The Basement of the Bargains

Brrr! It’s cold out! At times like this all I can think of is how much I want to warm up. That makes me think of beautiful, soft, warm cashmere. In fact, it makes me think of something very much like this:

Nordstrom calls this beautiful print ‘lava lamp’ but I think it looks much better than a lava lamp. Just look at the fun yet perfectly balanced shapes, the pretty colors, and the charming fringe at the ends.

And seeing as it’s made of a comfy, warm, single-ply cashmere, you’ll get plenty of warmth without a lot of bulk.

Whatever you call it, this is a great scarf and an even better deal. Regularly priced at $88.00, it’s been marked down to just $68.90.

Hey, it’s a lot better than a lava lamp.

Cashmere is one of the great inventions of the universe. It’s warm, it’s soft, it dyes beautifully, and it’s just the thing to brighten up a dreary day. I dare you not to smile while looking at this:

This gorgeous throw by Kashmere is made of, well, cashmere, in your choice of seven delicious colors. Whether your taste runs more to this gloriously citrussy orange or a more restrained soft grey, you’ll find something you love.

You’ll also love how light yet warm it is with its two-ply woven construction and how generous it is at 56″l x 83″w. Toss it over the back of a sofa or chair to add a touch of color to a room, or toss it over your knees in the evening if you’re a tidge chilly. You’ll toast right up!

The other thing that will warm you is the thought of just how much money you saved on it. You see, the retail price is $310.00, but right now Bluefly has it for a mere $139.99! That’s more than half off the original price!

I’m getting warmer just at the thought of those savings.

Normally I stick to things under fifty dollars on friday, but in honor of the official opening of the holiday shopping season, I’ve decided to ignore the limit this week. You’ll find goodies under fifteen dollars and others over two hundred. After all, you’ve got everyone from your Secret Santa at work to your lifelong best friend, to your immediate family on your list. You need inspiration from all price points.

One of the handiest gadgets of all time is the classic Swiss army knife. Now Victorinox has reinvented it in a miniature size with stainless steel blades. At just 2 1/4″ long, it attaches to your key ring for your convenience. It comes with: one small knife blade, scissors, and a nail file. The practical soul on your holiday gift list will love this.

Normally, it runs $140.00, but Saks Fifth Ave is having a huge sale now through the 28th. Right now, even the sale items are on sale. The sale price on this item was $104.00, but now to Saturday it just $62.94!

Oh, and be sure to check out the bonus offers combined with the sale!  For instance, you can get free shipping by using code HOLIDAY9. If you spend at least $400.00 in Contemporary, you can get a $100.00 off card with code CONTEM9. And if you spend at least $100.00 in beauty and you can earn a $25.00 gift card with code BEAUTY9.

(more…)

When the temperature drops, you still want to look (not to mention feel!) hot.

Here’s a great way to manage both at the same time. Get these gorgeous cashmere-lined leather gloves courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue.

  Made in Italy exclusively for Saks, these sleek and elegant gloves will keep your fingers toasty while showing the world your good taste. Soft leather lined with cashmere is the perfect way to make sure you can pick up on anything and stay warm doing it.

I’m nuts about this delicious purple color, but if it doesn’t float your boat, they come in six other shades ranging from basic black to shocking chartreuse.

Best of all, they’re on a great sale. Regularly priced at $80.00, they’re on sale for just $56.00. Just in time for those early cold snaps!

Not sold yet? Use the code NOVSHIP9 at checkout and get free shipping. But hurry! The shipping deal only lasts until midnight tonight.

Whether you’re looking for an extra layer of warmth to add to a coat for the last blasts of winter or a lighter-weight wrap for the first flush of spring, a pretty shawl is a very useful item. And if you’re looking for a shawl, paisley is always a good way to go. Paisley is classic, so it will never look horribly dated. It’s been popular for shawls for over two hundred years with no sign of falling out of favor.

Combine paisley with gorgeous colors and a touch of cashmere, and you’re looking at something that will last for years, always useful, always elegant, always the perfect touch to complete a great outfit. In point of fact, one just like this is a great investment.

It’s made of a lightweight cashmere and printed with a paisley pattern in your choice of three lovely colors: caramel (shown), blue or rust.

As for the price, well, the retail value is $110.00, but it can be yours from QVC.com for a mere $81.00.

Wrap yourself up in that deal, my friends. It’s well worth it.

Over the years if there’s one thing I’ve always tried to have in my wardrobe at any given time, it’s a simple, classic skirt that covers my knees in a neutral color. I always get the best quality one I can afford, and it often lasts for a very long time, giving me lots of great options for interviews, travel, work, and even play. A skirt like that looks equally good with heels and a delicate blouse or with a slouchy sweater and boots. With a few carefully chosen adjustments in accessories, it can go from day to evening. In short, it’s the perfect wardrobe staple.

