The Best Push Presents

This can be mine if I don't mind having, as Borat would say, wizard's sleeve lady parts.

A while ago, I received this photo from Sweetheart when he was at the Toronto Auto Show, followed by a text saying it’ll be mine once I bear his 7th child. Setting aside the fact that I am not a sow (and therefore refuse to produce that many offspring) –

30DC26: Something I Want

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In my very shallow way of looking at the world, of course I’m taking “Something I Want” to mean a material thing, as opposed to airy-fairy shit like enlightenment and children and world peace (which I actually do want, but we all know how likely that’ll happen in the foreseeable future).  Great – my ThingWhore Hat is firmly on.

Besides being a notorious and cultivated ThingWhore, I’m also a huge list & spreadsheet aficionada.  Put those together and what do you get? 

30DC13: Last Items I Purchased

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I’ve had a Chapters gift card sitting around in my room for about two years now, and I’ve either forgotten about it or had nothing to buy. Recently, I decided to treat myself and to take advantage of the bonus points they’ll give you when you purchase in the month of your birthday, so I bought the following things:

Target Canada Haul & First Impressions!

My first Target Canada Haul! :D

At laaaaaaaast!
My looove has come along...
My lonely days are overrr...
And life is liiike a sooong!!!

I am, of course, referring to Target’s arrival in Canada! This is proof-positive that every once in a while, the Retail Fairies answer our prayers*. Those of us who have Target on our US Must Go Lists have been hotly anticipating their debut here in the homeland ever since it was first announced.

On the day of their debut (Tuesday, March 19th),

Material Girl Once More

Remember my post on how I was a changed person after living in Europe twice?  About how I realized how wasteful my lifestyle is in North America, how little I realized I could happily survive on, how I realized how much more satisfied I was with life even though I had no extras in my life at all in Europe, compared to now in Toronto, where I have a (very) modest income and could afford to buy some things for fun?

Well, I had an "I'm Back!" moment the other day at a jewellery store.

Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale Haul!

My Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale Haul! :D

I live for weekends these days.  And most weekends, nothing can come between me and my sleep - except

The Quality Threshold

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My Pawpaw (maternal grandmother) is a Chinese Dragon Lady. She takes no prisoners and she doesn’t suffer fools gladly. She has infinite opinions, which are all Absolutely True and Correct and she will tell you ALL about them whether you like it or not.

Hence I found myself in the middle of a lecture one Saturday afternoon when all I wanted was just

Buying Tiffany and Label Whoredom

I did it!!! :D  When I was in Manhattan.  I bought my first Tiffany.  And I bought one for my mum.  Nothing elaborate, just simple, elegant silver rings that we can wear all the time.  I've gotta start somewhere and work my way up, you know?

It was the most lovely shopping experience.  When I asked to try something on,

The Haves, The Have-Nots and The Have-Not-Muches

Since coming home I've been swamped with lust for material things.  I don't know if it's the much more prevalent product placement, the fact that I watch (a little bit of) TV again or masterful marketing aimed at my demographic, but I find myself suddenly wanting everything, like this, this and this.  And, oh Cosmos, especially this!

Happy Birthday, Superwoman!

On dating:

"Feel free to go out with a different boy every day of the week - but save Sunday, because Sunday is for the Lord! [big smile]"  

-->This precious piece of knowledge was bestowed upon her by Sister Xavier, one of the nuns that ran the Life Experience class for the non-religious kids in her school, while the religious kids had Bible study. :P

More after the jump...

My ass. It looks amazing.

And I never thought I'd ever say that because, actually, I have a bit of a complex about that part of my anatomy. I'm enormously insecure about it. Longtime readers might remember that I wrote a little jig about it a couple years ago, entitled "If I only had an ass"

Don, Don, Don, Dooonki!

I can’t believe I haven’t written about Donki in my posts about my recent trip to Japan! How could I forget about Donki?

I’m referring, of course, to Don Quijote (Donki, in local parlance), the Japanese chain discount store with locations in Japan and Hawaii – this store can kick Wal-Mart’s butt any day. I suddenly thought about them yesterday, when the company’s song (which plays on a loop in the stores) popped up in my head, unbidden – must be the subliminal advertising working. It goes:

Don, Don, Don – Dooonki! Don Quiiii-jote!

Upon further research, I’ve found that they actually have a Wikipedia page, as well as an English version of their site, although there isn’t much there besides a cute picture of their mascot, the penguin - but it escapes me as to why they didn't use a donkey instead.

