Thread Conscious

March 5, 2012

Media Monday: Bag Borrow or Steal’s New Freebies

Fashionistas:

I’ve been following Bag Borrow or Steal for quite a while.  I even wrote a research paper about the company in grad school when it tried to rebrand itself as “Avelle.”  There’s been an interesting development in the last month: membership and shipping are now free, insurance is included and the “steal it” option in the bag, borrow or steal framework has been restructured.  Check out the details below:

Membership – It’s Now Free

If you’ve already paid a membership fee, you won’t lose any benefits. If you haven’t already used the credited membership fee, you can still use your credit. Additionally, you’ll remain on the preferred customer list for at least a year, which not only gives you 48 hours notice before everyone else on New Arrivals in the collection but also allows you to put items on the Wait List.

Insurance – It’s Now Included

Insurance is now covered on every rental item, however this does NOT cover irreparable damage, loss or theft. Now you don’t have to worry about normal wear and tear on an item while it’s in your possession.

Standard Shipping – It’s Now Free All the Time

Standard shipping is now free on every rental item. Return shipping is also free for rental items.

Steal It -

We’ve eliminated the Steal It program for Rental. Why?  Well, by doing this we are able to keep more inventory for our customers, which reduces wait list times for everyone. Great deals are available on our Private Sale , so be sure to stop by and find some fabulous items for purchase.”

Better late than never, I say.  I may renew my membership, once I dig a little deeper into the terms and conditions (nerd alert!).  If I find anything interesting, I’ll be sure to let you know!

Fashionably Yours,

Nik

July 25, 2011

Media Monday: Fashion Tech Mash Ups

Hello Fashionistas,

I’m wrapping up a week-long birthday celebration, but I wanted to take a breather to let you in on some very interesting fashion/tech news.  Here goes:

1.  Starting TODAY (7/25/11), Gilt Groupe, Banana Republic and Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant  offer you a collection of vintage-inspired pieces that even Don Draper would approve of.  See the capsule collection here.

2.  What’s in a name?  That which we call Avelle is now called Bag Borrow or Steal, again.  BBOS catapulted to fame in 2008′s Sex and the City movie, whose HBO series became the holy grail for aspiring fashionistas world-wide.   I never understood the name change (even after pouring over BBOS’s SEC filings for a graduate school paper- yes, I’m a nerd), but I’m glad Bag Borrow or Steal is back.  

3.  Rent the Runway has now partnered with ShopStyle, offering a one-stop shopping experience for women who like to try before buying.  “This partnership expands on this vision by allowing us to give women greater access to designer dresses and the flexibility to rent v. buy depending on her fashion needs,” explained Melissa Davis, VP of ShopStyle, US.  I’ve always been a fan of options, especially designer ones.

Fashionably Yours,

Nik

September 16, 2010

Top 6 Online Luxury Shopping Sites

Hello,

Since we don’t always have time to shop at an actual retail store, what better way to shop than from the comfort of your own home?  Below, I’ve listed 6 luxury shopping websites that I admire and think are top-notch.  Memberships are free, so sign up, shop and save!

6th Place1stdibs

 1st Dibs 

Why I like this site:  It has a dizzying array of beautiful vintage treasures, from furniture, to cocktail dresses, to estate jewelry.  Only reason it’s in last place is because even the sale prices make me dizzy too.

5th Place

Shop It To Me

 Shop It to Me

Why I like this site: This is actually a shopping “service.”  Each week, Shop It To Me delivers a personalized email to your inbox with the latest and greatest fashions catalogued from a variety of designer online retailers across the web.  You tell it what designers you like and it scours the web and collects sales from Neimans, Bluefly.com, Net-a-Porter and more.  Then you shop all the stores featuring your favorite designers in one email.  Genius.

4th Place

Seen On!

SeenOn!

Why I like this site:  If you’ve seen it on a tv show, they just might have it available for purchase!  You can wear the same jewelry or carry the same bag your fave tv star is wearing on the show.

3rd Place

Bluefly

Bluefly.com

Why I like this site:  It’s fairly user-friendly, has a great selection and decent sales.  I’ve done my Christmas shopping for friends on Bluefly.

2nd Place

Avelle

Avelle.com

Why I like this site:  Also known as Bag Borrow or Steal, infamously mentioned in the first Sex & the City movie, this luxury rental service has grown leaps and bounds since it first stepped on the scene in 2004.  Now it not only rents luxury handbags, jewelry and sunglasses, but you can sell your gently loved handbags  to Avelle and make a little money too.  Because many items are second-hand, if you choose to buy an item you’ve rented, or buy in lieu of renting, then the Avelle price will generally be lower than the retail price of the item if it were new.

1st Place

Gilt Groupe

Gilt Groupe

Why I like this site: Just looking at this site makes me happy.  It exudes luxury.  The selection of designer goods is thorough, yet restrained, proving the powers that be have thoughtfully curated each collection.  Each sale lasts only 36 hours and is first come first served, so shop early.

Fashionably Yours,

Nik