The Thrifty Stylist

Meet Kim. We've  known each other for more than 35 years. We met in London whilst working at The Kensington Palace Hotel, became great friends, and together took an opportunity to work at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dubai, UAE.  The adventures we had back then sealed our friendship for all the years since, despite never living in the same country as each other after that.
Now she lives in Vancouver.  As often as she can, she comes to visit me to enjoy the beautiful Arizona weather, relax by the pool, hang out with her old buddy (me), and together we party and stay up late just like the good old days!

One of Kim's favorite things to do when she comes to Scottsdale is to shop for bargains, and she's very good at it. As the thriftiest shopper I know, she's taught me a thing or two over the years!  This trip was no exception, and we're sharing her bargain outfits from Nordstrom Rack, all of which cost less than $100.

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1. Striped Dress $24.97 // 2. Hoodie Sweatshirt $24.97 // 3. Tunic Dress $22.25 // 4. Sweater $26.97

​Kim bought these four pieces for a total of $99.16.  Each of them can be styled to work in a number of ways to create several different  looks.  So lets take a peek at how she'll wear them.

1. First up, this heather grey and black striped knit dress by Soprano. It was originally $50, so a saving of 50%.  This was probably Kim's favorite of the whole purchase.  In Vancouver she'll wear this with black knit tights and either knee high boots or these booties shown here.  A leather jacket would look edgy with this dress, and a blanket scarf would add coziness to the look as well as a splash of color.

2. A super soft and snuggly hoodie sweatshirt by Harlowe and Graham. Who doesn't need cozy sweatshirts to throw on at the end of the day when it comes time to baton down the hatches and curl up with a glass of vino?  This also looks great with shorts, joggers, and leggings.

3. The ivory tunic dress by Hinge was on clearance so Kim made a killing with a 75% saving reduced from $89.  With it's flirty pin tuck pleats and decorative hemstitch detail it's already got it's work cut out for next spring and summer, but Kim has already figured out how to winterize it so she can wear it now!  She's layering it over a black camisole and leggings with her favorite booties and "voila", super cute!

4. RDI gunmetal twist sweater with tan elbow patches in faux suede and high low hemline.  Kim was very pleased with this purchase, as she not only made a 70% saving on it's original price of $90, but knows she will make so much use of it. Smart enough to wear to work, easy enough for the weekends, and it pairs well with all her existing outfits, leggings, jeans, even white jeans as shown here.

So if Kim had purchased these pieces at their full price, it would have cost her $277.  Instead she paid $99.16.  Of course most things go quickly at Nordstrom Rack.  But one thing I've learnt from Kim over the years when it comes to bargain shopping is that you must have patience in order to rummage and find what works for you.  It's tempting to buy things just because they're discounted, but can you really make use of it? That is the question you must ask yourself, as well as does it fit you well - that's my biggest pet peeve. So if you love it, and it fits well - wear it!
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Hope you enjoyed our blog post!
Lots of love
Kim and Karen xox