What I love about this store is that they sell absolutely everything at a discount, but the quality is really decent, especially since many of their goods are brand name. If there’s anything you need that you can’t find at a 100¥ store (which I also love), it’ll be at Donki, at a discounted price. They have cheapie, no-name goods, right alongside Calvin Klein undies, T-Fal cookware, Haagen-Dazs ice cream, Rolex watches (no, really!), Givenchy scarves, Chanel makeup, Dior jewellery, LV bags...I once saw a brand new Kelly bag (albeit a model in just basic, boring, tan leather) at a Donki store for the low, low price of 3.6 million yen. (sarcasm)

Why do they have all these authentic luxury goods available? Well, first of all, they aren’t cheap, even though they’re technically on sale. Luxury goods are typically more expensive in Japan because they’re usually imported. But most importantly, the turnover for such products is very quick. In Tokyo, like in many other Asian cities, it’s not good enough just to be rocking designer duds – what you’re wearing and using has to be in season. That’s why a lot of office ladies carry classic monogram bags – it’s way harder to tell which season they’re from, they’re more timeless – and you can bet your passport they are real. It’s the culture. Same goes for Hong Kong.

If you’re claustrophobic, you might not enjoy yourself there, because there is stuff absolutely everywhere. Space is precious in Japan, and so the store is stuffed to the brim with merchandise, on shelves climbing up the walls, towering over people in rows in the middle of the store, and there are hanging signs everywhere that’ll brush your head if you’re taller than, say, 5’8”. And because everyone loves Donki, it’s gets really crowded in there – you have to be patient with the traffic inside, because the aisles are narrow.

When I go to Donki, I stock up on food items that I can bring back, like candy (Japanese candy is the best!), spaghetti sauces and instant curries, which cost significantly less than what I’d have to pay to score similar products, with less choices, at J-Town in Toronto, this huge emporium of imported Japanese goods - if the ticket to Japan is just not feasible, J-Town is a perfectly good option. They also have an awesome toilet, if you ever happen to go there.

Now if only Donki would expand to Canada! Below is a video of someone making their way inside – claustrophobics, beware!

I Love New York

No, I haven't been to New York lately, but my best friend just zipped down there from Toronto for a day. And why? For a concert, of course. She's a super grounded, calm person, but for a concert with greasy, sloppy musicians clad all in black and pants so tight you can almost see exactly how they arrange their privates, there's almost nothing too crazy that she wouldn't do. Granted, thanks to her obsession we got into this awesome party in June, but I'm just sayin' - the girl would probably miss my wedding for what she would consider an amazing, exclusive concert.

So she asked me the night before what she should do in New York since I love the city and she would have many, many hours to kill before the event starts. Naturally, I was baffled that she'd ask me because what I would consider fun is almost the opposite for her, but I appreciate that she wanted my opinion, despite the fact that she seemed almost delighted to refute every single suggestion as soon as I said it.

I told her that if I only had a day in New York, I'd spend it in SoHo looking at expensive things and befriending salespeople, which is exactly what I did in March when I went down to Manhatten for a job interview. Happiness is sauntering down streets lined with wrought-iron buildings and interesting stores, you know - see why I'm so happy in France?

According to my journal entry entitled "Kirna Zabete Smells Weird," these were the highlights from my day in SoHo:

Balthazar Cafe
Right off Spring St subway station there's this cute little bakery attached to a restaurant called Balthazar. I saw the word "boulangerie" from across the street and it drew me like a bee to honey. The bakery/cafe part of it was teensy, which made the place look a lot busier than it actually was. I ordered a Hazelnut Cocoa thinking it would be a hot chocolate with perhaps a shot of hazelnut flavour in it but alas, I think it was coffee. I also ordered a "pain au chocolat" because it was on the menu, and it was handed to me with a "Here's your chocolate croissant" by someone whose eyes clearly communicated, "Here, you pretentious cow." The cashier had a French accent so I asked him, "Etes-vous francais?" Turned out he was a fraud! I thought it was hilarious. Why was he feigning an accent? Commitment to the atmosphere of the restaurant, maybe.

