Thought I would chart a different course today and simply write a mini-article. As you may or may not know, this blog was born out of frustration. Time after time, I would enter stores or read blogs in search of fun and attractive clothing or products, and nearly every time I would leave angry. The pretension, exclusivity and downright bad manners that were being conveyed were overwhelming! Whether it was face to face or electronically, feeling the effects of snobbery drained me, and ultimately kept me from making many purchases. I finally decided that if I want to find fun products without the pretension, I would need to do it myself. And that brings us to now.
So today, for your reading pleasure, I bring you Five signs you may be in a snobby store.
1. You have no idea who is working there.
Red Flag #1 is walking into a store and having no clue who is there to help you. I'm certainly not saying that they have to be wearing a blue smock and greet you at the door, but if you have been there for 2-3 minutes and have NO CLUE who the employees are, it's probably because they are too busy talking to each other to help customers, and they blend in too much with the clientèle. They probably feel they are above this position, and are only working there for the clothes. Which means the clothes are great, but the store carries a massive attitude. Not worth it. Find what you need online and spare yourself the frustration of having to beg these people to let you try on something.
2. You have no idea how much anything costs.
Red Flag #2 is being in a store that can't bother with something like labeling its merchandise with prices. Again, you don't have to announce it with a big sign, but a tiny tag that you have to search all over god's green earth for is irritating. Especially when you (finally) find said tag only to read in the tiniest writing imaginable something ludicrous like, "94-" or "129-" on a tank top. Because, of course, the last thing you would be concerned with is the price of the item. How gauche! I am aware that some people don't have to worry about price. Good for them. Most of us do, however, and fighting a garment to find a highly disappointing price is not worth it.
3. The sale prices are more than disappointing.
Red Flag #3 is going through the "sale" rack and finding even the lowest markdown egregious. Merchandise needs to move, and snobby stores don't seem to completely get that, especially in areas where there isn't all that much money or practicality seems to rule (i.e., Vermont). Yes, I get it, your product is so fabulous and your store is so unique and snowflake-like that you have every right to mark it up far beyond the realm of fair margins. You are gifting us plebeians with a "sale" of 10% off overpriced, and we should shut up and like it. This may work in many areas and with many people, but it doesn't hold any water with this Midwestern girl. Your shabby 10% off can rot on the rack for all I care. Not worth it.
4. The inventory is slow to change.
Red(dish) flag #4 is an inventory that is really, really slow to change. I am a little hesitant on this one, because this sometimes depends on location and circumstances, and could happen at the Goodwill as well as the snobby stores. Let's say this rule has to be paired with another behavior listed above before we go labeling the store snobby, just to be fair. That being said, at snobby stores, inventory is slow to move due to some of the reasons listed above, and as they are slower to mark things down to reasonable prices, inventory tends to rot. After all, this is the best of the best, and they're not going to just give it to you. Not for a fair price, anyway. If you see the same stuff and you haven't set foot in the store for a few months, you may be in a snobby store. If you wait another month and it's finally on markdown for 10% off the regular price, you're definitely in a snobby store. Even if you somehow get it at an okay price, keep in mind it's been sitting there for a long time - and been tried on many, many times. Overpriced, old and practically used? Not worth it.
5a. You leave feeling bad about yourself.
If you leave a store feeling fat, poor, unstylish, intimidated, or a mix of all of them, you've probably just left a snobby store. Unhelpful staff, disappointing prices, and the snobby clothing cut (which I'll post about next week) can all come together in a perfect storm to really mess with your head. NOTE - if you have problems unrelated to the store that you carried with you into the store, then it's not the store's fault. I'm not talking about blaming the store for your hangups/ baggage, I'm talking about you feeling right with the world until you walked into that store, and leaving feeling disturbed as a direct result of store contact.
5b. You don't feel like you belong at the store/are afraid to ask for help.
This kind of ties in with #1 but deserves its own rant. It usually begins with being ignored by sales staff, but it doesn't end there. This can come from a lot of things: store music choice, store set up, finding price tags that are astonishing, no direction from staff (i.e., approaching a fitting room and having no idea if it's okay to go in and no one to tell you it's okay), and limited interaction at the point of sale, to name a few. None of these things are okay and pretty much go against the principles of customer service. But don't snobby stores just feel above that anyway? We're not asking for over the top. You don't need to wear a bunch of flair and get in our faces. We're simply asking to be treated like a member of the human race when we walk through the door. Patronizing those who don't seem to employ the milk of human kindness in their business practices? Not worth it by a mile.
Well, there you have it. I could go on a lot longer, but time doesn't permit and I'm sure you're about done with it for now. Tomorrow I'll be back with a wonderful find that not only helps your closet but helps others as well - the perfect marriage, in my opinion. In the meantime, remember the golden rule, mind your manners, and always wash your hands before dinner.
Lots of matronly Love, kasey
The first part of today's title is certainly spot-on. I feel like we've all entered a time machine and gotten blasted back to January weather. Ugh! I'm so tired of the cold as I am sure everyone else is. There is something about March that makes me feel entitled to warmer weather. I've been doing it since I was little - I completely expect higher temps as soon as 3/1 rolls around and get mad at the outside when it doesn't cooperate.
