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    $200 Jeans vs $25 Jeans

    When do $200 jeans sell better than $25 jeans? When they are discount William Rast.

    When William Rast, Justin Timberlake’s fashion line launched at Target in December, there was a flashy launch party and lots of media hype. We expected the affordable denim and buttery leather jackets to sell out in a flash. Fast forward almost two months, a 50% discount and shoppers can still find the same items from the initial collab launch sadly hanging on racks.

    The disappointing sales could be understood if the product were inferior but a quick review of shopper comments reveal that consumers love the jeans, tees and accessories. As a matter of fact, most items received four and five star reviews. One comment on the Target website says, “If you want to be booty fabulous buy these jeans! I’ve gotten more compliments and men asking for my number since I started rocking these jeans. THANK YOU JT!”

    Another shopper reviewed the aforementioned leather jacket with these words: “This is a gorgeous jacket. The leather is of a quality rarely seen at this price. William Rast is cutting edge fashion and I paid more than double for a similar jacket in cloth. Slim fitting, nice color. Very flattering on.”

    Maybe this situation is a prime example of brand and price psychology. Could it be that discount jeans are less valued than those that sell at Barneys for a premium? Maybe Target customers weren’t educated enough about the fashion worthiness of the pop-star’s eye for style? Perhaps the collection too closely resembled items you could find at your local Gap?

    Whatever the reason, we suggest that you take advantage of these deep discounts and size and style section right away. How can one really argue the merit of $25 jeans, $9 tees and $100 leather jackets? Seems better than the The Gap to us. We would just suggest that Mary Kate and Ashley keep the Row away from Main Street.

    D&G 50% Off

    It seems a bit late in the season for a half-off sale but it appears as if this horrible weather could be keeping customers in a winter state of mind. If you’re still in the market for bundle-up items, D&G has reduced fall and winter merchandise up to 50% off. What’s better is that the sale is also online, so you don’t even need to put on a coat to take advantage of the discount.

    A classic lace and satin halter dress is $288 from $375, fur ankle boots are $623 from $1,245 and a tweed jacket is $698 from $1395. Bags, beachwear and underwear are only reduced 30% and we all know that’s not enough incentive to make purchases from a collection nearing its expiration date.

    Valentine’s Day Gift Idea: Bose Headphones

    There are a handful of things that excite a man as much as ladies and their discount Louboutins. There are sports cars, fancy watches and electronics. Hey, men are pretty simple like that. It’s one of the things we love.

    One way to catch the ear of your audiophile man is to gift him with Bose IE2 Headphones. We have it on good authority that these headphones are super comfortable and light because of the silicone earpiece. Did we mention the sound quality? Two enthusiastic thumbs up!

    Bose IE2 audio headphones $100-$130

    Betsey Johnson 80% Off

    It may be too cold and slushy to walk up Madison but that won’t stop us from scouting great sales. During a quick ride up the Avenue, we noticed that Betsey Johnson is hosting a sale where winter merchandise is 80% off. A markdown like that is too attractive to resist.

    The crowded sale rack is full with interesting frocks that are an additional 60% off the already reduced price. We spotted a great gray cheetah print knit cape with a final price of just about $20, a dress that was about $330 is reduced to $85 and a little lace jacket for $30 from almost $200.

    There is a markdown running on the Betsey Johnson website but we think the prices in the boutique may have been less. Then again, shopping online doesn’t require a car and driver or creeping through slush.

    Valentine’s Day Gift Idea: Baccarat Heart

    Valentine’s Day is such a ray of sunshine in the middle of the dark depth of winter. What can be more wonderful than a token of love on the dreariest days. Although some shoppers take the holiday to the extreme, we are personally fond of the small and thoughtful gift. From now until February 14th, we will be suggesting some small ideas to warm a heart even when there’s 15-inches of snow on the ground.

    Baccarat is known for their flawless glass. Now it’s time to share some of your flawless love with a big red glass heart. The ruby crystal heart comes with a matching cord and is just about the perfect way to say, I love you (or I really like you a lot).

    Baccarat Glamour Heart Pendant $225

    Are They BagSnobs or BagBullies?

    Today, a fellow blogger started a Twitter campaign against counterfeit goods called, “Say No to Fakes.” The original tweet was:

    BagSnob: Let’s start each Monday w/ #SayNoToFake campaign! If u see someone with a fake bag, twitpic them. It will take all of us to stop fake bags!
    Although we don’t condone counterfeiting in anyway, these types of campaigns seem to target young ladies and girls and expose them to ridicule and public humiliation. By singling out women who may not be able to afford the most coveted fashion of the moment we run the risk of creating an environment of myopic judgment and prejudice.

    As a matter of fact, a study in 2009 from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, found that 46% of those who bought a counterfeit brand-name purse, went and bought the real thing within two and a half years. The study continued to report that the claims from the industry about the supposed “harm” from counterfeiting wasn’t just overblown, but were blown so far out of proportion as to be ridiculous.

    Although there may be a moral issue associated with stealing another person’s creative design, we believe the cost of personal degradation is much higher. We would advise BagSnob to retract their twitpic campaign and make a more concerted effort to highlight fashionable designer alternatives.

    If you like, be a snob but don’t be a bully.

    Follow-up: BagSnob responded and said that the intention was never to single out individuals but to help consumers identify counterfeit merchandise through photographs.
    At MadisonAvenueSpy. we agree that there is an entire universe of knock-offs, from Moncler coats to synthetic diamonds. It is a tragic situation any time a customer is “taken” by a charlatan. We are glad that this topic is being discussed and look forward to working together in creating an eduction platform.

    Dannijo Valentine’s Sale

    Dannijo, one of our favorite fashion jewelry brands, is hosting a sale where jewels will start at just $10. Prices usually range from to $200 to $350 for earrings and up to $850 for necklaces and bracelets.

    The sale is just two hours but we expect it to be the perfect opportunity to pick up a fashionable Valentine’s Day gift. And what’s more fashionable than buying yourself exactly what you want?

    Dannijo
    Tuesday, February 1st, 5:30pm to 7:30pm
    423 West 14th Street, #3R
    Buzzer #8

    Anik Winter Clearance

    Anik, a Madison Avenue boutique that is popular for their inexpensive private label cashmere, is hosting a winter sale, where sweaters are priced from just $79. Anik’s cashmere sweaters normally range in price from $250 to $500.

    The store has two locations one at Madison at 83rd and the other at Third Avenue at 77th. We suggest heading east to the Third Avenue location for a larger selection of sizes and styles.

    Some customers complain about the quality of the cashmere at Anik, but we have always had good luck with the heavier gage winter sweaters. No need to hand wash them, this isn’t the quality of Lauro Piano.