Kirna Zabete
Apart from Jeffrey New York, this was the one place I was totally worked up to see, because I've read about it in my fashion books before. I must've asked almost 10 people how to get there after getting out of the subway station but no one could tell me! But it wasn't suprising once I actually made it there because it was not special at all. I was completely UNDERWHELMED. Firstly, the place smelled funny. Secondly, the interior design was really lacking. Sure, they had very expensive products, but it was decorated like any old store at the Eaton Centre. The displays didn't tiltillate me or make me ache that I can't afford any of it. Thirdly, their salesgirls sucked. When I walked in there, there was a guy dropping off his resume there. He explained that he was actually an opera singer (he even broke out in song) but he needed a job. All the girls were very nasty about him after he left and I thought, is that really necessary? I mean, there must be a ton of people like him who went to NYC with big dreams and couldn't make it. But everyone needs to survive somehow. And there's never any reason to be rude. I felt really bad for him. So yeah. Not worth visiting, everybody.

Anthropologie
I liken it to a more sophisticated version of Urban Outfitters - perhaps an Urban Outfitters for an older crowd. Filled with interesting clothes and cool knick-knacks. I especially liked the small selection of books. I enjoyed myself there.

Vosges haut chocolat
A super fancy chocolate-cafe kind of store. Beautifully decorated and upscale, with a number of fancy kinds of dark hot chocolates you can drink. But what caught my attention was the collection of odd chocolate bars. There was a Thai one, with curry and coconut milk in it. There was a Japanese one with wasabi, ginger and sesame. There was even a white chocolate with olives! I wasn't really interested in eating or drinking anything in there, but it was cool.

Kiki de Montparnasse (!!!)
Oh my God, it was such an experience being in this store. If only I'd been gutsy/rude enough to take pictures of the interior! It doesn't seem right to call it a sex store, exactly, because that would denote crassness and vulgarity, two things that don't apply to this shop at all - but it was a store that sold all kinds of interesting things that have to do with sex. I've never seen anything like a lot of their products before. Sex is an art there.

A very sultry version of Besame Mucho played in the background. Walking inside, you'd think at first that it's a lingerie shop, because there are these gorgeous displays of lingerie that can only be desbcribed as art. Super ornate $700 panties, crystal-encrusted nipple caps and tassles... Then you walk in and see all the toys and books, then there's a beautiful showroom at the back with more lingerie. The dressing rooms are particularly sumptuous - trying stuff on there must be such a pleasure. They are huge and surrounded by this lush curtain.

But the toys! I consider myself pretty cool about things, not easily fazed, but those toys made me all agog. There were cock rings made of jade that, the sign read, could double as necklace pendants, that could cost over $3000 depending on the size. They were graduated, of course, because jade doesn't stretch. Being Chinese and seeing jade on babies and old ladies all the time - well, let me just say that I would never have thought of using jade this way. There were also cock rings that were strands of pearls - obviously more for decoration than for the normal purpose of cock rings. There were paddles covered in croc skin (I love croc!), glass dildoes displayed like art in shadow boxes on the walls, $5 single condoms individually wrapped in fancy paper boxes, massage candles that you melted and then poured on someone, which would then work as massage oil, these incredibly heavy metal things that I was too afraid to ask the purpose of... My God, it was so overwhelming to the senses.

It was one of the most beautiful stores I have ever been in. The decor was truly breathtaking. Plus there were these really pretty salesgirls that were as kind as they were gracious. Everyone who ever goes to New York absolutely must see this store!

Plus I went to this fake sample sale that was strangely reminiscent of the "sample sales" at school, except the clothes were real. But the change rooms were actually an open changing area, so shopping there wasn't a particularly dignified experience.

I had so much fun looking at beautiful things and schmoozing up sales people today. I also learned some smart tricks - a gentle, sweet boy who worked at the Steve Madden store told me that if I ever need directions, the hot dog vendors can tell you where everything is. And in New York, you don't just get street meat - you can also get shwaramas and falafels and fresh candied nuts and all other kinds of cool food off the street.

Plus I loved that I was going to all the actual flagships of companies. I went into a couple, thinking that I'd seen their retailers in Canada before, but here were their home stores! But I wonder how many flagship areas one city needs - there were all the high end stores that are also on Fifth and Madison avenues.

I'm really going to miss the warm weather here - it's above zero and there's no hint of snow on the ground. I was perfectly happy in my leggings and ballet flats, and it was totally warm enough for me to stand on the sidewalk outside on Greene St to do my makeup (I walked into Prada, took a look at myself in the mirror and made the horrible realization that I forgot this morning). I was told that there were really only two big snow days here.

Am totally besotted and enamoured of this place. Must move here, even if it's just because it's warmer!

