Next Season's Trend On Sale Now

It almost feels silly to say that black & white is a trend for spring when the classic color combo never really went out of style.  But black & white was definitely a motif on the runways for spring 2013.  While browsing Urban Outfitters, I came across quite a few sale items that could be purchased now and worn this spring.

 

Motel Jordon Jean, $39.99 (retail $100)

also available here

Sparkle & Fade Peplum Skirt, $39.99 (retail $59)

A Couple More Sales This Week

Who: Tortoise & Blonde Eyewear Pop-Up at URBN
What: Check out vintage-inspired styles for today's modern thrill-seekers, debuting their eyewear wardrobe in person in a special dedicated pop-up. With female DJ duo The Jane Doze on deck, they'll be rocking their Tortoise & Blonde frames while attendees rock out to a special set Friday evening. Complete eyewear packages (Rx included) from $97! T & B will make the concept of an eyewear wardrobe an affordable reality by offering shoppers their first frame full price, their second look 25% off, and their third pair half-price. Bring your current pair of glasses and they'll be able to read the Rx out of them on site to fill your new frames.
When: April 19-21, 2012. Thurs-Sat, noon to close.
Where: Urban Outfitters, 526 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 10011 (at 14th street)


Who: Of a Kind Roadshow
What: Sample sale featuring nearly 30 designers at up to 80% off!  Featured designers include Tucker, Dusen Dusen, Mary Meyer, Timo Weiland, Collina Strada.  Also bring your old clothes as they are holding a clothing drive to donate to the Salvation Army.
When: April 19-20, 2012. Thurs 10am-9pm, Fri 10am-3pm
Where: 150 Varick St, 6th Floor

Click after the jump to see examples of what will be at the sale:

Online Shopping: Finds Under $70

As Erin mentioned a few weeks ago, this time of year is pretty amazing for sales as stores and retailers make room for spring merchandise. There are definitely some deals on designer goods at Intermix and Shopbop, but by now sizes are pretty limited.

I've been browsing the internet for deals on both designer and mass market goods. Here are links to a few super affordable finds, all under $70 and currently available in almost all sizes!


BB Dakota Wiley Top
retail $80, now $23.95 (sizes XS-L)
This top is 100% silk, and marked down, it's quite the steal. I prefer it in the gray, but it's also available in zinc. This shirt is an easy basic that could worn as is with a slim pair of pants or could be tucked into a skirt with rolled up sleeves.


D Collection Toggle Coat
retail $148, now $14.99 (sizes XS-L)

Cropped jackets can be a little harder to style, but they're great for creating a layered look. This jacket is available in black and camel; personally I would go for the camel because I feel it would make a nicer transition into early spring.


Kelsi Dagger Women's Wilma Ankle Boot
retail $170, now $68 (sizes 5-11)
These booties would look great now with skinny jeans or thick wooly tights, and they could be worn into the spring with sheer tights or bare legs.

Dupli-CAUGHT: Vivienne Westwood vs. Urban Outfitters

Vivienne Westwood Armour Ring vs.
Urban Outfitters Armor Plate Knuckle Ring
Being obsessed with knuckle rings naturally I fell in love with this armour ring from Vivienne Westwood (left). I've been eying this piece for seasons, so when I saw the ring (right) for $24 by the checkout line at Urban Outfitters, I immediately thought to myself, "Dupli-CAUGHT!"

I love Vivienne Westwood ring for being a bold statement piece, and what I love most about it is how the shiny silver really resembles a knight's armor.

More Sample Sales This Week!

Here's a couple more sample sales going on this week.

Who: Vintage Super Sale
What: Up to 75% off on vintage pieces $5, $10, $20, $40, $100, $200. DVF, Jean Paul Gaultier, Gucci, Diesel, Monolo Blahniks, CHANEL, Etc. Clothing. ). Shoes, hats, gloves, aprons, and other rarities!
When: January 6-7, 2010. Thurs 6pm-9pm. Fri 9am-6pm
Where: Lolli Popitt Showroom, 551 West 21st St (at 11th Ave)

Who: Unis Sample SaleWhat: Up to 50% off on men’s Fall'10 merch including a selection of outerwear, shirting, and their popular Gio pants
When: January 8-10, 2011. Sat 11am-7:30pm, Sun-Mon noon-6pm
Where: Smith + Butler, 225 Smith St (at Butler St), Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. 718-855-4295

If you're hesitant about the weather for this upcoming weekend and the possibiliy of more snow - there's lots of great deals going on online - here's a few that I've already hit up:

• Oak is having their infamous 40/50/60 sale
• Allsaints is up to 70% off
• Urban has a bajillion things on sale

On a side note, January is one of the best times to grab merch from retailers (both online and in stores) as everyone is trying to clear their shelves and inventory to make way for Spring collections.

