ShopDiary

DVF and Marc Jacobs @ Barneys WHS

Got a chance to drop by the Barneys New York Warehouse Sale in Santa Monica tonight. First time ever. I thought of not going since I read some negative reviews but then I thought to check it out anyway.

Here’s what I got:

Diane Von Furstenberg Artichoke Print Dress (64% off)
Gee I didn’t realize the print was made of huge artichokes. I hope these girls won’t make fun of me when they see me walking down the street in it. I love it though!

Marc Jacobs Poppy Print Top at 74% off

Marc Jacobs Blue Floral Silk Charmeuse Dress at 75% off

The Marc Jacobs dress and top were about several sizes bigger than what I normally wear but I just didn’t want to let go of them! They are sleeveless so I figured they would be easy to alter. Can you say “trying hard”? I just might look like an Olsen twin drowning in that size 12 Marc Jacobs dress that I got. But as Tim Gunn says, “Make it work” and I think I can! Hahaha! So I’m not that resistant to the lure of a sale afterall. Smartly enough, each Barneys shopping bag was stapled with alteration information offered in their Beverly Hills stores with bold letters at the top saying “Don’t trust anyone except us. Bring your purchases … and get the best alterations in town.” They probably figured there would be desperate people like me who would get anything on sale even if it didn’t fit and they were right! But to be honest, the fit on those Marc Jacobs items I got run slim and I feel a little thick around the waist right now so I guess I like the looser fit. They just need to be pulled up and altered by the shoulders. If this plan fails, there’s always eBay.

I also got a plain brown sleeveless DVF top that I love and that I can’t find a picture of. I’ll take one of it when I get a chance.

I spotted a Balenciaga dress that I saw on Tresor’s site back in spring. It’s now 75% off but at $739, still too steep for me and with no occasion to wear it. I tried it on and it was too tight anyhow (hee hee as if I was going to buy it, I just wanted to have a “feel” of it). And as I was taking it off, the zipper got stuck! I had to call one of the girls working the sale to help me get unstuck. And no, there were no Balenciaga tags either as did the Marc Jacobs items, which is probably due to the nature of the sale. The premier brands that I spotted were Lanvin, Rochas, Dries Van Noten, Proenza Schouler, Jill Sander, Marni. Those are the ones that I remember.

Here’s what I considered getting but didn’t:

Balenciaga S/S ‘06 at 62% off. Too summery and might look dated next year. They also had all black version which looked ordinary compared to this one.

Prada Whipsnake & Rope Thong Sandal at about 40% off. The wicker heel was too summery = limited use.

Miu Miu Canvas Rope Sandal at around 50% off in red and white. Very cute and tall like I like my shoes to be but I’m over espadrille looking shoes.

Christian Louboutin Thong Sandal in Brown Napa Leather at 65% off. My heart skipped a beat when I saw this. When I first checked the shoe racks, the smallest Louboutins were size 6s (I’m a 5 1/2) but when I came around again, I saw them. The dark brown leather is buttery soft with the same feel as Bottega Veneta’s woven handbags. When I tried them on, however, my feet were sliding around, I knew I wouldn’t get that much mileage out of them.

Obviously, I did a lot of thinking about those shoes that I never got. There were slim pickings in my size. Hopefully the next sale in February will bring better choices!