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    Beyond Mansur Gavriel: Bucket Bags

    Mansur Gavriel bags may be the hottest trend for the spring. The waiting list for their iconic black and red bucket back may as long as long as Gulfstream’s list for a G650. Luckily the Mansur Gavriel bags are less money than the long-range aircraft. Just be warned, prices on the next shipment of bags are up about 25% from last season.

    Taking the price inflation and hype over this brand, we would seriously recommend investing in an alternative bucket bag. Some of our favorites include the Louis Vuitton Noe drawstring bag, which can be found on eBay for just about the same price as the Mansur Gavriel version. A denim Chanel bag with a chain drawstring is also priced under $600 and black and it doesn’t get more 80s fabulous than a white MCM bucket bag for $300.

    You can check out my entire collection of bucket bag selection here on eBay. We would love for you to comment about your predictions for the Mansur Gavriel brand and hear what you think about our eBay bucket bag alternatives.

    My eBay Collections were curated as part of my collaboration with eBay.

    Save the Date: David Yurman Sample Sale

    We hope you’ve been stashing cash because the David Yurman sample sale is set to start Thursday, March 27. Discounts normally range from 30% to 60% off retail and 10% of all proceeds on the first day of the sale will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

    During the last sale we didn’t find many classic Yurman pieces. We did, however, find a lot of Petite Albion items. Rings and earrings with semi-precious stones were 30% and 50% off, depending on the particular item. For example, silver and pearl varieties were 30% off. Most of the jewelry selection was composed of link-type items and a few cable styles. Most of the iconic cable pieces were discontinued just 30% off. The watch selection was quite limited, but all timepieces were 50% off retail.

    We are very much in love with the colorful Yurman aluminum bangles ($350) but doubt they will be at the sale. There aren’t additional markdowns taken throughout the sale, so were suggest going early to get the best selection. The David Yurman outlet is always a good alternative if you can’t find time within your day to make it to sample sale.

    David Yurman Sample Sale
    Thursday, March 27th through Sunday, March 30th
    Thurs 3pm to 8pm, Fri & Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 11am—5pm
    135 W. 18th St (The Altman Building b/w 6th & 7th Ave)

    Get Ready for Spring at Royal East Shop

    Now that it’s officially March, we are ready to throw away those over-used snow boots and start planning for sunny spring break. Top on our list of must-haves are colorful prints and playful basics.

    Online store, Royal East Shop launched just last month and offers all of the ideal get-away items we desire. The best part is that the prices are super competitive. Check out these bright Rosena Sammi bracelets. While many stores are already sold out, Royal East Shop is selling a set of six for $47. We are also obsessed with this Missoni-like Agua Bendita cover-up and this translucent box clutch for just $43. We also love the Dimepiece tops that speak our mind: ‘cause honey, “love don’t pay the bills.”


    In honor of their grand opening, Royal East Shop is offering customers an extra 10% off and free shopping. Just use the code GRAND10 at checkout.

     Sponsored Post

    Peter Pilotto on Clearance

    The Peter Pilotto collection for Target hit stores on February 9th and less than a month later the merchandise has hit the clearance racks. The entire collection is discounted about 30% off and almost every item is still in stock online and in many Manhattan surrounding stores.

    Although the Brittish designer is loved by fashion insiders, he isn’t commercially known throughout the United Sates. We imagine that most people, even in the New York area, had no idea who designed the kaleidoscopic prints. And, apparently, not too many consumers wanted to jump into the rainbow of Pilotto’s separates. That just means more for us.

    Some of the collection’s most popular items are still available and are on sale. The iris print strapless dress is available in limited sizes and is now reduced to $56 from $80, the belted green floral print dress worn by actress Taylor Schilling at the launch party is $35 from $50 and this light blue floral and stripped sweatshirt is $21 from $30.

    Putting aside the most popular pieces, we prefer the more novel summer items. The brightly patterned beach towel for $17.50 from $25 and is a great hostess gift or a great way to brighten your poolside. The black and white print sneakers for $21 from $30 are as good as any Givenchy print slip-on sneaker. The iris print tote bag for $28 from $40 is also perfect for beach.

    Considering the disappointment of the last few collaborations, Target may want to give Missoni another chance. What do you think?

    Must Go: Monika Chiang Sample Sale

    We love to go to a great sample sale but it’s always sad when you know that the deals come along with the demise of a designer. It’s no secret that the Monika Chiang brand had trouble getting traction among consumers but the end is always a surprise.

    Sample sale organizers wouldn’t confirm that this was a liquidation sale. It’s not a leap to assume that the company is closing considering the brand’s well-publicized layoffs, there’s no retail distribution this season and the website wasn’t stocked with spring merchandise. So, we say good-bye to Monika Chiang and suggest that shoppers not miss this shopping opportunity.

    Inside the sale, you will find leather moto jackets (toupee, wine and blue-grey) reduced to $100 from almost $1000. There were still a few motos in black but all were a size xs. Leather pants are all priced at $80 and the inventory includes stretch leather leggings (silver, black, gray), leather cargo (black), leather moto (black, gray, light blue, pink) and leather sweat-pants (black). The retail prices on most of these styles range from $700 to $1100. We also found a selection of leather body-suits and tops, both for $65 from $795.

    We admit, it’s hard to get past all the leather that’s reduced about 90% but there are still lots of other sale items. Almost everything from the Fall 2013 presentation can be found at the sale. The heavy weight canvas jackets and long wool coats are $100. The sale also has a full rack of stretch dresses with sexy mesh incerts for $50 from $325. There are also racks of assorted tees and tops. None were very interesting to most shoppers.

    All of the bags are priced at $50, which is a huge discount from about $600. There are lots of these leather embossed clutches, this large hobo and this pony shoulder bag. The shoe selection is mostly tranny heels and cheesy over-embellished wedge sneakers. Although the shoe styles aren’t very desirable, the all-under-$69-price-point is. Every shoe from the Monika Chiang site is represented at the sale. The OTK boots and shearling boots were the only styles that completely sold out.

    Click clack your mouse on the link below to see a full range of photos from the sale, along with the complete price sheet.

    Monika Chaing Sample Sale
    Monday, March 3 through Sunday, March 9
    Mon—Sat 10am—7pm, Sun 10am—3pm
    225 Fifth Ave (btwn 26th and 27th

    Monika Chiang Sample Sale

    Monika Chiang is one of those contemporary designers that goes a bit too unnoticed. Her designs resemble those of very high-end designers but the mass production and lower price point makes her collections a lot more affordable.

    Monika’s designs will be even be more pocket friendly with the start of her sample sale, on Monday. We are told that leather jackets will start at $100 and leather pants will be priced at $80. For reference, a leather jacket is usually pried at about $1000 and stretch leather pants are only a bit less than that. The quality of these items very much resembles that of Tory Burch. (Har,har.) Dresses will be priced at $50, jewelry will be priced from $20 to $40 and shoes between $40 to $65.

    This summer, Monika hosted a sample sale of just accessories and shoes, which was a huge hit. Bags were all priced under $100 shoes were all under $100. According to those-in-the-know, tomorrows prices will even be better. We would also consider the how long this sample sale is scheduled and can only assume that the amount of merchandise will be huge! (If only, Monika’s Birkin collection was included…) Be on the lookout for sale details tomorrow.

    Monika Chaing Sample Sale
    Monday, March 3 through Sunday, March 9
    Mon—Sat 10am—7pm, Sun 10am—3pm
    225 Fifth Ave (btwn 26th and 27th)