Back in January I blogged about designer handbags for rent and was really excited about the idea. I even signed up for a 3 month trial period with Bag Borrow or Steal but in the end I never rented or bought anything from them. Canceling my membership wasn’t very easy either and that kind of put me off but that’s a topic to blog about for a different day.

So, the other day the Wall Street Journal had an article giving readers the “Skinny on Handbag Rental Services”. With a declining economy the sale of handbags, in particular designer handbags, is anticipated to decline. Such luxury items once considered “must haves” are now becoming “nice to haves” and this opens the door for luxury bag rental companies to attract customers. For someone that wants to have a special bag for a particular occasion this still makes sense but as Suzanne Barlyn from the WSJ wrote:

The services may be ideal for glamorous one-time evening bags that we wouldn’t normally buy, such as a $990 Dior bag that we spotted online. But otherwise, it may be more cost-effective to purchase one or two designer handbags for everyday wear and own them indefinitely.

The article compared four different services and their associated fees. Check out the information below provided in the WSJ article to see if it makes sense for you to rent or to buy. In my opinion, I’d rather buy a couple of universal mid-priced designer bags that are transitional through the seasons and tap my network of friends and family to borrow higher-end one time bags that I may need for a special occasion. But that is just my view.

Wedding season has officially begun and all across the country women are getting ready for their big day.  Its hard to believe that this time last year we were about 2 1/2 months away from our wedding weekend extravaganza.   By now, we were in the throws of the final details with respect to flowers, hair/makeup and the menu.  It was a ton of fun but slightly stressful at the same time as there are so many moving parts to keep track of.  And me being the perfectionist that I am, I wanted everything to be just right.  One of the most stressful parts I found was picking out the bridesmaids dresses.  Picking a dress or dresses that appeals to everyone in terms of color, style, fit, and material is a major challenge as no one has the same figure.   CNN has a cute article on their website today describing the challenges brides and bridesmaid find. 

I’d like to think I did a pretty good job in picking a dress for my bridesmaids but I’ll never know what they really thought.  I tried to take into consideration the color and the style along with their body types to find something that everyone would feel comfortable in.  Everyone is different and finding a dress that looks good on all can be quite the challenge.  While I know it is the bride’s wedding day, if you want a happy bridal party, my advice would be to take everyone’s body style into consideration.  There is nothing worse than unhappy bridal party and if they dont’ feel comfortable in what they are wearing it will show in their attitude that day.  If your party is of all different shapes and sizes, then my suggestion would be to pick a color and a material by one manufacturer that is best for the majority of people and then allow each person to choose their own style.  Everyone will be able to pick what’s best for their figure and in the end will feel most comfortable on the ‘big day’.  There is nothing worse than wearing something you vehemently hate for 12 hours.  It will show in your pictures – trust me and those pictures will be all you have left to remember the day by after its over. 

I am now just about 18 weeks along in my pregnancy and I’ve had to surrender all my trendy cool clothes for the most part for maternity wear. I’ve made it a long time with the belly band and other make shift solutions to keep me in my regular clothes but its officially time to make the full transition. I’ve been getting by with maternity tops but now my pants just don’t cut it any more. I’ve resorted to elastic waist bands or those with a mid or full belly panels. I thought making this transition was going to be horrible and I kept myself in denial for a few weeks that I needed these things but I do. Slowly over the last few weeks I’ve been making small purchases online at Nordstrom and Ann Taylor Loft. Nordstrom carries many great brands in today’s fashions but designed specifically for pregnant women which is great. I bought myself a pair of Citizens of Humanity Jeans and a bunch of other tops that are great for work. Ann Taylor Loft online also offers a great mix of clothes and are the only manufacturer so far that I’ve stumbled across that makes their pants in true sizes (2, 4, 6, 8, etc…) instead of the common small, medium and large which I often find challenging to figure out what size I am depending on the cut and the designer.

A few weeks ago, I bought a few things at Belly Dance in Soho; a great boutique that carries many of the same brands as Nordstrom online including Olian and Japanese Weekend both of which fit me really well. My favorite though seems to be Destination Maternity. This store is really three stores in one: A Pea in the Pod, Mimi Maternity and Motherhood maternity. The lines are very distinct from one another. A Pea in the Pod is high end items costing $200-$300 easy unless you find some great sale items which I recently did. The summer line though at Mimi Maternity has been fabulous for me as I’ve bought lots of tops there for work and they have great shorts too. Their prices are more moderate – think Banana Republic range. Motherhood maternity on the other hand is lower end but very practical for tank tops, capris and bathing suits. You can spend a fortune outfitting yourself if you don’t have anyone giving you hand-me downs but you can also mix and match from all price levels and put together a nice wardrobe.

