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Travel: Stylish Shopping Destinations

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Summer is over, and it seems like my last vacation was an eternity ago. If you, like me, are itching to get away, here are my Top 3 Stylish Shopping Destinations. Grab a friend, and shop away!

Florence – The Mall

If you are considering Italy as your destination, you should save at least one full day on your itinerary to visit the shopping paradise that is The Mall Outlets. Located about 20 minutes outside of Florence, and reachable by bus, train, or taxi, this shopping haven is a perfect shopping destination for both ladies and their gentlemen, too.

While at The Mall, ladies’ must-visit stores include Prada, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, and Yves Saint Laurent, These shops tend to have a great selection of womenswear and, if you are lucky, some amazing deals on shoes, bags and ready-to-wear. In the meantime, Burberry, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Zegna outlets will be sure to keep any man occupied with some amazing deals on suits, shoes, and outerwear. On our last trip, le bf walked away with a gorgeous Burberry suit, while I snagged a drool-worthy Burberry trench, and some Prada goodies too…all majorly discounted!

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Las Vegas – Crystals

If Europe is a bit too far for comfort, Vegas shopping is a lot closer, and just as amazing! On our last visit to Sin City, le bf and I fell in love with Crystals at City Center. And though you won’t find deep discounts at retailers nestled inside this luxurious shopping centre, you’ll still manage to have fun…even if you’re just window shopping. With such high-end shops as Lanvin, Tom Ford, La Perla, Cartier, Hermes, Paul Smith, Miu Miu, Prada, Mikimoto, Fendi, and so many more, I think I probably drooled the entire time we were there.

Le bf tried on a Tom Ford jacket (which I really didn’t want him to take off – it looked amazing), while I was hypnotized by the largest selection of Yves Saint Laurent Arty oval rings I’ve ever seen. We took some photos by the fake Trevi fountain and Boca della Verita at Fendi, and grabbed some food at Mastro’s Ocean Club. And by the end of our time at Crystals…I didn’t want to leave…EVER.

New York – Woodbury Common

Another place I never want to leave is New York’s Woodbury Common Premium Outlets. Having visited this awesome outdoor mall several times, I always manage to find something amazing to bring home, and so does le bf! When we get to Woodbury, our usual strategy is to split up and visit as many of our top picks as possible, before having to head back to Manhattan. My must-visit stores always include Saks Off 5 th, Barneys New York, Prada, and Balenciaga, while le bf always makes sure to hit up Under Armour, Calvin Klein and G-Star.

After a long day of shopping, it’s good to know that New York City is just an hour away.

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What I Wore: Date Night

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I wore this outfit in Florence to dinner with le bf…who by then has become le husband…and it was (possibly) our first date night as husband and wife together…ever! So…I apologize for the lack of detail shots…as we were in a rush and took only a couple of photos, before running through the streets of Firenze, across Arno, and to our fave restaurant in Italy – 4 Leoni. If you’re ever in Florence, you must go there, and order some pear ravioli. It will change your life.

I am almost out of vacation/honeymoon outfit posts, and it makes me incredibly sad. It’s weird, isn’t it? After a week or two of travelling, I am almost always ready to go home, sleep in my own bed, and stop living out of a suitcase. But then like clockwork, a couple of weeks after I get back, I am itching to go away again. So what I’m really saying is…where should I go to next??? Any suggestions? Share them in the comments.

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I Wore: Dress – Forever21; Shoes – c/o Nine West; Bag – c/o Tory Burch; Cuff, Ring, Earrings – H&M

Shopping: The Mall Outlet near Florence

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As le bf and I were planning our honeymoon, I knew that there were two places on our itinerary that were non-negotiable – Space and The Mall Designer Outlets. And since I know that a lot of you found my Space (Prada and Miu Miu) Outlet post helpful, here’s another handy guide to shopping at The Mall near Florence.

How to Get There

The Mall is located in Leccio Regello, about 45 minutes (by bus) away from Florence. There are several ways of getting there.