Happy shopping!

Home Decor: Recent Purchases & Shopping List

If you follow me on Twitter @djlanilove, you may have seen a couple pictures of my recent home purchases.

Purchases
Nothing is quite as satisfying as organizing my jewelry collection or in this case my ring collection. I've been searching for cute ways to organize and display my accessories, and finally I found this deer head by imm Living.

I purchased mine from Naked Decor, but you can also find it at Belljar and Modcloth for $35.

Photo courtesy of my friend Foss&Felix Photography

While browsing Naked Decor, I came across these adorable LOVE coffee mugs, and since they were on sale for $19.95, I couldn't help but add them to my cart. Now they're on display in my kitchen beneath the birds. Love birds?


My apartment gets pretty cold at night, so I searched Amazon for flannel sheets and found these cute sheets for just $35. I love the print, and they keep me quite warm.

Shopping List
I've been eying this lovely piece from a seller on Etsy, but I'm not sure I'm ready to spend $80 on a doormat. One day maybe, but probably not today.

Instead I might get this doormat from the New England Trading Company; it's made with repurposed lobster rope. I love the idea of reusing materials and lobster rope is super durable. At $40+ they're not cheap, but they're currently 20% off and a good value because they will last a long time.

The other thing on my shopping (wish) list are decorative pillows. My roommate and I finally bought a couch, so now it's time to decorate!
My friend Claudia makes these adorable geometric shaped pillows, and she scents them with dried lavender. Across from the couch, I have an Ikea Tylosand chair that would look great with a cube pillow - or is it pillow cube?

And for the couch itself, I'm thinking about a set of these Robin's Egg Blue pillows. The color is adorable, and you know, I'm obsessed with prints.

I'm also searching for some 3D wall decor to put on the wall above my bed.
I'm learning towards these wallflowers from Urban Outfitters, but I'm also into these delicate paper butterflies from Etsy. They're practically the same price $40 verses $34, so it's just a matter of which look I want. Decisions, decisions. What do you think?

Available Online: BJ by Jules Kim of Bijules

Bijules knuckle rings are simple and can give your look just enough edge without shouting it out to the world. The knuckle rings retail between $208-$285 but lucky for us, Jules introduced a more affordable option, BJ by Jules Kim. We've mentioned Bijules knucle rings previously so its great that there's another alternative available which is easier on the wallet!

BJ is currently available at Urban Outfitters and the pieces range from $18-$162. Here's a quick look at what's available.

Curved Bar Ring ($162)

Mini Curved Bar Ring ($150)

Bar Ring ($162)

At $18, Le Bij Bar Ring is affordable, fun and comes in a variety of colors

Short Nail Ring ($125)

The items are only available online at Urban Outfitters. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the market for a knuckle ring.

Deal of the Day: Urban Outfitters Long Cardigan

People are always asking me where they can find good basics besides American Apparel. My default answer is Uniqlo or H&M, but Urban Outfitters has been pretty good about carrying basics as well. My beef with Urban Outfitters is that the prices are often too high for what they're selling.

However, this BDG PE Cardigan from Urban Outfitters is a good deal, on sale for $19 (retail $29). This would make a great piece for summer/spring layering since it's pretty thin, and you could wear it over just about any outfit.

It's available in dark grey and brown online. I would recommend the grey since I personally find that I get the most wear out of my my black and gray basics.

Trend Report: Roper Boots

Last fall I wrote about roper boots coming into style, and this season the trend is in full effect. I've spotted a lot of roper-style boots in-stores and online.


Jeffrey Campbell "Acme Lace Up Boots", $190 at Shopbop
& We Who See "Fringe Boot", $78 at Urban Outfitters
If you're in the market for lace-up boots, may I suggest the original roping boot from Justin? I love these boots because they accomplish the look of combat boots without being too chunky or heavy, and the fringe in the front... fun!


