoughts on the "new" Talbots?

So who is this person?

I'm just now realizing that maybe I never really introduced myself. Oops! If there ever was a girl distracted by shiny objects, it's me!

My name is Valerie and I live in Los Angeles with my husband and our wonderful cat. My first job was in the fashion industry and I fell in love. While I'm no longer in that world, I still admire beautiful clothing and funky accessories.

My style is a true hodge-podge. I wear J Crew with 1970s vintage. I rock Forever 21 with Marc Jacobs. It doesn't have to be expensive, it just has to be "need-worthy".

Unfortunately my wallet doesn't always support my fashion-aspirations, so many times you'll see bargains here. I'm a true believer in finding what you love at a price you feel comfortable with.

I'm as happy shopping in a thrift store as I am at the Beverly Center. I don't do knock-offs but I look for inspiration in the pages of French Vogue or Bazaar and then hunt for items in the same vein.

Above all, eye candy makes me happy. I don't necessarily need to drop $600 on a pair of shoes to love and appreciate them. So in between my fashion finds, you'll find beautiful things that are truly covetable!

I hope you enjoy what you find here, and please feel free to give any input. Fashion is collaborative after all!

Ann Taylor Loft in the Penthouse

Racked LA has an awesome sneak peak at Ann Taylor Loft's Fall 2010 collection.

The collection was previewed at a fab party in the penthouse of the famed Chateau Marmont. I am loving the mix of classic and trendy - look at those over-the-knee boots!

Looks like J Crew has a little competition in the styling department!

Check out the article here: Partying in the Penthouse with Lofty Ambitions

It's Thursday!

I have been trying unsuccessfully this week to get over to J Crew to return a few misses from my last online buy. Hopefully I'll be there tonight or tomorrow after work.

In the meantime, it's Thursday! My sale mail came this morning with some great summer picks. Sigh, I get paid tomorrow. Bye paycheck!

Shoes & Boots by Clarks

These Clarks wedges are similar to J Crew's Caden or Cleo wedges. Have you ever worn shoes by Clarks? OMG heaven! Very supportive and comfortable.


These shoes by Lucky Brand run a little big - order a half-size down. These kinda remind me of J Crew's Cleo basketweave wedge.

Hobos by Steve Madden

I am loooooving this Steve Madden bag, and loving it even more because it's lilac! It's also available in a gorgeous coral with gold nailheads.

Tanks by Banana Republic

I adore the pattern of this silk tank by BR, and it has twisted straps in the back. 25% off regular price!

Beautiful watercolor zebra print on a wedge = perfection. $40 = awesomeness.

Dresses by J.Crew

Gorgeous J Crew ruffled dress in "effortless chic knit cotton" (couldn't have said it better myself!). Marked down to $50.

Jackets by J.Crew

I love what J Crew has done with gingham this year and this schoolboy blazer is no exception.

Payday can't come quickly enough!

Kate Spade Love

I love Kate Spade shoes, handbags, jewelry, all of it. I love the aesthetic, the vintage inspired feminine girl-on-the go attitude, the free-spirit style. As is the case with most of the beautiful things I desire, it's not fiscally possible for me to obtain them at this point in time. Bummer.

But it doesn't mean I can't still go for the look.

I'm not one to wear straight-up copies of something. I usually look for elements that are similar to something higher-end. Here's what I'm looking at the fill the Kate-Spade-void.

The suede slingbacks from Bandolino are similar but not a knock-off. Unfortunately no longer available in my size.

Here are a few other Kate Spade inspired picks, all under $100.

Chinese Laundry Jelly Flats


Pompili Pumps


Asos Heartfelt Platform Sandal


Gianni Bini Dahlia Sandal


Colin Stuart Roped Espadrille

I love it when a plan comes together!

After about a year of serious searching, my husband and I finally nabbed a gorgeous vintage sideboard to fill a vacant space in the living room. I met the delivery men at the apartment today during lunch and wanted to jump up and down with excitement as they carried it up the stairs. It fits perfectly against our back wall! I can't wait to get home and stock it with our barware!

Here's a couple of awful photos I took quickly:

Vintage mid-century British sideboard...loooooove. Our wall color is called "Lemon Grass" and is a very pale yellow-green.

We have a long living room, quite narrow. The new piece is behind our sofa.
Sofa is Jasper by Room & Board, light is Knappa from Ikea, pillows are Amy Butler fabric

The best news is that now I can hang some artwork I've been hanging on to for (sad to admit) over a year. They've been sitting in their frames waiting to go up. Weekend project!

