Tis’ the season - part 2

I hope you enjoy this second of two-part guest post from two savvy shoppers I work with at iStudio’s sister company. None of their suggestions are from client companies. Lauren and Lauren are in PR, both work at Fleishman-Hillard. They occasionally spend lunch window shopping and wishing to be begifted. Happy Shopping!

6) Sarah Jessica Parker brought back the flower accessory and Club Monaco has run with it making the flower accessory accessible for every woman. Whether you want all black, or a punch of colour these headbands are the perfect touch of femininity. Wear yours out with the girls, out with the boy, or in the office.

7) So we’ve just dealt with our first blast of winter…what a perfect time to break out those Sorel boots. Functional, yet with a touch of style, these boots were made for the Canadian women walking to work, the grocery store or just a night out at the movies. These boots can be found almost anywhere, but they go fast so make sure you get yours early.

8) We all know that accessories can totally make an outfit. What better time of year to spice up your favourite pair of boy jeans or that little black dress? Hidden on the top floor of a converted house in Yorkville, Betsey Johnson’s jewelry line is so unique there’s something for everyone and every occasion.

9) Let’s be honest, we live in Canada and its cold. We love long scarfs that not only keep you warm but that look great. Burberry does a great job with scarfs, and who doesn’t love matching ear muffs to create the look. While Burberry isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, GAP also has long and great scarfs in different patterns.

10) With all this shopping it’s time for a quick break for High Tea at the Windsor Arms Hotel. Classy all the way, this afternoon delight will put a smile on anyone’s face. And who better to share an afternoon tea in the laps of luxury than with your fave lil sis who is probably the only other person out there who gets just how important all these things are.

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Club Monaco and return policy mishaps

You know times are tough when retailers start reevaluating and changing their return policies.

When it comes to return policies, flexibility defines good service. At the same time, I understand the need for retailers to set limits. I understand it's difficult for stores to turn a profit when customers are allowed to return items indefinitely. There needs to be a balance.

That being said, I usually don’t have a lot of time to shop and prefer trying most clothes on at home. Stores with the most flexible policies tend to get my business.

I bought a pair of pants and a top at Club Monaco after Boxing Day. I was in a rush and didn’t try them on in the store. When I got home, I realized I didn’t really need the pants but I didn’t have a chance to return them right away. I thought the 30-day return policy was ample.

Two weeks ago, I looked at the bill and realized I had gone passed the 30 days. I thought I’d have to suck it up and keep the pants. I called a location nearest me. The women who answered the phone told me I could still return the pants but they’d have to give me a store credit. I didn’t see that as a problem; I was delighted.

Well, I didn’t make it to the store right away. Today I went to the Yorkdale location to return the pants. The cashier gave me a funny look and said she’d only be able to give me a credit for the current sale price. What!!!

I told her about my call with the other location. After some resistance, she called over her manager. He stood by what the cashier had said and offered to give me a store credit for the current sale price. According to him, that was the store policy and the other store was making an exception. If I wanted to get a refund for the full amount paid, I’d have to go back there.

I told the manager, as a customer, this was confusing and unacceptable. To the best of my knowledge, I didn’t speak to the manager at the other store and I hadn’t offered special treatment. I suggested as a chain, they needed to have more consistency between their locations. He said if I didn’t like it, I should call head office. I told him I wanted my credit and suggested he share my feedback with head office.

By this time, a line of customers anxious to pay and get out was building up and they overheard our discussion. Reluctantly, I got a credit for the full amount.

As an aside, you should know that as of Jan. 1, all sale items at Club Monaco are final sale. I don’t know about you but I’m not thrilled about the change in policy and I’ll think twice before buying any sale merchandise there from now on.

What about you? How much does a store’s return policy influence your purchasing decisions? Do you think a retail chain should honour the same policies at all locations?

You still have time to find that perfect little black dress to ring in the new year

Okay, so my story isn’t really about New Years’ Eve but it could be so, read on if you:
a) received an invitation to a last-minute New Years’ Eve party; or,
b) tried on your dress for tomorrow night and it doesn’t fit

There’s still hope. You can find that perfect dress quick and on a budget. Here’s how…

My cousin (she’s more like my baby sister) was married on December 21. I was flattered when she asked me to be in her bridal party and delighted when she told me I could wear any dress as long as it was black. Sounds like a no brainer, right? Well not exactly...