I recently bought a pair for myself from justinbootstore.com which ships directly from the manufacturer for $89 plus $6.95 shipping & handling. The website and e-commerce experience are a bit archaic, but it works and their customer service is great. I had to exchange for a smaller size. It always stinks to spend extra money I spent to send it back.

I missed the size chart when I placed my order, and I ordered a 7 which is my usual size. The boots actually run quite large, so I had to return and order a size 6. Justin roper boots also come in a variety of widths. I think a C width would fit nicely for anyone with average to slightly wide feet.

These boots are a good buy and in most cases, actually cheaper than the boots they inspired. They're well made, and the foot bed is very comfortable.

If you're open to wearing secondhand, you can find them on eBay by searching "lace up roper". They used to go for $30-$70, but with them becoming more popular, they usually sell for $50-$100. If you live in Texas or Oklahoma, check your local thrift store. I hear you can find them for five bucks!

Sales Flash: Marais Oxfords

Just a quick link. I wanted to share a link to the Marais oxford flats that you've seen me wear on a pretty regular basis. They're currently on sale in black and hunter green for $49.99 at Urban Outfitters.
If you order, a quick note about sizing. They run small and narrow. Urban Outfitters suggests sizing up one and a half for the perfect fit, but Marais and I both think one size up will do you good.

P.S. Forget Black Friday; there are sales happening all over the place right now. If food coma doesn't get the best of me this weekend, I'll do a round up of my favorite online finds.

Save Fashion Returns

Who: Save Fashion
What: Refinery 29 sponsored event is back and now at a brand new location and one of our fave stores, Inven.Tory, featuring designer merch at up to 90% off. Includes: Urban Outfitters Designer Collaborations, Vena Cava, Rogan, Steven Alan, Built By Wendy, Wren, The Lake & Stars, Rag & Bone, Alex & Chloe and many more
Where: 237 Lafayette Street (between Prince and Spring Streets), NYC
When: November 13-22, 2009
Friday, 11/13 - 7:00AM - 9:00PM;
Saturday-Saturday 11/14-21, 10:00AM-9:00PM;
Sunday 11/22, 10:00AM-5:00PM

Refinery 29 posted some of the pics and prices:

Above, left to right: Vena Cava mini skirt, $75, Sunshine and Shadow belts, $86

Above, left to right:Dress, $80, scarf, $59, both by Sunshine and Shadow, Sophomore skirt, $75.

Above, left to right: April77 shirt, $30, Rogan sweatshirt, $100.

Bikes, Now Available at Urban Outfitters

Is there anything Urban Outfitters won't sell? Besides clothes, they already have home furnishings, books, music and now bikes. That's right, you can purchase a bike from urbanoutfitters.com.

Urban Outfitters has teamed with with Republic Bike to bring custom built bikes to the masses. Building a bike on Urban's site doesn't appear to be anything different from building on Republic's site. On both sites, you get to customize your single speed, flip-flop fixed/free hub Aristole bike selecting the colors for each of the components - frame, seat, grips, etc. You can even customize the color of the chain - so cute! I'm such a sucker for bright colors. The bikes retail for $399 plus $34 shipping charges for the US.

Bike, so hot right now.

First Look: J. Aldridge by Sea of Shoes

17 yr old Texan blogger, Jane Aldridge of Sea of Shoes and Urban Outfitters are collaborating on a capsule collection of 3 pairs of shoes named J. Aldridge by Sea of Shoes. It will be exclusive to Urban Outfitters and debut in July. Jane is best known for her love of shoes and she can be seen wearing YSL Cage shoes, Stella McCartney Mesh Heels and others on her blog. Congrats Jane!

Her designs take from elements of her fave shoes to create what the press release describes as:

Dramatic knee-high brown leather peep-toe boots feature top-stitched detailing and lacing at the front, black gladiator heels with studs and twin buckle straps, and lace-up, pointy skimmers.

"I'm really excited to bring my designs to Urban Outfitters," says Aldridge. "The inspiration for this collection is a mish-mash of some of the elements of my favorite pairs—sort of Victoriana meets gladiator warrior."

Which look is your fave?