So now I'm day-dreaming about gorgeous pieces to decorate the top of our sideboard.

Like a Jonathan Adler ceramic bull...you know, for example.


And the lion, because he's so cute!

I'm just so excited that our living is finally coming together. I mean, we've only been in our apartment for 7 years!

It seemed like a good idea...

...to sign up for "sale alerts". Now I get daily and bi-weekly roundups of online sales that are seriously testing my ability to keep my spending in check. The good thing about Sale Mail is that you can set price ranges, i.e. "only show me items under $100" a.k.a. "Don't tempt me, Sale Mail!"

So here are my favorites from today's e-mail, lots of bargains:

From New York & Company:
This kimono style top is only $20 and still available in all sizes!


This adorable work-appropriate shirt is only $11.99! Available in two colors, all sizes still there!


From J Crew, the Flutter Fold Shell is on sale in two colors for $49.99 (extra 30% off of sale makes this only $35!) and the Ruched V-neck Knit Dress is in grey for only $28 after discount!!!

The Gap has a couple super-cute offerings including a great deal on opaque tights and this summer-ready dress:



Check out Loft for some great deals on statement necklaces:


Each necklace is only $18 after extra discount! Beautiful!


This BCBG silk charmeuse top is only $36 at Smart Bargains.


It's so hard to pass-up cute things at low prices. I'm trying to stay strong. Maybe I shouldn't read my sale mails anymore!

Target Shoes...I think I need some of these

What makes me love Target also makes me hate Target. Sometimes I need to go in and grab some paper towels, some cat treats, etc. and then I pass by the shoe department. Dang it! I always think I'll get out of Target under $50 and it just never happens!

The problem is not only by inability to say no to cute shoes, it's also the fact that Target has some really cute shoes right now. Here are some of my favorites (some are online exclusive):


This is a perfect summer sandal. Cork mini-wedge, textured strap, works with jeans and dresses. Definitely picking up a pair of these!


The quintessential summer shoe: the espadrille. Love the feminine detailing at the toe and the high wedge.


Laser cut faux-leather in a slightly pink/purple tone? So Anthropologie and you can't beat them at $22.99!


These remind me of jazz shoes, which brings back great dancing memories. I think I'm getting into the oxford thing!


I dig a red peep-toe flat. Also available in a summery yellow. Must...resist...buying...both!


Target you are wearing me out right now! TOOOOO cute!


Another great flat for summer. These are also available in a gorgeous pewter.

I'm currently resisting the urge to go shopping for "toilet-bowl cleaner" and "school supplies" aka new flats and wedges.

J Crew New Arrivals

I got my e-mail this morning on J Crew's latest arrivals and I have to say I'm a little disappointed. Over at J Crew it seems like they are just shuffling the same styles around and calling them something different. It was nice to see a couple of new prints though I'm not sure they need to make the same five pieces over and over again using a different print. Fabric-front cardigan, mini skirt, silk top, perfect shirt and dress...again and again!

Here are my thoughts are some new arrivals:

The Brushstroke Mini looks to be the same cut and possibly the same fabric as my adored Vintage Zebra Mini. Is it too similar for me to buy this?

It's as if they turned my favorite tank into a super cute dress. I love that it's not too simple but not crazy overdone. A great basic!

Here are two pieces in the new Island Paisley Print (there is one more, a fabric-front cardigan). I love this subtle print and the fact that it's in a washable cotton lawn-silk fabric. Save me some dry-cleaning money! I love the shape of the bubble skirt, so cute! And I can never pass up the Perfect Shirt in another fab print!



The new Fleurette Print is gorgeous! The combination of the watercolor effect and subtle coloring make this a print that most people will be able to wear. Available in the beautiful bow-front cami, super cute bustier dress, and classic pencil skirt, as well as a backpack that I haven't made a decision on - cute or not so cute? Verdict: unsure!


Then I have a few questionable items. J Crew always has a few. I guess they haven't learned from the super-markdowns of the past because they've rolled out another silk jumpsuit and a romper.


Here are a couple flashbacks:

Familiar huh? Maybe you've met its cousin the Falling Ruffles tank or the Grand Ruffle shell.

I am in head-over-heels love with the color of this cardigan but the style is so "seen it before". Where? Try the Ethereal Ruffle Cardigan or the Lightweight Trifle Cardigan.


And here are my "Straight-to-Sale" picks:

Hmmm...not sure if this is what they meant by "granny chic".

And YIKES!

$225 for an ill-conceived mishmash? For a lot less you can at least be comfortable: