Tag Archives: shopping

Do You Wash New Clothes Before You Wear Them?

Erin FlahertyJanuary 14, 2010 //

OK, so forgive me for missing this crazy-ass “Good Morning America” report last week, but after coming across it today, I could stand silent no more and simply had to share: Turns out, new clothes are so freakin’ filthy and disgusting that even I am grossed out by them, and that’s saying a lot. Not sure about you folks, but, personally, I never wash new clothes before wearing them. Maybe I would — and something always told me I probably should — but I live in NYC so I don’t have a washer and dryer and it’s an expensive time suck to do laundry. (That said, I do get around to it. Eventually.) Anyway, sneaky “GMA” investigators bought a bunch of new shirts and crap, and then had a microbiologist test the fabric for contamination.

Ladies and gentlemen, the results will shock you.
Keep reading »

The Matthew Williamson E-Commerce Site Is Up!

Erin FlahertyJanuary 13, 2010 //

As so often is the case when it comes to the tastiest of fashion morsels, there’s good news, and, well, there’s bad news. We couldn’t be happier to discover that, as of today, super groovy designer Matthew Williamson’s gorgeous wares are officially on sale online for all the ladies who care to shop to their hearts’ contents from the convenience of home. The sad news is, unlike most web retailers clearing out their inventories via major post-holiday clearance discounts right now, there’s nary a red tag in site over at club Williamson. With that in mind, we made some sacrifices and forced ourselves to look at the lower priced items, where we managed to fall in love with this completely affordable brocade belt which retails for $895. Cough. [Matthew Williamson] Keep reading »

Our Favorite Post-Holiday Deals

Wendy AtterberryJanuary 12, 2010 //

Let’s face it — shopping in January can be a lot more fun than shopping during the madness of the holidays. For one thing, the pressure to find everyone the perfect gift has been lifted, and most stores have slashed prices off the inventory in an effort to clear space for their spring stock. It can be the perfect time of year to find classic investment pieces for one’s home or wardrobe, or even fun pieces you wouldn’t want to pay the full price for. Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge, one of our favorite design blogs, took the New York Times shopping with her recently and found some great post-holiday deals on some super cute home stuff. I especially like the melamine tray she found at Fishs Eddy for under 8 bucks. Keep reading »

H&M Clothing Trash Scandal Update—Something’s Still Fishy

Leonora EpsteinJanuary 11, 2010 //

Shame, H&M, shame. Last week we learned that both the trend-forward retailer and Wal-Mart engage in the odd and wasteful practice of destroying unsold merchandise, and throwing it in the trash. Both companies scrambled to come up with apologetic statements, a rep for H&M vowing that it was an anomalous error that wouldn’t reoccur: “It will not happen again. We are committed 100 percent to make sure this practice is not happening anywhere else, as it is not our standard practice.”

Yet when New York’s WPIX recently returned to the scene of the crime, reporters came across an employee hauling bag after bag of shoes into a truck. When asked where the bags were going, the employee clearly stated, “In the trash,” as if it should be obvious. When they questioned if he was aware of H&M’s wasteful shredding and trashing method, he got shy, repeatedly saying, “I can’t comment on that.”

Of course, all of us are watching this, completely appalled. Why wouldn’t H&M or Wal-Mart drop the clothes off at a charity? It would require the same manpower and resources. Yet, there is a reason why retailers wouldn’t want their merchandise going back into circulation. Keep reading »

Do You Swap Clothes With Friends?

Bianca PosterliJanuary 10, 2010 //

She might have plenty of money to buy new clothes, but Reese Witherspoon would rather swap with friends. “There are three of us who wear pretty much the same size,” she said in an interview recently. “We’ll get together on a Friday night and I’ll bring clothes I want to trade and they’ll bring theirs. We swap shoes and handbags a lot. I wore my girlfriend’s dress to a wedding recently. It’s fun.”

