I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about outlet shopping (and Woodbury Commons) on here, especially since I’ve tailored this blog around bargain shopping (and I visit the outlets a lot). And yes, I know luxury brands don’t really tie in realistically with my message. But, there is a way to get those luxury items without paying full retail price for them: outlet stores. I happen to have grown up 10 minutes away from one of the most popular in the Hudson Valley — Woodbury Commons. I spent many an August weekend there doing back-to-school shopping … a tradition I have still held onto even though I am 4 years out of school haha. They also have great sidewalk sales which feature extra discounts on top of the already-low sale prices.
Yesterday I happened to head there with my boyfriend after a visit with the family, and we decided to check the Coach outlet for the wallet I’d asked for for my birthday next month — a beautiful whiskey brown leather french purse-style wallet from the Legacy Collection. I was thrilled to find ONE left in the store — and it had been heavily discounted (!) from the MSRP of $218 to $199 to $99 less 20%. This is an absolute no-brainer … especially if the styles you are looking for are several months gone from the stores … something that the outlet stores specialize in. So I left with a genuine Coach leather wallet for about $80. Such a steal. And they had great discounts on their bags, too.
At many of these outlet centers you will find Gap Factory outlets, Banana Republic Factory and J. Crew outlets. I remember last fall I got a classic velvet navy blue blazer from J. Crew for $60 — they retail for $150 and up in the stores. Honestly, you need a whole morning or afternoon, comfortable shoes, and a lot of energy to navigate the stores, but the discounts really do make it worth it.
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