By Car from Florence: Take the A1 motorway towards Rome and the exit marked “Incisa-Reggello”. Follow the road on the right towards Pontassieve until reaching Leccio. Soon after passing Leccio, The Mall will be on the Left.

By Train from Florence: Take the train from Florence’s Santa Maria Novella station to Rignano Sull’Arno (don’t forget to validate your ticket). Upon arrival, grab a cab, and you should arrive in 5 minutes or so.

By Shuttle Bus: Probably the easiest and most convenient way of getting to The Mall. There is a daily service from Florence to and from The Mall. Visitors can be picked up from centrally located hotels. Shuttle Bus reservations and more information can be gained by contacting the Information Centre. This year, it cost us EUR 5 each way. Tel (+39) 055 8657775 | Fax (+39) 055 8657801 | Email info@themall.it

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Brands Sold at The Mall…and What About Prada?!

There’s a really great selection of luxury brands available at The Mall. From Alexander McQueen, to YSL, to Balenciaga, to Gucci, to Dior, this outlet carries a lot of premium designers (full list below). Until recently, however, Prada wasn’t one of them…

Well, that’s still the case, however…there’s now a brand new Prada Outlet literally steps away from The Mall (not even two-minute walking distance). This new addition makes it much easier for those Prada-holics that don’t have enough time to visit both Space in Montevarchi and The Mall in Leccio. Now, you can get all of your shopping done at this one convenient location, and not worry about spending extra money and time on traveling from one place to another. However, I must admit, selection at Space in Montevarchi is still much better than at the outlet near The Mall. Some things that I found at Space weren’t available at the Leccio location (and vice versa), so if you’re a hardcore fan of Prada, then perhaps you should visit both.

Additionally, if it’s Dolce and Gabbana deals that you’re after, their factory outlet is a quick taxi ride away from The Mall (about 4 km).

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This year, le bf and I got some pretty cool loot from The Mall, including a Burberry trench coat and a Prada dress for me, as well as a Burberry suit for him. I also was very tempted to pick up a leather vest from Balenciaga, and had my size been available, I have no doubt that it would’ve been hanging in my closet right now…but alas, sometimes it’s just not meant to be. Just like with Space and Woodbury, selection at The Mall is very hit and miss, but seeing how there are so many different shops to visit, you should be able to walk away with a few fun finds.

Have you ever shopped at The Mall? Have Florence outlet shopping tips? Share in the comments!

More after the jump!

[Read more…]

What I Wore: Over the Moon

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If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen a few photos from my recent Italian getaway/wedding/honeymoon…and though I can’t share the photos from the big day just yet (seeing how I still haven’t seen them myself!), these outfit shots taken during our honeymoon should do in the meantime.

These photos were taken in one of my fave Italian cities ever – Florence. Pretty soon I hope to share my fave eateries and things to do in that lovely romantic city, but in the meantime, here’s a snapshot of what I wore to one of the many dinners with my new hubby (still feels weird to say it), and a few friends (yup, we brought some friends along on our honeymoon). More photos/outfits to come! Stay tuned!

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I Wore: Dress, Cuff, Earrings – H&M; Bag – c/o Tory Burch; Shoes – Loeffler Randall; Sunglasses – Elizabeth and James (Shopbop); Heart Grips – Amazon; Ring – YSL

Shopping: SPACE – Prada & Miu Miu Outlet in Florence

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Apart from being in love with Florence, one of the highlights of the trip was definitely my visit to the Prada & Miu Miu outlet – Space. From getting there to shopping like a mad woman, I am pretty sure it was one of the most exciting days of my life! Seriously, it was a candy shop…a candy shop full of Prada bags. So in case any of you are interested in doing a little shopping of your own at Space in Montevarchi, here are some tips to help you along the way.

Space is not actually in Florence, it’s located in a small town of Montevarchi, 20-30 minutes away by train. We took the 9am train from Santa Maria Novella (direction to Rome), and then a cab from Montevarchi train station to the outlet. The cab should cost you around 12 EUR each way, cheaper if you share the ride with fellow bargain hunters.