I already owned a perfect little black dress. Well, perfect once I altered it to fit my slimmer body and raised the hemline. My dressmaker who usually does awesome job, charged me $25 – a real bargain and much cheaper than buying a new dress. I’m not sure why but I waited until two weeks before the wedding to have it altered. Then I did another crazy thing and waited until the night before my flight out to Vancouver for the wedding to try the dress on. Big mistake!

This time, my dressmaker didn’t do such an awesome job and the dress didn’t fit! It was already 8 p.m. I was leaving in the morning. Yikes! I ran over to my neighbour’s house. She is a wonderful seamstress. She took one look at the dress on me and told me I’d ruin it if I tried letting it out. I ran over to another neighbour’s house to try on her two black dresses – one was too big, the other one was too small. I was starting to feel a bit like a brunette Goldilocks.

Stores were closing in about 45 minutes but I still had time to scoot over to Yorkdale. I ran into Banana Republic, Zara and H&M. I didn’t have time to try anything on so I made sure to go to stores with flexible return policies. When I got home I tried everything on and decided I’d take one of the dresses from Banana as a back up. It was the best of the bunch and the fit, although not perfect, was okay. It was also on sale from $275 to $115 – the price was right!

I still wasn’t sure about the dress. I literally had a couple hours in Vancouver to shop. I went to Club Monaco and found a great dress – it was on sale for $129 less 20%. It was much more my style than the back-up dress. I was so lucky they had it in my size and it was the perfect fit!

After Christmas, I returned all the other dresses (I think I had about six). I also checked Club Monaco to see if my dress had been further reduced. Like everything else on sale in the store, the price hadn’t changed. As of Sunday, they still had lots of evening dresses in several sizes.

So, if you’re still looking for that perfect dress to wear this New Years’ Eve, don’t despair. You still have time and there are plenty of bargains still out there.

Happy New Year!

Tip of the Week - Ask about price adjustments

I went to Club Monaco to show my friend the new suit I bought last week. I wanted to try the skirt on again along with another one size smaller because I wasn’t sure I ended up with the right size. Well, I’m between two sizes. I’m keeping the larger one and having it altered.

Lucky I stopped by. Last week they told me they’d be getting new merchandise in this week. I asked if the suit would be going on sale. I was told absolutely not because they didn’t carry a lot of women’s suits and it was a hot item.

Of course the skirt was on sale (the jacket stayed at regular price). The salesperson who helped me told me they didn’t offer price adjustments. What a pain because I could buy another skirt in the same size at the sale price and return the one I bought last week. Seemed a bit dumb for several reasons – more paperwork, inventory removed from the floor etc.

She was wrong! I went up to the cash and there in black and white was the store policy. Price adjustments are offered on regular-priced merchandise if it goes on sale within 14 days and you bring in your bill within that time. I went home, got my bill, went back and sure enough within minutes, $45 was refunded to my credit card.

Bottom line:
Hold on to your bills. Chain stores in particular often offer price adjustments on newly marked-down merchandise.

Weekly Wish – Pretty in Pink

Okay, so truth be told, I have no business buying new clothes right now. I just started a 12-week weight-loss plan. Besides, I haven’t been terribly inspired by affordable fashion over the past six months or so.

All that’s changed. I have a new motivation and a new outlook. I also have a bunch of family and business functions this spring and I’ll need some new clothes.

Club Monaco’s spring line has given me some hope. I think their current collection is incredible. The colours caught my attention – they’re my favourite – raspberry, black, grey and white. I fell in love with the raspberry “Celine” dress – perfect for an evening out. Everything seems to mix and match too. It’s crisp, it’s fresh, it’s me. Well almost.

Right now I don’t like how anything looks on me. So this week, I’m wishing I’ll lose enough weight on time to fit into their smaller sizes and more tailored looks. And if this collection is any indication of the things to come, I’m feeling pretty inspired. ; )

Which spring collections inspire you?