Maternity shopping is certainly an experience and the other day I subjected Darren to it. He went with me pretty much against his will but afterwards he did find the trip interesting and made some noteworthy observations. So much so, he blogged about his experience over at darrenherman.com.

Last night I spent the evening putting things away in our newly rebuilt cedar closet.  As I was arranging things I came across yet another bundle of old clothes that neither Darren or I have worn in almost a year.  We put these things in the closet thinking ‘maybe‘ we’d want to wear them but now almost 12 months later they have remained unworn on the shelves.  Through the years I have been a big supporter of donating my old clothes to charity.   While all the things we have given away are not necessary the most ‘up to date’ fashion trends, they are certainly wearable and in very good condition.  We both feel strongly that these clothes can still be worn and happily have given them to our housekeeper as well as many charities.  If you are struggling with what to do with your old clothes, don’t fret.  There are a bunch of really good associations that will gladly take them off your hands and it will go a long way to helping those in need. 

A few suggestions I’d recommend are: 

1. Goodwill -  Provides job training to people with special needs. They have1,950 retail stores, packed with donated clothing and other household goods to help fund their mission. They take almost anything from shoes, to pants, to suits and sweaters as long as things are in reasonable condition.  Goodwill makes things convenient by offering pickup service but you can also drop off clothing at any Goodwill location. To find a location near you use the Zip Code locator at www.goodwill.org or call 800-664-6577.
2. Salvation Army – They are one of the largest charitable organizations in the world and run a variety of programs including homeless services and disaster relief.  As long as things are in good condition, they will take anything – furniture, clothing, shoes, etc.  I have donated many items to them in the past and back in my college days it was common for anyone living off-campus to furnish their house with some good deals from the Salvation Army.  To donate, simply drop off your items at any of its 1,526 thrift stores nationwide, or arrange to have them picked up. For pickup, call 800-958-7825 or for additional information to find stores where you can drop off clothing, call 800-725-2769, or go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
3. Dress For Success - An organization that assists low-income women looking for jobs. It has more than 70 affiliates throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and New Zealand.  Annually the company I work for participates in a clothing drive for this charity which accepts business clothing, coats, shoes, handbags, and briefcases that are in excellent condition and no more than five years old. During their annual suit drive in the Spring, known as Send One Suit, or S.O.S., you can bring your suit to any of the 800 Dress Barns around the country. For more info visit www.dressforsuccess.org and click on “Affiliates” for locations near you.

I also recommend Big Brothers Big Sisters, NY Cares, and the Red Cross.  But no matter which charity or charities you choose, rest assured your things will go to people who are really in need of them.  And with ’spring cleaning’ coming up, now is as good a time as any to donate.  Make a difference!   

The days are already getting longer, the sun is out more and before long Spring will be here.  Soon there will be buds on the trees and flowers blooming in the yard.  I just love Spring.  To get ourselves in the mood, we started our ’spring’ cleaning yesterday with a rebuild of our cedar closet.  Darren and his dad did an amazing job ripping down the old closet and rebuilding a new one in prepartion for storing our winter clothes.  Along with the typical ’spring cleaning’ for the house it’s also time to start sprucing ourselves up and get into the spirit of Spring.  A perfect way to do this is with this week’s makeup event at Macy’s. 

The Clinique counter at Macy’s is offering free lessons on how to spruce up your look and do your makeup in five minutes flat.  The event is called Clinique Express Looks and is sure to be a winner especially since after your consultation you walk away with travel sizes of their Moisture Surge Extra Thirsty Skin Relief and Colour Surge eye shadow in your choice of three shades.

I have been using Clinique products for years.  My skin is fairly sensitive so I find their products to be perfect since they don’t cause breakouts and aren’t too heavy.  If you have never tried Clinique before, now is the perfect opportunity especially with this special event.  To check it out, head over to Macy’s from February 21-March 1 and put a little spring in your make-up.  

