My 85% off Altuzarra Birthday Bag

It's been a while since I've really treated myself, so for my 43rd birthday, I decided to take home something special from the Altuzarra sample sale. Most of you know how thrifty I am so it's rare I splurge on a single purchase. I walked into the Altuzarra sale a couple weeks ago and I made a beeline for this bag. I was hoping for something similar in brown but alas my search is still on for the perfect brown bag. It feels pretty similar to the Chloe I was lusting after but I'm happy to share that this bag is actually MUCH lighter - and it was cheaper than any similar designer bag I coveted. The funny thing is that I have a few inexpensive Rebecca Minkoff knockoffs that I didn't even realize were inspired by my Ghianda bullrope saddle bag. That said, I like this one waaaay more than any of those.

When deciding at the showroom I tried googling the bag but only ever found the studded version on the runway. I asked the employees and they told me the plain version was almost $3,000 - this one retailed for much more. And then I felt much better about taking it home with me.

It's a hard bag to style for summer but I needed to take it for a spin. I packed it up for the last day of the Bottega Veneta sample sale (they promised huge markdowns but failed to deliver) - and paired it with my white embroidered midi dress from last year and a pair of my $20 L.K. Bennett sample sale steals (you can read more about that epic sale here). Ideally I'd like a pair of black espadrilles to wear with it. I found a pair at the Zara sale but the sizes were mismatched. Ugh.

Head to toe:

• Sunglasses: Posey bifocal sun reader, Readers.com, C/O (RV $17.95)
• Dress: Zaful, c/o (previously seen here)
• Bag: Altuzarra, sample sale, $500 (RV $3,000+)
• Shoes: L.K. Bennett Summer Sandals, sample sale, $20 (RV $545!)

You can shop my style here:

Thank you Belle, @LittleFashionStylist for this round of pictures. I was so cranky from the heat and the disappointment at Bottega that I almost didn't shoot - but then I saw this little spot by the Union Square Café and needed to stop.

In addition to the Fivestory sale I mentioned in my previous post (don't miss it!) a couple other sales popped up on my radar. The Mahna Mahna showroom sale is back (lots of second-hand treasures) as well as Sachin & Babi - promising prices ranging between $40 to $75! On the Zara front, they had another markdown and now everything on sale is $29.99 or less. Keep checking for returns but I'm really waiting for the next markdown where everything is $19.99 or less!!

Sachin & Babi
August 14-16, 9-6
132 West 36th Street, 9th Fl

Mahna Mahna Showroom
August 22-25, 11-6
134 Spring St, #304

Lastly, anyone else watching A Handmaid's Tale? How did I never read the book? OMG I'm dying to binge it on Hulu but I'm trying to get other stuff done LOL. Is there anything on Amazon or Netflix that I need to watch right now? I feel like I've watched everything - which is why I was excited to discover A Handmaid's Tale.

Happy shopping (and binge watching)!

XO
Michelle