Sweet November!

With November always comes three happy occasions: post-Halloween chocolate sales, the birthday of my mom, who is my personal icon in every way (Happy Birthday, Mommy!) and the One of A Kind winter show.

I’m a great admirer of handcrafted things because behind every single unique piece, there is such creativity and care and time involved. I started getting into the craft circuit just over a decade ago, when my mum first began her business. Since then, working at and attending craft shows has become a way of life and it opened my eyes to a whole new side of the world, beyond the homogeneity of the McProducts that our commercial scene is so saturated with, especially in North America. Case in point: you can go to virtually any mall in the States or in Canada, and it’ll probably carry the same maybe 40 brands we see all the time. And it’s not restricted to low-end shopping, either, because if you think about it, Sunset Boulevard, Fifth Avenue, Bloor Street West, Las Ramblas, the Champs-Élysées, and so on and so forth all carry the same few stores with basically the same collections. It’s all the same everywhere – what happened to originality?

Don’t get me wrong – I love my Hermès. And I guess it’s convenient that, when I eventually come to be able to afford one of their pieces, I’ll be able to buy it in any major city (except perhaps the Birkin or the Kelly in more exclusive skins). But what happened to select shops? What happened to buyers going out, and even travelling around, to find special products to sell in their stores? Select shops have so much more personality than chains, and they’re some of my favourite places to shop in.

Craft shows hold the same appeal to me, because most crafters own small businesses and their products really are original - you wouldn't be able to find it anywhere else. That's why every winter, I really look forward to the One of A Kind Toronto show - it's the largest craft show in Canada, featuring hundreds of artisans from all over North America. It's been around for over 30 years and as usual, it's taking place in the Direct Energy Centre of Exhibition Place in Toronto. This year it runs from November 27th to December 7th, from 11am-10pm on weekdays, 10am-9pm on Saturdays and 10pm-6pm on Sundays. It's the most intense, delightful shopping experience - this month, I will be introducing my favourite crafters, who I'd be visiting at the OoAK if I were home, like Brook of Brook's Delectable Chocolates. If you go, be sure to say hit to my mum in booth E-38!

Glamorous Poverty: Wine, Skin Care, Shoes and French Generic

It’s a happy coincidence that the boy that I love shares his first name with a huge fashion designer/major label, because every time I see people wearing shirts with his name splashed across the chest, it’s like he’s winking at me, all the way across the pond.

In additional gushing, the wine is so cheap here it’s ridiculous. You can get a perfectly decent bottle for anywhere from 1-3 €, but I’ve even seen some that are less than a euro! That’s practically free! They’re almost giving it away! They may as well just have wine come out of public fountains, or spray it out onto the streets at people – can you imagine what a party that would be?

It’s such a shame that wine isn’t dirt cheap at home, though – after all, Ontario produces wine, too. It’s also super easy for anyone and everyone to buy alcohol here – a local friend told me that a child of 10 could easily buy wine or beer and no one would bat an eye. That and the fact that kids are exposed to wine at their family dinner tables virtually every day since a very young age is why I suspect that drinking isn’t as huge a deal here as it is in North America.

But I digress. The point is, wine is really, really cheap here, and buying an occasional bottle to sip with friends or to cook with is a great way to amp up your quality of life despite being dirt poor in Europe.

I find that as a general rule, necessities are expensive in Nice, while fun things can run really cheap. For example, food is generally more expensive, especially if you have certain diets. For instance, I eat rice almost every day, and a one kilo bag of mediocre rice is about 2.50 €, while a premium-quality 10kg bag in uptown Toronto is about $15.00 CAD – and that’s after inflation, because they used to cost about $10.00. Personal care products, like shampoo and toothpaste, are also really pricey – only exceptions are French skin care products, which are not cheap but are definitely less costly than at home because here, they are domestic products. For example, I love the brand Avène because I have sensitive skin. An Avène moisture serum (which, by the way, is a phenomenal award-winning product) is $43.00 CAD at Shopper’s Drug Mart in Toronto (since August, anyway), but here, I can buy it for 22 €, which is about $35.00 CAD. Pretty darn good.

