Feeding the Shopping Addiction

Color me exited!  Racked has created their first Vintage 38 list.  While I have only actually been to the Decades brick and mortar location on Melrose, since the list has been published, I have already book marked a number of websites and noted some more stores on my to do lists for my next visits to Los Angeles and New York.  If you are a fan of finding some hard to find designer pieces, this list will become your friend.

Today and Tomorrow were days I had set aside to accomplish most of my shopping in London (or at least do a lot of browsing with actual purchasing happening NEXT weekend if necessary).  Planned stops include...

Rigby and Peller, Agent Provocateur, Vivienne Westwood, Stelle McCartney, LK Bennett, Burburry, Mulberry, and Jimmy Choo.

As I have upcoming trips to London and Los Angeles (which both happen to have Alexander McQueen stores), it is inevitable that I will make a purchase.  McQueen has dresses in a lot of the hot hues for Fall/Winter 2012 including aubergine, dark red, bright red, and green.  The big question now is: Which dress should I buy?

First, there is this blood red knitted dress.  Dark red is a must have for this fall, and the color and full skirt are features I really like about this dress.

Next, there is this cherry wool dress.  This particular shade of red is my favorite color and is also a must have for fall.  Like the dress above, the color and full skirt are features I really like about this dress.  

Of course, all bets are off if they have this particular dress in a shade of red.  On the website they only have it in bottle green (pictured here) and black. I am not without hope as, in my experience, the stores have things in stock not on the website.  I love this style of dress, so I am wishing and hoping that they did it in a shade of red as well.  I shall see shortly either way.

So, if you could choose, which would it be?  

When I first moved to Houston in 2009, I did not know who Elaine Turner was.  In trying to learn more about the city, I came across an charity event on Facebook at the Elaine Turner flagship store in Rice Village and decided to attend, and as the saying goes, that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  At that event, I fell in love with the Carolena handbag.  I immediately snagged one in black patent leather and later came back and got the pink Carolena handbag pictured below.

Elaine's handbags are very well made out of fantastic materials.  They are classic and trendy at the same time.  I usually get one or two new bags a year, though I am lagging this year.  In addition to handbags, Elaine also designs shoes and other accessories.  The shoes are of the same great quality as the handbags.  I generally stock up on flats and  boots at least once a year.  The handbags start around $150 for a clutch and go all the way to $750 for an exotic-skinned weekender.  Shoes start at $95 for flip flops and go up to $450 for boots.     

Similar to the event I attended way back in 2009, Elaine has a lot of charity shopping events at her stores (Flagship in Rice Village, CityCentre, and the new San Antonio location) which are announced via e-mail, Twitter, and Facebook.  Those events are a lot of fun with special treats and discounts.  Also, semi-annually, Elaine has big clearance sales to get ready for the new season.

Though I cannot speak of the sales staff and management at the CityCentre or San Antonio locations (I have yet to visit either, so will not cover those locations here), the staff and management at the Rice Village Flagship is absolutely wonderful. If they do not have an item in the color or size you want, they will call the other stores and the warehouse looking for it.  I always have a good time going in, even if it is just to browse.

The Elaine Turner Flagship can be found at 2439 University Blvd.