Luxury Shopping in a Recession? Yes.
So instead of attending San Francisco’s Twestival, on Thursday night I spent about $90 and came out ahead with one pair of leather boots, patent peep toes and a delicious meal of Mexican food with close friends. It may not have been exactly what Twestival promised—a $20 charitable donation for a night of networking, social schmoozing and an opportunity to match actual faces with people’s Twitter avatars—but my shopping excursion was well worth it and gave my morale a hefty boost.
Sadly, this San Francisco-based handbag & shoe company known for its delicious leathers, patterned patents & placement on Gossip Girl, is going out of business. Brand new heels, flats, weekender bags and clutches—typically way overpriced, even when on sale or on eBay—were being grabbed off the hole-in-the-wall Mission Street warehouse’s shelves for ridiculously slashed prices, and damaged (but easily fixable or hardly noticeable) ones at even higher discounts.
A year ago, at one of the brand’s seasonal sample sales, I walked away with an $800 bag for $50, a bag I’ve carried on my shoulder nearly every day since I bought it, and it’s hardly showing signs of the many bus seats, cafe tables and floors on which it has rested or under-the-bar hooks from which it has hung.
So what did I walk away with at the last Goldenbleu sale … ever? (Tear.)
These navy peep-toes for a mere $25 (The designer lines at Payless go for more than that, and they’re not even real leather!):
And these “desert pearl” (i.e. slightly metallic, light brownish colored) boots for $45, the box of which is tagged with the original price … $475:
One of my girlfriends walked away with this bag but in black … for $10! All it needs is a small grommet to resecure the handle.
Who said luxury shopping in a recession was impossible? They obviously don’t know where to shop!
Top photo courtesy of MyFashionLife.com
LOVE LOVE LOVE the peep-toes!
The Goldenbleu heels are my new favorite thing I don’t own… I am so jealous…
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