Zannee’s Blog at BargainsLA.com

Okay I admit it, I have a daughter who loves fashion but impossible to buy for. Too persnickety. She’ll take items out of my closet but won’t let me buy stuff for her. So my BFF, Auntie Liz took her shopping without me. Full retail bliss shopping a store I abhor…. Limited Too!

Overpriced with amazingly rude and stupid sales people, I stopped going in to Limited Too years ago. My daughter never got over it. I do buy her amazing things from sample and warehouse sales that are higher in quality and at much less than what Limited Too charges. She just wanted to be let loose to shop without me. So I let her loose to shop with my BFF at a store I abhor and left.

Okay I get it. It’s more fun with some one else than mom.

Keeping a stiff upper lip, I wonder off into Bloomingdales to cruise around. There, before me was my new fav handbag line by Kooba. How fun examining their new lovely Fall bags… when yee gads! Not one of them had the colorful interior suede lining that I so adored about this line. It was a cheaper bland canvas lining instead.

Oh the disappointment! The lowering of quality on such a fabulous line of handbags…UGH! However, the prices didn’t seem lower. I had to wonder if I was the only one to be disappointed.

From there I went into Victoria Secret to try find a fabulous sexy bra. No luck. Then I tried the sale at Ann Taylor. Nothing.

When I finally met back up with my glorious shopping BFF and daughter, my shoulders were slumped from the many disappointments I had just experienced. My daughter happily paraded her fabulous buys in front of me… none of them were a bargain. Oh there goes the budget! I don’t think I’ll let her loose again for awhile.

What I needed was some espresso to lift me out of the doldrums. At $3 it wasn’t a bargain either…. But it did make me feel better.

Resale boutique Rodeo Drive Resale is having an online sale and in store coupon sale with additional savings of 15% online when you use the code Summer15 at check out.

With high end designer names here at 50%-80% below the original retail you can really score on Gucci, Fendi, Prada, True Religion, Paul Smith, Burberry, YSL, Tods Marc Jacobs and more. www.RodeoDriveResale.com

I personally am eyeing this red Dolce & Gabana bag at $499

and this Kooba Bag (yes- I am still nuts on Kooba) at $349. I guess I will have to contain myself.

Both of these are 40%-60% below the original retail… Plus if ya use the coupon you can get an extra 15% off…. that’s an additional $50-$75 savings. If you want to go in just print put the coupon below for extra savings.

Check out these St. John Knits.

In a size 6 at $869. That’s a heck of a lot better than the original $2200! The ruffled blouse original sold for $490. It’s now priced at $124 at Rodeo Drive Resale. Thru 7/8.

Click here for printable version of in store 15% off coupon

More….

ShopBop.com is having their Summer Sale with 30%-70% off throughout their site. Plus if you use code FIREWORKS07 at checkout you’ll get receive $20 off orders of $100 or more, $50 off orders of $250 or more, and $100 off orders of $500 or more. Thru 7/4.
www.shopbop.com

Also Betsy Johnson is having a 30%-50% off on her website starting 7/4.
http://www.betseyjohnson.com/

Shop away!

I make mental wish lists on a regular basis. Lately I’ve been pining for some Nanette Lepore clothing and Kooba Handbags. I keep these wants in mind when I pop into discount boutiques and sample sales. Though I keep an open mind when shopping, I am always on the look out for these “want to haves”.

Last week when I popped into Dressed Up in Tarzana. The owner, Michael Weintraub had just started a new discount pricing system. Everything in the store is now always 25%-50% off of the original retail price. These are brand new, in season current dressy goods and accessories by Sue Wong, Badgley Mischka, Nicole Miller, Alberto Makali and more. Plus right now he’s having 50% off 50% off sale …. Or 75% off.

His new pricing system had scores of women shopping and buying. But since I don’t hits clubs much anymore, I admired but passed on the sexy dresses. I was about to leave when Michael mentioned he still had some handbags left over from Ruthie’s closing sale. I asked if by chance any of them were Kooba. He said he had one left.… I went ballistic.

If you haven’t seen these bags up close, you may not understand why they are such a great line. They are beautifully crafted, high quality leather, uniquely designed bags. But at $540-$700 a piece at retail, I was well out of my spending comfort zone.

Michael had 5 handbags locked away in a glass cabinet by the dressing rooms. One was the Kooba bags I had been pining so badly for. It was a black Annie bag from Winter 2006.

And it was on sale… not at 25% off, not at 50% off,
but the 50% off of the 50% off price….It was now $157 instead of the original $625. What a steal!

This very hip bohemian shoulder bag is super roomy with laced-up leather gussets on the flap and body, bronze studs on the straps and exterior of bag. Two pockets in the front, perfect for cell phones and PDA’s. The interior is finely finished in suede with 3 separate pockets great for sunglasses and makeup. It took all of three seconds for me to make the decision to buy it….I knew it was the best price I was ever going to find for one.

Because this bag is from two seasons ago it’s currently selling at Saks for $436 and $375 at BlueFly.com. I still got the absolute best price. Wish I could tell you Dressed Up had more Kooba bags, but I got the last one. It pays to pop into your favorite discounters

Dressed Up, 6000 Reseda Blvd., (in back) Tarzana 818.708.7238