Fashion accessories can also be really cheap, but it takes a lot of patient sifting to find something really special, I think, because there’s just so much to choose from. I’m particularly interested in shoes, and I’ve been able to score some great finds here. My flatmate found a store that has a selection of shoes for only 5 €, but I went there, and I don’t really like what’s available. However, I got a pair of cute little cobalt blue patent pumps for only 22 € (that’s about $35 CAD), which is now on sale for about 11 €, and today I bought a pair of supercomfy, casual canvas flats on sale for 6 € (!) and a dressier pair that can totally pass for real leather for just 13 €, all at Moa (on Jean-Médecin). For those of you living in Nice – there’s a huge sale there. I saw a few cute bags that I’d totally go for if I didn’t have the good sense to guilt-trip myself for spending money I shouldn’t spend yet. There are also a lot of great little items (especially trendy pieces and cheap shoes!) at Pimkie, the store right beside it.

Luckily, for all of us poor students living here in France, I find that most generic brand products are very good quality, sort of like President’s Choice in Canada, although I’d say that President’s Choice is steadily becoming a power brand. The other day, I bought a box of Schlecker-brand tissue from Schlecker, this awesome sort of discount store chain in France that reminds me of, say, Pharmaplus or IGA in Canada minus the medications, and I’m very happy with it because it’s thick, durable, and it can almost pass for Kleenex. It wasn’t cheap (because it’s a necessity and it follows my rule, see), but it was cheaper than everything else and it’ll last me because it’s good quality. I’m also pretty happy with Casino-brand food products, which of course, are sold at Casino stores – it’s a supermarket brand that’s sort of halfway in quality between Loblaw’s and No Frills, except with lots of booze.

But my favourite generic food brand by far has to be Leader Price, which is available at Leader Price and Franprix stores. The only Franprix store I’ve been to was very clean and very well-organized, if a little small. Leader Price products are even cheaper than Casino products, but they are very, very good quality. One of my flatmates recommended this mussels & potatoes TV dinner, which costs only 2.14 € and it’s one of the most delicious things I’ve eaten since coming here – as well as a great substitute if you’re craving moules frites and are broke.

So! If you’re low on cash, don’t despair, because there are ways to live well without bankrupting yourself – I call it living in glamorous poverty. ;}

Addition to Bag Harem - Laptop Bag

Hello! Begging your collective pardon - I totally meant to post earlier today, but I've literally been hopping from farewell party to farewell party tonight, and this is the first time I've been at my comptuer today.

I have four parties lined up in total (two more left - my goodness, I love all the people who love me!), plus some birthday parties and other get-togethers before I leave next Friday. Saying "Goodbye for now" is a little sad, but I'm always up for a reason to have fun!

I am christening my new laptop by blogging on it for the very first time - yay! I finally have it all organized and ready to go, you see: my awesome brother set it up for me with all the programs/security I wanted, and I finally transferred all my files from my old computer to this one.

And now I can tell you guys all about the new addition to my Bag Harem that I've been referring to. Those of you who've been following TSH since day one may remember that my very first post was about my bag crush, the Susan Komen collection version of the Milano laptop bag by Mobile Edge.

After I bought my new laptop, I just had to get a hot bag to put it in, of course, but I was struggling between the original Milano, which is black, and the special edition pink one, which I was also head-over-heels for, but was more expensive (albeit for a good cause). I finally decided on the black because it's more timeless (always superimportant to me) so I won't outgrow it so quickly, if ever, and so I could save some money.

It came really quickly and I am so, so happy I went with the black! It's really classy and besides, I think the pink would look really fake. It's not exactly the same as the pictures online, but I'm really happy with it nonetheless. It came with a dust bag, which is key for storage (although I'll be using it practically every day next year) and I love that it has feet - not that I'd ever banish it to the floor.

The red velvet lining is also very sexy and reminds me of Anna Karenina - remember how she had a red velvet handbag? It was such a defining moment when she tossed it out onto the railroad tracks before throwing herself in front of the oncoming train. But I digress.

So, I love this bag, because nearly everyone who's seen it so far exclaimed, "It doesn't look like a laptop bag at all!" I've always thought that traditional laptop bags are really ugly and clunky. To my delight, my brother even remarked that it looks like a bag a high-powered executive businesswoman would carry - score! Plus it's faux-croc, so it satisfies my skin fetish without sacrificing the life of an animal.

I also think that it was wonderfully designed and perfectly meets the needs of a woman on-the-go. There are all kinds of useful compartments (including one that will prevent your PDA/iPhone from getting hacked into or receiving viruses!) and it even comes with a detachable wristlet for makeup and such.

I love.

