Mama Threads

New Collection: Tea Is Making Clothes for Women!

I love Tea for my kids.  The clothes are well made and so comfortable.  I am so excited about their new line of clothes for us!  Don't get me wrong - they aren't cheap.  However, their kids' clothes survive rough and tumble play with lots of washing and drying so this top totally seems worth it on a cost per wear basis.  I will also be adding their sweaters to my birthday wish list!  My only request - make those cute dresses for us too! 

Shopping Update: Love 21 at Forever 21

Forever 21 launched a new line called Love 21 a few months ago.  It's supposed to be a little more grownup with better fabrics and a little more modest.  Since I am having a wardrobe crisis, I am giving it a try.  Forever 21 can be a truly great store.  It follows the trends closely and it's prices are pretty amazing.  Quality can be an issue though.  I placed an order yesterday and am pretty excited to see!  The good news: online orders from Forever 21 can be returned by mail - something that isn't true at their retail stores.

Favorite Mama Shopping Spot: SoftSurroundings.com

I love clothes that are as comfortable as they are stylish.  One of the key things for me as a mama to two small children is that I be able to put on my clothes and then not think about them again until the end of the day...but look great the whole time.  SoftSurroundings.com has some interesting options that fit my requirements!  One of my favorites are these beautiful boots with vintage styling.  I love the look of tall boots over jeans and these are nearly perfect: low heeled with great details.  They are outside my usual limit of $100 (at $168) but some things are worth a little extra and leather boots for less than $200 can be considered a steal!

Shopping Tip: Use this link to get $15 off orders over $100 for MamaThreads.com readers! No code needed!

New Favorite Mama Shopping Spot: Check out Smarter.com!

Sometimes, I just want to browse when I go shopping.  Now that I do most of my shopping online, I find that online browsing can be a little overwhelming.  One of my new favorite sites is Smarter.com.  They let you look around my category and offer interesting ideas.  I recently tried to help a friend find some cute but affordable maternity clothes.  This site provided a great jumping off point!  Check it out during your few minutes of free time.

Good Shopping: TopShop Online

TopShop is a chain of stores over in Britian.  They recently opened a store in NYC and are also selling online.  It has been all the talk of the fashion blogs with some mixed reviews but overall I would say it's a great place to check out for some up to the minute fashion for decent prices.  The styles are definitely young, but I love this classic oversized shirt.  I am going to pair with some skinny jeans for a casual look for fall.

Sample Sale News: Gilt Expands Lower Price Options!

Gilt.com announced they are launching a new online sample sale outlet called Gilt Fuse.  It's aimed at a younger crowd with affordable prices - something I can truly embrace!  I have written about the proliferation of online sample sales: RueLaLa, HauteLook, MiniSocial.  In my experience, the clothes I have bought on Gilt have come the a quickest and they offer good customer service.  This new annoucement makes me pretty excited to shop for fall clothes!  Launching August 12.

Wish List: Zara's European Designs Online

Zara is one of those stores I really, really wish had an online store.  It's a solid store with good deals and good design.  Influenced by European fashion, it manages to follow the current trends closely and for very reasonable prices.  Sadly, they don't sell online right now.  However, I do see their things on Ebay including this great maxi dress.  Buy it now for just $59!

Buying Tip: Check out the other offerings in the same store as the maxi dress.  They are an online consignment store that has some really great brands and offer very specific sizing information.

Other great Ebay Zara finds:

Basic Black Dress - ends today with free shipping
Kimono Blouse - ends 5/31

Stop Searching! Great Shopping Spot Found: Shopstyle.com

Do you ever have the perfect piece of clothing in your head and you just can't find it in a store? Try ShopStyle.com.  It's an amazing fashion search engine that can help you find almost anything you can describe and filter by brand, store, size, price, color and whether it's on sale.  The site frequently introduces me to new stores and helps me find that perfect dress I saw walking by me on the street.

Good Shopping: Lulus.com

When I was young and childless, I used to spend my Saturdays wandering around New York exploring little boutique shops. Now one of my favorite nap time activities is to surf the internet and browse online boutiques!  Recently, I found a great one: Lulu's.  I love this flower tank top.  The intricate lattice work at the neckline is really cool but it's also very wearable.

Shopping Tip: Code SHOP gets you 15% off and orders over $75 have free shipping.

Get A Deal: Online Outlet Shopping

Recently, online sample sales like RueLaLa, Hautelook & Gilt have become big.  Now some of the web's big retailers are stepping up to compete and also looking to avoid coupon codes.  Check out these recent entries in the race for your fashion dollar:

theOutnet.com: Brought to you by uber high end designer website netaporter.com, it's an online outlet of designer clothes.  While the site has some amazing deals, the prices are still pretty sky high.  However, with a little persistence, deals can be found - especially in the short flash sales.  Look for classic pieces that will last for years.

BCBG's Final Cut: Big discounts on BCBG. The offerings include previous seasons' clothes.  My favorite search is the one that allows you look at everything under $100.  One of my favorites is the striped top pictured for $41.

Land's End On the Counter: Each Saturday, Lands' End puts a group of things on sale. Every few days until the end of the week, the prices are cut further until the item sells out.  Check this out each Saturday for the best selection but make sure to check back on Fridays to get true deals.