After reading her quote, I got to thinking. While I’m a huge fan of vintage shopping (despite my mother’s displeasure with my second-hand finds), I never swap clothes with friends. It’s not that my friends aren’t stylish — quite the opposite really. Plus, we’re all just about the same size so clothes would fit perfectly, but as soon as I get tired of an item, I’ll throw it in the pile for Beacon’s Closet or Goodwill instead of thinking of the girls in my life. Shame on me. So here’s a New Year’s resolution I’ll add to the list: more girls’ nights complete with a swap theme. Gossip, drinks, plus new clothes!

What about you? Do you regularly swap with friends? [InStyle UK via SF Gate] Keep reading »

Cheapskate: Yoox

Lily QJanuary 7, 2010 //

Much like an endless online sample sale, Yoox.com plays host to scores of designer duds and regular person prices all the time. Now, however, even their sale stuff is even more on sale and the deals are a little ridiculous. Sizes can be a bit tricky to find, but if you’re willing to e-dig for a little bit, you’ll definitely find something for you. Our favorites after the jump. Keep reading »

Not Cool: H&M And Wal-Mart Trash Unsold Clothes

Leonora EpsteinJanuary 7, 2010 //

Where does unsold fashion merchandise go to die? In an ideal world, it would go to charity. For H&M and Wal-Mart, it apparently gets slashed so it’s unwearable, and then chucked in the garbage. One New Yorker made this sad discovery when she happened upon tons of black trash bags filled with H&M clothing ruined with intentional cuts and holes. Some of the items even included winter jackets that retailed for as much as $129, and the store location was down the street from a charity coat collection post. It looks as if Wal-Mart is also guilty of this wasteful procedure even though a company rep told the New York Times that clothes are “normally” donated.

How can this be?
Keep reading »

Lady Gaga Is A Shopaholic

Bianca PosterliJanuary 6, 2010 //

The crazy couture, the massive stage sets: It all comes with a price tag. For Lady Gaga, the cost of her accoutrement matters less than making sure her performances and appearances are over the top and up to her standards. Credit card bills and debt? Apparently, that’s a worry for tomorrow. But now her penchant for spending money has become a real problem, and her accountants are surely less than pleased. She not only dropped about $83,000 for the fabulous bathtub used just once for her X Factor performance, but the diva also spent about $800,000 on ONE stage set! Haus of Gaga outfits don’t come cheap either. Despite her sold-out tour, she’s reporting losses of about $3 million already. Yeesh. Lady needs to hire a financial planner and get a lock on those credit cards. [The Sun] Keep reading »

Guess Which Retailer This Super Hot Guy Is Modeling For

Leonora EpsteinJanuary 4, 2010 //

If Lands’ End models now look like this, then maybe that’s a sign the New Year is off to a great start.

Two brands that were previously momtastic—L.L. Bean and Lands’ End—have pulled an Eileen Fisher in re-branding for a trendier consumer. Both outdoorsy companies are launching bridge lines with wares that are younger and more current (meaning you won’t find any elastic waist bands or purple fleece jackets here). L.L. Bean’s range, called “Signature,” will also graduate from casual wear by offering men’s suits and fancy footwear for women. As a result of the upgrades, the two retailers have taken a new direction with their catalog styling and photography to produce more fashion-forward spreads. A fresh change from kids in backpacks and middle-aged couples in puffy vests—yet, these photos do look like J. Crew rips, which we’re not sure is a good or bad thing.

Keep reading »

Shoplifters Of The World Use Gift Cards

Leonora EpsteinJanuary 1, 2010 //

Forget that gift cards generally make lousy presents, another reason why they’re an all-around bad idea: they’re becoming popular vehicles of crime. The New York Times reports that more and more, retail employees are committing theft by manipulating stores’ gift cards. When you think about it, these electronic devices are far more clever than filling one’s pockets up with cash or goods, as it’s essentially hidden money. Joshua Bamfield, author of the Global Retail Theft Barometer, tells the Times, “To employees, this is like currency. It’s almost as good as the U.S. dollar.”

So what should you be looking out for? One popular tactic is for a clerk to distract you while they hand you a zero-value card and take your money themselves. Ask them to verify the value in front of you, or come back and ask a different employee to check the balance. Thank you for reading this very important PSA. [New York Times] Keep reading »

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