It also comes in two sizes - the regular can carry laptops up to 15.4" in width and the large can hold laptops up to 17". If you live in the States, you can get it at a discount at sites like BeachCamera.com (lucky you!), but if you live in Canada, Dell.ca is really efficient, even if it costs a little more.

I highly recommend it, or at least checking out other cute, non-traditional bags to carry your laptops around in. After all, there are so many choices out there now!

Shopping Math

Please pardon the late post, everyone - was feeling very under-the-weather today, to say the least, and have just gotten home from a killer exam that (excuse my crudeness) I could've just bent over for.

Forgive?

The bright side is, the course is finally, finally done and I won't have to do any more school...for a month or so. Then I'm back slaving away in academia again, but I'll be in the French Riviera (where the two newest Jolie-Pitts were born!) and it'll be my last year, so that'll make things more palatable. I wouldn't really be able to complain, anyway.

But enough about me. Let's talk about you! Let's talk about how wonderful you are, and how much I adore yous. You are, and I do!

I especially love how we've opened up a line of discussion here. Have you been keeping up with the comments? Lemme fill you in - or you can see for yourself here.

So my friend Lexie bought these cute Italian shoes on sale at a store that was closing down, originally priced $140, marked down to $10. But she realized belatedly that, despite their innocent esthetic, they are absolutely torturous to wear. So she's decided to wear them only "to interviews or occasions where [she] can kick them off without anyone noticing," perhaps with a bandaid in some spots, because at least she's got dressy shoes out of the way.

Now, I think a pair of shoes shouldn't count as a functionable pair of shoes in your closet unless you can stand somewhat comfortably in them for at least half an hour. If they are sheer agony to wear, you may as well not have them because why put yourself through the pain?

Also, I think that wearing uncomfortable shoes to an interview will definitely affect how you do, and interviews are serious business, so it's very, very important to wear comfortable shoes to them - and of course, comfortable doesn't necessarily mean fug. I have a pair of really well-cut, 4-in. pointy stiletto pumps that are so comfy I can easily last in a four hour party in them (I got them from Spring, then known as Transit, in case you were wondering, for a great price of $60).

Besides all that, bandaids sticking out from shoes are a HUGE no-no. Not only because it looks terrible and garners pity/derisive snorts/weird looks, but mainly because you deserve better than that!

So let's look at this another way. Let's be logical.

As the incomparable Cindy Lu says, "I'm Chinese. We're good at math."

I'm Chinese and I was never at the top of my class in math at school, but when it comes to shopping math, I'm pretty good because I've had impeccable training.

There's a really important concept to keep in mind when you're out for some retail therapy: cost per wear.

The Fashion Girls' Maxims of Style strongly advocate quality because you'll look way better and in the long run, your cost per wear will be lower, which saves you money.

If you get a trendy sweater that was poorly made for $40, say, and you wear it maybe five times for one season (because trendy pieces get worn less often since they're easily recognizable), your cost per wear would be $8. On the other hand, if you got a good quality cashmere sweater in a colour that looks amazing on you, that is well-cut and fits like a glove, for say, $200 and you wear it 10 times per season, for 10 years (to be conservative - a great cashmere sweater can actually last you forever provided you take good care of it and can be handed down to your kids, as my mum has done for me), your cost per wear would be $2. That's a quarter of the price for the trendy, poorly made one.

Lexie bought her shoes for $10 and she's worn them once, so her cost per wear is $10. I told her it's not bad because if I were to go to Aldo, say, and get a pair of shoes of mediocre quality for $90, I'd have to wear them nine times to bring my cost per wear to $10. If I went to a party every week, that's a good two months of partying. My shoes would probably be in really bad shape at that point and they would have been seen very frequently. Lexie got to a great cost per wear value right away, her shoes are practically new and people have seen them on her once. Even if she were to not wear them again, it wouldn't be too bad, I think.

However, don't abuse cost per wear calculations and use them as an excuse to frequently buy things that are beyond your budget, because it'll come back and bite you in the butt - let yourself be warned!

Shopping Knowledge & Fashion Engineering

At the risk of sounding like one of the members of the Manic Mama Mafia - we've hit another milestone! I got my first question. So exciting! It was written in response to this post, and it's from my friend Lexie, from Toronto:

"Oh Tina, I have to show you my 'devil shoes'. They don't look devilish at all- in fact, they look rather sweet and innocent and only have maybe a 2" heel or so. AND they were a steal- the store was closing, so they are apparently Italian shoes, originally $140, but I got them for $10. And they HURT!!! I tried to wear them to the mall and wanted to cry. Whyyyyy?!"

