Review: Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Silk animal print dress, $159 (regular price, $242) - Beth Bowley | Wool button coat, $660 (regular price, $1,100) - 3.1 Phillip Lim | 3.5" leather metallic pump, $60 (regular price, $89) - Enzo Angiolini | Leather travel zip wallet, $100 (regular price, $150) - Cole Haan

Sales can be great, which I'm sure you realize if you read this blog. They may mean the difference between purchasing something and not. Unfortunately, modern sales are gradually becoming less of an actual sale and more of a promotion for the retailer.

For example, Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale, an event which is going on as I type. For all the hype it received, the deals are underwhelming. I visited a local Nordstrom to take a look at all the alleged"great savings," and was somewhat displeased. Apparently, I was one of few who were disappointed; the shoe section alone was fit to burst with the amount of people scooping up heels and wedges.

I glanced at the price tag of most items, assuming everything would be a spectacular deal. Unfortunately for my wallet, this was most certainly not the case. Most items had $30 or so knocked off the price, a mediocre discount when the shoe in question costs over $100. Like any other sale, I found a few items going for a more reasonable price, but they were still out of my budget.

After experiencing that so-called "sale," I wasn't in the mood to investigate the clothing section. Actually, I just didn't want to deal with the crowds. Sales at notable department stores tend to bring out the worst in people; I must have been smacked by a Coach purse three or four times upon entering. Regardless, it was interesting observing the women as they tried to get their little hands on the perfect pair of shoes. Also notable was the fact that nearly 95% of them were wobbling on heels: Isn't a hectic sale bad enough without attempting to walk on 4" stilettos?

Overall, I wouldn't recommend the sale unless you're willing to fish out at least $70. Oh, I forgot to mention: Out of mere curiosity, I also took a look at the handbags section. Interestingly enough, many of the handbags seemed to have been brought out especially for the sale, tricking customers into thinking the price was great. I saw a Calvin Klein patent tote whose price tag read, "SUGGESTED PRICE: $245, ANNIVERSARY SALE PRICE: $145." They must assume we don't read the price tags very carefully, don't they?

If you're still interested in checking out the sale, Nordstrom.com has the discount prices up until August 6.

Sometimes the cheaper alternative isn't the best option

LEFT TO RIGHT: 4.25" leather boots, $150 - Steve Madden | 5.5" white and black patent boots, $925, Christian Louboutin

With the recent controversy surrounding the Gwen Stefani vs. Forever 21 case, several other suspicious items have been brought to attention, including these Christian Louboutin knockoffs. Created by Steve Madden, the boots appear to be an exact replica of the original.

Though many brands (namely Oh Deer! and Nine West) are inspired by Louboutin's designs, Steve Madden has taken it to the next level, releasing their version of the "Emily" boot mere days after Louboutin's were first seen at the RM by Roland Mouret runway show. That's not the worst part, however: Steve Madden's website used the actual photo of Christian Louboutin's boots to show their version, which undoubtedly explains the similarity.

The "Chap," available for pre-order on stevemadden.com, is described as a "haute [bootie]" and is currently selling for $150; Louboutin's "Emily" is also pre-order for $925. In a strange twist, the Steve Madden heels claim to be only 4.25" compared to Louboutin's 5.5" boots, yet they appear to have the same height in the pictures.

What am I getting at? Read the title: Essentially, buying the lower-priced item isn't the safest thing to do. I'm not trying to convince anyone to shell out nearly $1,000 for a pair of shoes, but I certainly wouldn't recommend buying the Steve Madden heels as an alternative. Because the original boots haven't been released yet, there's no telling how the quality of Steve Madden's will be; they don't have a pair to construct theirs from.

There's a strong difference between "inspired by" and "knockoff" shoes. Shoes that have been inspired by other designers aren't replicas, they're similar. Often times they come in a different variety of colors in order to set themselves apart from the originals. Knockoff shoes - much like knockoff bags - are as close to the real thing as you can get. These Steve Madden shoes are obviously the latter.

What are your feelings on this issue? Are you for or against "smaller" designers, such as Steve Madden, creating carbon copies of "major" designer shoes, such as the Christian Louboutin boots?

Review: Libertine for Target

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Screen print tee, $15, dark-wash black jeans, $35; Blue bucket hat, $15 | Cropped military jacket, $35; Grey screen print tee, $13; Black military pants, $35 | Short sleeve buttoned eyelet shirt, $25; Green embroidered skirt, $35 | Navy trench coat, $40; White/red striped bow blouse, $25; Khaki embroidered Bermuda shorts, $30; Navy embroidered duffle bag, $40; Blue bucket hat | Cream lace bolero, $27; Ivory silk bow blouse, $35; Dark green military pants, $35 | Buttoned shirt w/Libertine script, $25; White linen pants, $30; Blue bucket hat | Pink/red fine-gauge cardigan, $30; Pink/red fine-gauge sweater vest, $20; Black lace and ruffle skirt, $40 | On everyone: Blue or black espadrilles, $12-$17

The "official" release date was today, but the Libertine for Target collection slowly made its debut in stores for the past few days. The line, following Patrick Robinson's turn at the retailer, is expected to last from today to September 15, 2007.

I stopped by a local Target today to see what they had in store and was pleasantly surprised by the bursting racks of clothing. Much like Libertine's main line, the pieces were stamped with vintage prints and designed in classic shapes and cuts. The pricing isn't too bad, either: $20 for a silk camisole, a $25 printed mini skirt and many accessories going for $20 or less. My only complaint is the odd sizing (literally; the pieces only run in sizes 3, 5, etc.), which would make shopping online a difficult task.

While in the store I tried on two items - the navy trench coat and the black crepe dress, both at a price of $40 - that left me feeling only mildly impressed. The first item I put on, the trench coat, is made of 100% cotton and features oversized white buttons and trim. I grabbed a size small - my usual size - but was disappointed at the strange fit. The top half of the coat felt too tight for comfort while the lower part was decent, save for the lack of a bottom button. Due to that feature, the coat was left with an awkward opening at the bottom. I could live with that, but it was still rather annoying.

The second item I tried on, the black crepe dress, is turning out to be one of the line's more popular items. Several members of the Fashion Spot have been raving about the piece, which features a side zipper and removable belt. Even I was looking forward to seeing the piece in person after looking at the preview photo on Target.com, so I was more than willing to try it on upon seeing my size.

At the Target I visited, the dress came in a number of sizes, ranging from 3 to 15. I decided to see what the size 3 would look like on me, since that seemed the closest to the size I usually wear in dresses. Unfortunately, I quickly realized I was going to have to switch the size 3 for a 5, seeing how the piece was incredibly tight in certain areas. I found that the size 5 fit nicely, though it was difficult to actually get on because of the tight waist and delicate decorations.

Ultimately, I walked out of the Target with none of the Libertine pieces. The crepe dress would make a great dinner or evening outfit, so I hope to purchase it if it ever goes on sale. For anyone interested in that piece, I recommend going up at least one size.

On a scale of 1-10, I would give the collection a weak 7. The prints can either be your best friend or worst enemy and the sizes are definitely something to worry about. Other than those factors, I was pleased with the pieces as a whole. I look forward to seeing some of the other items, namely the scarves, in person.