Please Don't Touch...Listen: Polly Scattergood

Artist: Polly Scattergood

Recommended If You Like: Bat for Lashes, Lykke Li, Florence and The Machine

Polly Scattergood is a British singer-songwriter from whose quirky, electro-pop sound first got my attention on Urban Outfitter's LSTN #3 with the track "Nitrogen Pink". Her voice is a slight raspy whisper, her lyrics raw honesty and her melodies slightly dark and unsettling. But her song "Please Don't Touch" got completely hooked. She self titled debut album on May 19, 2009 in the US but she has penned over 800 songs before this debut.

You can check out her music on her myspace.com/pollyscattergood or download the tracks Please Don't Touch and Nitrogen Pink via LSTN #5 & 3

dupli-CAUGHT Mogil vs. Urban Outfitters

Mogil Coeur, $198 vs
Deena & Ozzy/Urban Outfitters, $38
Both cute gladiator sandals with zippers down the front. The difference is in the quality and the details. I've seen the pair at Urban Outfitters in real life, and they were cute from afar but up close they were noticeably cheap in quality. The zipper, pleather, and poor stitching made them look like a pair of shoes from Forever 21.

The original Mogil pair is made with suede and has three side straps; the pair at Urban as mentioned above are pleather and have four straps. Also what appears to be a thicker ankle strap on the Mogil pair is actually a series of three well-placed straps.

I'm not saying you should drop $198 on sandals, but I am saying Urban Outfitters may be stealing "inspiration".

dupli-CAUGHT: Urban Outfitters vs. American Apparel

Urban Outfitters has a bit of a reputation for copying others. And is it just me or have they found a way to copy "basics" from American Apparel?


Tribal print leggings
American Apparel, Afrika Printed High-Waist Legging, $34 vs
Urban Outfitters, Silence & Noise Aztec Legging, $32I prefer the print from AA over the one from UO since the distribution of black vs white is more even. Plus, I don't like the semi-geometric patterns on the UO leggings - especially the third and fourth rows.


Faux snakeskin leggings
American Apparel, Shiny Legging in Boa Black, $42 vs
Urban Outfitters, Silence & Noise Python Legging, now $34 (retail $48)I've seen both in real life. The American Apparel ones are thicker with much better seams, but I spotted a pair on $10 clearance at the Urban Outfitters in East Village and caved.


Figure Skater Tunic Dress
American Apparel, Nylon Tricot Figure Skater Dress, $48
Urban Outfitters, Silence & Noise Coated Tunic, $32Urban Outfitters calls it "coated tunic", but the product description reads, "Hit the ice in this figure skating-inspired tunic that is fitted at the bodice and flared at the swingy skirt." When they say figure skating-inspired, do they mean American Apparel-inspired? I'm not saying American Apparel is the creator of this design, but I think it's fair to credit them with the return of 1970's semi-athletic apparel.

Hurray for options! Made in the USA, sweatshop-free or not.  It's interesting that Urban Outfitters priced their leggings out to be the same as American Apparels, especially since we all know "Made in China" is cheaper than "Made in Downtown LA".

I'd like to take this opportunity to complain about the decline in quality at Urban Outfitters.  Erin recently bought a pair of tights that snagged almost instantly, and I bought a woven belt that was assembled backwards.  And a couple weeks ago, my friend Rose tried on a dress.  It would have been cute if the straps weren't different lengths!  Anyone else notice this?

LSTN Up: Free Music!

Urban Outfitters has released LSTN #3, a playlist of 21 Tracks that are yours to download absolutely free! Urban Outfitters calls the artists featured, " 21 bands and artists who, if they aren’t already big news in 2009, surely will be soon". Featured artists include the Faunts, Telepathe, Black Lips, Vetiver and Theives Like Us. If you missed the previous LSTN's they are available here.

Now Wearing...

Surprise, surprise...I love sparkle! This was my planned NYE outfit but I ended up doing something low-key so I actually wore it out a couple nights later...As for shoes, I wore my Delman Over the Knee Boots.

Feather Hat - Urban Outfitters
Sequin Dress - Lux, Urban Outfitters
Shiny Leggings - Xhilaration, Target
Small Studded Purse - Betsey Johnson
Bow Necklace - Dominique Cohen for Target


Shopping Tip: I bought the dress & hat online last year and learned that Urban Outfitters pricing online and in store is completely different! The dress was $70 cheaper online and the hat was $20 cheaper! For some things the store is cheaper so if you have time I would definitely recommend checking out both before a purchase.