Blogs

THE SAVVY SHOPPER

Jeanne Vogt



Haute Couture Meets Main Street ...

Savvy Splurges!



Enter Escada Outlet ... WOW!! I have walked by their window many times ... never went in ... just drooled a little at the beautiful fashions they were showing in the window, knowing I couldn't afford what was inside.

But there are plenty of people who can, so I ventured inside Escada to see what they had to offer.

Now wouldn't you think a place with all this high fashion would be very hoity-toity? NOT in the least ... the girls were so friendly and very down to Earth. I talked to them quite a while.

The assistant manager Anita and the manager Penny were so nice, taking their time to show me all around. They are clearing out their summer fashions now making room for the new fall things that are arriving daily.

Sales were 60 percent off with an additional 25 percent off, and another rack was 90 percent off ... even I could afford these prices!

I saw some of the most beautiful garments and some of the wildest I have ever seen!! This was kind of like my trip to Rodeo Drive!!

There were jeans that were wild enough to shoot at!! One pair had light blue fru-fru at the bottom of each leg in several layers. It looked like gathered netting and with sequined flowers and embellishments, but they were on sale for $1139. That's right ... this is no typo! Another pair had sequin flowers around the bottom that were $975 on sale. Some trimmed with lace at a bargain price of $556. But the winner was the bright orange pair of silk pants that had sequins and genuine Swarovski crystals in yellow and green ALL over the pants and nylon fluffy flowers at the waist that had been $4990, in their Bal Harbor shop but in the outlet mall was $1749. It was further reduced to a mere $998!

There was a large assortment of jeans that Anita told me were made in a special way so the knees don't bag.

I did find some beautiful things that I would actually wear like the crochet top with spaghetti straps that had been $790, now $158, with matching cardigan that was $1720, now $344 in pink or white.

You can find the very unusual in there, like a short pink real swishy skirt that was cut into 1/2 inch strips all the way around. A denim skirt that had three tiers of orange floral print just at the hip line. Wild print pants in bright colors with flowers or fish. A cute short three tier chiffon skirt with matching bolero top. A totally sequined skirt in black, yellow, white and blue. Sitting pretty in sleek in a black knit top with rhinestone straps was on sale for $155.

White capris trimmed in wide yellow, green and pimento ric-rac at the bottom and pockets with matching jacket ... cute! And on the sale rack!

There were definitely some chic, unique and a little on the wild side to be found here. And a lot of sales!

To give you an idea of the outlet prices ... they just received a beautiful black coat for fall that would be priced in their Bal Harbor store, for instance, at $4590, but in their outlet store it was $1690. Anita said they sell quite a few coats to the Northerners who visit each year.

Penny said they have 16 Boutiques and 7 outlet stores.

If you hit the lotto or get a raise in allowance, Escada is a fun store to shop in!! It is located in Miromar Outlets on Corkscrew Road in Estero.