So imagine my delight when I discovered just such a wardrobe staple on sale at Mount Cashmere. It’s a pencil skirt designed to fall at mid-calf that manages not to look frumpy, too!

The elastic waist ensures ease of fit, while the two-ply, twelve-guage cashmere assures you years of style with proper care.

As for the color, it comes in three classics: grey (shown), loden green, and mushroom (a pale taupe). No matter what the season, no matter what the current hot colors, one of those is sure to keep right on looking superfantastic.

But the best thing is the price. The regular price on it was $270.00, which isn’t too much to ask for something this versatile and elegant. Right now, though, at Mount Cashmere, you can get it for just $81.00! That’s a savings of nearly $200.00!

I don’t know about you, but that’s a deal I’d like to take advantage of.

A good cashmere sweater is a great basic in any wardrobe. We talk about this for women quite a bit, but I sometimes forget to mention it to the guys.

Then I look at something like this and remember that if I saw Mr. Twistie in it…well, let’s just say a good time would definitely be had by all concerned.

If there’s a man in your life who needs a really handsome, timeless sweater, now is the time to find it at Saks Fifth Avenue. Regularly priced at $275.00, it’s on sale right now for just $102.95 in limited sizes and colors.

Get it now for someone you love. You’ll both thank me later.

Even if your budget is limited (and whose isn’t, these days?) it’s a good idea to splurge when you can manage it on a few pieces of really well-made clothes that will last for years. Pick something in a style that may or may not be the height of fashion now, but won’t ever look horribly dated in a color that’s never incorrect, impeccably made of excellent fabric. In fact, what you’re looking for is something along these lines:

This cashmere dress by Ralph Lauren is just the ticket if you’re looking to do investment dressing. The lines are classic enough to look right for years to come, but the look isn’t boring, either. It comes in a medium heather grey (shown), navy blue, or black. Those are colors that will never look out of place. It’s made of a lovely cashmere jersey, too. Dress it up, dress it down, accessorize it to your heart’s content…this will go from the office to dinner to the theater with ease and still look just right for a weekend in the country.

No, it isn’t cheap in any sense of the word. In fact, the original retail price is $598.00. It’s worth it, too. The good news is that you won’t pay what it’s worth. Instead, you’ll hurry over to Ralph Lauren.com and get it for just $299.00! That’s nearly half off for something you can wear for years and years to come.

And that’s why this investment is worth making, no matter what the stock market is doing.

It’s that time of year when we all need to bundle up a bit to keep warm. Of course, we’d still like to look a bit sexy at the same time. And if we can get something gorgeous, warm, and sexy at a discount, well, that’s jam on top, isn’t it?

No, I’m not talking about a companion for the evening who goes for the less expensive end of the bar tab! I’m talking about a sweater. In fact, I’m talking about this sweater:

The Bardot Round/Cowlneck sweater from Mount Cashmere is just the thing for a romantic evening by the fire, whether you have companionship or not. The oversized cowl can be draped in a variety of ways to best show off a pretty shoulder or keep you snuggly warm. Made of 100% cashmere, it’s hand washable, too.

Alas! The pretty blue pictured above is not on sale, but you can get the bargain price in: Bright Cherry (a lovely, cheerful red), Sunshine (sunflowery golden yellow), or Medium Mauve (rich, elegant plum in my book). And what, you may ask, is the sale price? Well, full price is $245.00, but the sale price is just $122.50. That’s half off!

Wear it half off your shoulders with someone you love. I promise you won’t get too cold.

Since last night was the first night of Twistie’s annual Bedding Pile Up in a Futile Attempt to Keep Warmathon, I hereby declare this coat and sweater week at Basement of the Bargains. That means that all this week, I’ll be showing you my favorite deals on great pieces to keep you warm whether you’re walking down the street, working in a drafty office, or just naturally inclined to need a lot of layers to keep you going.

To start things off, take a look at this handsome wool/cashmere blend
belted walker coat by Via Spiga.

The classic medium grey coloring is very popular just now, but won’t look dated in a couple years. The styling is also both contemporary and likely to keep looking good for a long time to come. The wool/cashmere blend is snuggly warm, and the length will work beautifully with either pants or a skirt. In short, this is just plain a great investment coat.

Of course, just because you’re making an investment doesn’t mean you don’t want a superfantastic deal. Luckily for all of us, this gorgeous coat is on an equally gorgeous sale. The retail price is $325.00, which isn’t at all bad for what it is, but if you head over to SmartBargains.comtoday, you can get it for just $103.98! That’s 68% off!

I don’t know about you, but I walk a little taller when I get a deal like that.