Lines have been forming for days for Nike’s new Air Jordans, Titanium XX3, that go on sale today.  Air Jordan’s are the most sought after sneaker on the market where people traditionally stand on long lines in hopes of snagging a pair of the latest and greatest sneaker before they run out.  The latest Air Jordan to hit stores today is the 23rd edition of shoes named for Michael Jordan, who wore the Number 23 on his jersey. Only 23 pairs will be sold at 23 stores for a total of 529 pairs available nationwide at a cost of $230 a pair.  Now that’s steep for a sneaker but the demand is there and people will be fighting to get one of the few pairs available.  If you are looking for retailers in the New York area that are selling this shoe check out the following locations:

House of Hoops: 268 West 125th Street

Footlocker: 43-45 West 34th Street

Champs: 5 Times Square

Footaction: 430 Seventh Avenue

Niketown: 6 East 57th Street

Moe’s: 89-02 165th Street, Jamaica Queens

Jimmy Jazz: 224 East Fordham Road, Bronx

The demand for this sneaker is so high that I am sure some lucky folks who actually manage to buy the sneaker will auction them off at ebay or other sites for double or triple the price, maybe more. 

If you were trendy back in the 80’s then no doubt you owned an members-only jacket.  They were a hot fashion item back then and everyone who was anyone owned one.  As scary as it may seem though, this bomber jacket style is making a come back this season – only they are being designed with much more glam than before (and a hefty price tag too!).  Henri Bendel has the honors of carrying this ‘blast from the past’ fashion trend.  So if you are trying to relive the 80s, stop in and pick up a gold metallic jacket for a cool $950.  All this week, Bendel’s is celebrating the launch of the new Members Only collection of leather jackets and dresses.  Representatives will be on hand all week to help you choose the perfect jacket.  Welcome back 80’s! 

Look no further!  If you are trying to get an invitation to join the Gilt Groupe and gain exclusive access to luxury fashion brands, check out the great invitation from Social Diva.  I have blogged about on-line  fashion communities once before and several people have contacted me for an invitation to the Gilt Groupe but I’ve already given out my quota of free invitations.  Don’t be discouraged though – just today I read that Social Diva is offering their own invitation to join the Gilt Groupe through their website.  Gilt Groupe deals are phenomenal and perfect for the fashion conscious woman!  If you’ve never heard of Gilt Groupe, they are a private online community that provides members with one-day online sample sales featuring trendy fashions and luxury brands at discount prices, some times up to 70% off.   There is a catch though and that is that you have to have a membership to gain access to the sales. Don’t fret though, memberships free.  You just need an invitation and that is where Social Diva comes in.  To take advantage of Social Diva’s invitation for membership with the Gilt Group click here. 

Today while surfing on TeamSugar (one of my new favorite websites), I came across an advertisement for renting luxury bags.  I clicked on the ad and it brought me to this fabulous website called Bag Borrow or Steal where you can rent authentic designer handbags and jewelry for a week, a month, even three months, so you are always in fashion with the most popular styles.  You can rent bags as a guest or become a member for a low monthly fee ($9.95 for one month, 3 months for $19.95 or $59.95 for one year!) plus the rental fee for the bag, of course.  Being a member of course gives you better rental rates.  If you borrow for 3 months at a time there are special savings too.  You can also borrow up to 3 items at a time in your first 3 months as a member. After 3 months, you can borrow up to 5 items.  After 6 months, your borrowing limit is unlimited – how fabulous is that!  

In my opinion, bags are so seasonal and every few months you want to try something different.  I think this is the perfect way to have something new without have to make a full investment.  And we all know how expensive hot, new bags are these days!  If you happen to absolutely fall in love with a bag you are ‘borrowing’ you can ’steal’.  Bag Borrow or Steal will assess the value of the bag and its condition and will come up with a price if appropriate.  I really think this is such an ingenious idea!  There is also an outlet where the site offers 70% off on the purchase of never-carried or gently carried bags.  How fabulous is that?!

Rental rates also don’t seem too bad either.  Bags and jewelry are categorized into five collections and rental rates are as follows:

TRENDSETTER $15 to low $100s per month
Designers include Perlina, MAXX New York and Dooney & Bourke.

PRINCESS $15 to $300 per month
Designers include Coach, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Fendi and Betsey Johnson.

DIVA $20 to $500 per month
Designers include Kate Spade, Tory Burch, Isabella Fiore and Burberry.

COUTURE $20 to over $750 per month
Designers include Gucci, Prada, Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana.

VINTAGE $150 to over $2000 per month
Sought-after classics, in very limited availability.

You can also buy insurance, which is optional, if you are worried about what might happen to the bag based on your usage.  The purchase and return process also seems simple and I think they’ve thought of everything to make transactions as smooth and as painless as they can for the ‘renter’.   I know it does require some effort to send back the bags but I think the benefits of having the opportunity to ‘borrow’ a bunch of trendy bags outweighs the effort to make the returns.