Well, my darling, that would be because of one of the Tenets of Shopping: "Everything is on sale for a reason."

Because it's totally true! (That's why it's a tenet, see?) Sometimes, if you're lucky, something could just be on sale because they're making room for the new collection or something - like the colourblock AE sundress I just got. But more often than not, things are on sale because of actual problems, which can be big or small. Like the genuine-python Carolina Herrera bag I scored at Woodbury a couple Christmases ago, marked down to $150 from like, $620 or something. It's this beautiful, well-made, tiny, little thing made of pink-dyed python with a perfectly-balanced pattern and camel-coloured leather. Let me show you: I held it to my heart and rocked it like a baby as soon as soon as it was mine. But why would it be marked down so much, especially if it's real python? It's hardly as if the fashion industry here is like that in Hong Kong, where it's totally uncool and unacceptable to be rocking last season's bags (in most circles, anyway).

Well, if you notice, there's a ginormous buckle at the front. It's thick, solid metal with cutouts. As such, it's very heavy, especially for so diminutive a handbag. When you hold the bag just by its handle and let it hang, I noticed, the weight of the buckle pulls the bag down to a slight foward-tilt. And that, my dear, is a classic case of poor engineering in a piece. Yes, there's engineering in fashion, too! But the nice thing about this is, when it's on my shoulder or against my leg, it's not noticeable at all - because I don't ever hold my purses away from my body like they're stinky diapers, right? In fact, it's not noticeable at all unless you're a real pro or unless I bring it up. So in this case, the bag was totally worth $150 despite the very minor defect.

A word to the wise about outlet malls, though: most of the time, what you're scoring at an outlet is made especially for the outlet. That's right. More often than not, they don't just pluck what can't sell, or what's been left from last season out of the flagships and chuck'em in outlet stores for our perusal - because we'd all just stop shopping at the flagships and dealers and just wait for things to make it to the outlets, right?

Instead, most companies have a cheap/sale/outlet line (I know, that sounds so awful) that is made to be sold at the outlet. Things may be similar to their original stuff, but obviously not quite as good. Like back in high school, when Guess? was still cool, I got this really great purse on sale at a Guess? store, then I saw a way uglier version of it in Vaughan Mills. The materials were cheaper, the work was sloppier, the colours duller, but it was similar in shape to mine. To some, this may be totally worth saving money for, but I wouldn't have it, personally.

Now, there may be a chance that your sweet, innocent devil shoes may become more tolerable for you since you've obviously paid your dues and broken them in already. From my experience, it's sort of 50-50 - if they're just poorly cut/designed, there wouldn't be much you could do about it, I'm afraid (except using them to hold champagne, maybe?) but if it's just a matter of you getting used to them, you'll be fine. Good luck and happy shopping!

XOXOXO

Victoria's Secret Pink Collegiate Collection

Are you a sucker for school merch? I'm a sucker for school merch. My school can slap their name or logo on virtually anything and I'll be tempted to buy it. Pair it with a popular label and my resolve is dust.

That's probably why it's a good thing that my school isn't one of the 33 teamed with Victoria's Secret Pink in their new Pink Collegiate Collection. This collection features the logos and mascots of the 33 participating schools on a range of products, including sweats, totes, jackets, underwear, and even bedding - and let me tell you, if they decided to do that here just in the province of Ontario, all the Western, Queens, York and Ryerson girls, at the very least, would be all over it.

The only thing is, the Canadian counterpart of Victoria's Secret, La Senza, doesn't have the same level of prestige or "fab quotient" as VS itself, despite the fact that it is owned by Limited Brands, which also owns VS - and the company's reps have maintained that they are neither going to move the chain to Canada nor transform La Senza into VS. Thus, hardcore Canadian girls will have to continue to traipse to the States and/or search high and low online for avenues to score their precious VS stuff.

The new La Senza line, Lola & Coco by La Senza, is modelled after VSPink, but it seems to lack the same lustre as Pink, and there are way fewer products because it's a much smaller line. It still has quite some way to go to establish a following like Pink's, before it will reach that echelon of coolness, if ever. The marketing is totally not at the same level, either.

Still, one can dream. And this sweatpant with a large W on it, from the University of Washington line, is the closest I can find to my school's symbols. Maybe if I squint really hard and turn my head sideways it'll look like the real thing?