The Dirty Martini Diaries

Life, Love, and a Big Splash of Olive Juice

January 17, 2010 by: Lulu

The One Where I Pretend To Know Something About Fashion

One of my favorite things do do while visiting Dallas is get my outlet shop on. I know I live in arguably the best shopping city in the entire world, but shopping in Manhattan? And affording rent and food and other such things as well? Let’s just say the last time I purchased clothing was right before my bachelorette party. Last February. I savor my yearly pilgrimage to visit my parents, eat way way WAY too much Taco Bell (my favorite), and traipse through all the Last Calls, DSWs, and Targets I can find.

One new resource I’ve come to lurrrrrve, when it comes to the land of bargain shopping, is the outlet mall. I’ve never been much of a bargain-hunting fashionista, and grade myself a complete and utter FAIL when it comes to stores like TJ Maxx, but have always had amazing luck when it comes to shopping the outlets.

I’m always a little leery of the more ‘style-inclined’ brands at the outlet mall (aka anything that is not J. Crew or Ralph Lauren, or the ‘unmentionables’ store. Love me some Wonderbras on the cheap). For some reason, I always lumped BCBG’s stylings in with bebe, and any store like bebe give this conservative dressin’-girl a *serious* case of the heebie jeebies. (Maybe it’s because my style inclination could best be described as hybrid nerdy corporate American/repressed 1950’s housewife, but I just don’t believe that ‘mesh inset cutout‘ should be a part of one’s style vocabulary.)

That said, one of my *favorite* ever dresses, as white frilly BCBG number I sported for our rehearsal dinner, changed my mind about the brand. (and, may I mention that it was only $20 at Last Chance in Phoenix? It was like 4 sizes too big, but after a trip to my mom’s seamstress, I had a custom-fitted BCBG dress on my hands for less than $40. Natch.)

With some of my childhood besties at our rehersal dinner

While on my yearly pilgrimage to the Allen Premium Outlets, I hesitantly agreed to visit the BCBG outlet store.

Oh. My. Goodness.

For some reason, the retail gods decided to part the inventory clouds- and instead of an expected sea of badly-woven, shiny spandex dresses and fishnet/sequin/lame combinations, I found a *fantastic* amount of day-to-evening work ensembles.

I’d like to introduce you to my new favorite work brand- Max and Cleo.Max & Cleo
Max & Cleo by dirtymartinidairies on Polyvore.com

I think that the best thing about these dresses is that they completely take the guesswork out of the whole blouse + skirt = fabulous, stylish outfit combination that seems to have eluded my closet for so long. You could throw a suit jacket over any of these for the look of a polished 3-piece outfit, or add some dark tights, heels, and chunky jewelry for cocktails with your girls. And, getting them for 60% off at the outlets. That, Darling Reader, A to the Mazing.

xoxo,

Lulu

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