Well, since Mama Nature is doing what she wants, you may as well please yourself by checking out these great sneakers I found on Eastbay. Have I mentioned how much I like Eastbay? I've been getting their catalog for the better part of 15 years now, and along with having a LOT of inventory, they have some pretty great sales on a frequent basis.
Today's pick are some great sneakers, something I have only recently learned the value of. I used to be a straight heel girl, you see. I needed to tower at all times, and didn't realize the infinite value of having comfortable feet paired (ha ha) with stylish combinations of color and fabric. I do now, and my back thanks me regularly.
I love the retro feel of these Etnies, especially the rubber bottom. I also like the fact that they are not pure white, which is something I personally can't handle in my sneaker. For 30 bucks, these are a great deal. Rock them with jeans, shorts and no socks (my personal fave), a short skirt, or a bikini (another fave).
Etnies Women's Lo Slip V - $29.99 on Eastbay.com
Heart, Kasey
It may be an outdated term, but I thought I was going to see stars when I fell last night and most likely broke/chipped my finger. Unbelievable! Ah well, I was having fun when it happened, so that's the price one pays.
Luckily, you won't have to pay a very high price at all to buy this fun rug! Simply go to your local Kmart and shell out 5 bucks. It's supposed to have a patriotic feel, but it reminds me more of a comic book or fun stickers. What a great accent. While I wouldn't put this outside on my porch, I would use it for a fun feel somewhere unexpected, like a bathroom or even a bedroom. Now if only I could have one wall of my bedroom painted like a comic book with the word "POW!" and have this rug to go with it, everything would finally be in place.
Dare to dream, Kasey, dare to dream.
Americana Rubber Backed Rug, $4.99 at Kmart stores.
Heart Shape, kasey
no post today. Your girl is sick. I'll make it up to you by posting on saturday.
Do you remember that line from the Omen when the woman jumps from the roof and tells Damien she did it all for him? So chilling, and so inappropriate to put in a post about Maternity clothes. Ah well, I rest assured that my dear friend Jada is not currently incubating the devil's spawn, so I think it will be okay.
Jada is one of my oldest and dearest friends. We met when I was just a pup attending Michigan State. She took me under her wing, and soon we were meeting at the statue and drinking vodka before classes. Oh, the memories....
Luckily we survived college, are both grownups, and the friendship has endured. I was at Jada's wedding, which was lovely, and now she is with child.
When she asked me to find her a dress for her newfound state of glory, I jumped at the chance. I have never really looked at Maternity clothes, so it was a fun little expedition. I rooted around and came out holding this.
Voila - a really cute dress for Spring from Motherhood Maternity that's versatile, fashion-forward, and 20 bucks. There's a lot of "room to grow" in it, and the print is placed perfectly to lengthen the silhouette. Very, very clever. It's a cotton blend, so it should be quite breathable, meaning you can roll up your sleeves in late spring and still feel comfortable. Pair it with red wedges, red flat sandals, boots, black sandals, or bare feet cause you're already pregnant, right? (I jest, I swear.)
So, get thee to a Motherhood Maternity store or go to motherhood.com and get there soon, cause this dress is on SALE.
Border Print Dress, $19.99 at Motherhood Maternity Stores or motherhood.com
Love abounds, Kasey
The title of this is a line to one of my favorite songs of all time by my favorite band, The Who. I love when I have an excuse to slip in a Who reference. It doesn't happen very often.
So this ties in because it's about rain, and specifically, rain boots. With April on the horizon (yes, yes, YES!), most of us are facing an increase in rain and MUD. Here in the Great Green state of VT, anything that's not concrete becomes a huge sloppy mess that you can literally lose a shoe in. NOT ON MY WATCH. I've found some really great rain boots to get you through the muck in style. One of them even has a wedge heel.
Note to the designer of said boots: I love you. I love that you thought about us in that way. I love that you knew we were sick and tired of wearing flat boots day in and day out for 3-4 months. You, sir or madam, are one thoughtful person and should be running your department based on this action alone.
So - I'm posting 2 options for the boot - one flat, one wedge. Target.com has 5 pages of rain boot options, all of them appealing. It was really hard to choose the best photograph. They are all the same price - 20 bucks! Love it. You do have to order these quickly, though - they're on pre-order right now.
Channel your inner Kate Moss and wear them with a short skirt, channel your inner Paddington and wear them with a bright yellow slicker, channel your inner freak and wear them to bed. The options are endless.
Shiny Hearts Wedge Rain Boots
Allison Floral Rain Boots - Multicolor both $19.99 at target.com
love always, Kasey
Yay..my first post with partial nudity.
I just found this site by clicking on a google ad (ps-click on my ad) and I'm really glad I did. This site has a J.Crew-ish feel with what seems to be massive sales. YES!
Anyway, today I'm featuring this really cute skirt. It's a wool herringbone with a box pleat - stylist, chic and very sexy on someone with a curvy bottom half. Pair it with boots and glasses and you've got one hell of a hot librarian vibe going on.
You can find this one on www.tulle4us.com under the "sale" page. It's currently on the 9th page under the sale section. There are actually more where this skirt came from. You have been warned, so don't blame me if you end up buying more than just one item.
Wool Herringbone Box Pleat Skirt, $29.00 at tulle4us.com
I remain, your love, Kasey
ps: stay tuned for some blog changes. Himself has decided he wants to get involved with this. It will have something to do with sneakers, I'm sure.