Now this part is very important. Though the doors don’t actually open until 9:30am or 10:30am (see store hours above), once you get to the outlet, before you do anything, make sure to get a number from the machine next to the entrance. It doesn’t matter if you are number 1 or number 21, since it seems that they let around 100 people at a time (or at least that’s what the sign said), as long as you have one of those little pieces of paper, you’ll be able to get in and shop (but then again, it doesn’t hurt to ensure that you get one of the lower digits). Once you have your number, you can sit down at Space Cafe and work on your shopping strategy relax.

So initially, I had strict instructions for le boyfriend on the items that I might want and he needs to grab for me (I don’t mess around), but it turned out that shopping at Space Montevarchi isn’t chaotic at all – no hair pulling in sight. Selection of shoes, clothes, bags and other accessories is quite extensive (much MUCH better than at Foxtown or Woodbury), so unless you’re looking for a specific item, there’s no need to lose your mind and be all shaky and psychotic.

The store is broken up into sections, and you are not allowed to carry items from one section to another. What you need to do is approach a sales associate, hand the most-wanted items over and tell them your number (remember the number you had to get at the beginning?). Now, they will tell you that you’ll have to purchase those items, so make sure you are 99% sure you want to buy them. Though if you change your mind at the end, I doubt they’d make you buy them – my cashier actually asked me if I’m taking all of my items and let me contemplate them for a minute.

Once you’re done shopping, make sure to fill out a tax free form from the cashier to get the portion of the tax refunded to you (you can either mail it out or get it on the spot at designated locations). You can also ask the cashier to call you a cab to get back to the Montevarchi train station.

All that’s left to do now, is get back to your hotel room and roll around in your new purchases! You went, you saw, you shopped, and hopefully without too much damage to your credit card! Congrats!

And here’s some of my loot!

Some useful info:
  
Taxi in Montevarchi
338-933-2378
 
Prada Outlet
Lo Spaccio – SPACE
Via Levanella Becorpi
Località Levanella
S.S. 69 – 52025 Montevarchi (AR)
Italia

What I Wore: Firenze

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As happy as I was to return home after my extended absence, looking at these photos from Florence, really makes me want to go back. There’s just something so charming about the cobbled streets of that beautiful Italian city, that certain je ne sais quoi that I can’t quite put my finger on, yet it’s definitely there.

Walking along the Arno river, le boyfriend and I spotted a chain of locks, which was later explained to us as “love locks”. Hundreds of locks with names of lovers inscribed, keys thrown into the river, so that the couple’s love is “locked up” forever. Romantic, non?

After hanging our very own lock, we headed over to the Boboli Gardens, for some gorgeous vistas of Florence, and some champagne on the grass…what could be better?

What I Wore: Shirt – H&M; Jeans – Gap; Belt – Nine West via The Bay; Shoes – Zara; Bag – Prada; Sunglasses – Ray Ban; Earrings – Forever21

What I Wore: Billabong Intarsia Sweater (aka The Sweater)

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I’m back from my little European getaway…and as sad as it was to say good-bye to my best friend and her amore, I am definitely happy to be sleeping in my own bed. That’s the thing about me and travelling – I’m always eager to leave Toronto for some new exciting place, but am always very happy to come back. I guess, that’s how you know if your house is a home too.

If you know me, you know that I am a pretty good packer. For the last 8 or so years, I’ve travelled with my trusty green Heys carry-on, and it’s never let me down once. But the thing about carry-ons is that there’s not much room for error. Everything I packed had to be worn at least twice or more. And this year’s most-used item was definitely this Billabong Intarsia sweater that I picked up at a Yorkdale Billabong store during the Fall 2010 preview! It’s extremely comfy, eye-catching, and I wore it with everything on this trip. I got a ton of looks and compliments on it, and once I get around to doing some laundry, I will continue wearing it all through the fall.

What about you? Do you play favorites with your clothes? Share in the comments.

What I Wore: Intarsia Sweater – courtesy of Billabong; Denim Shorts, Top – Forever21; Black Boots, Necklace, Sunglasses – H&M; Boyfriend Jeans, Fringe Sandals – Urban Outfitters;  Red Purse – Prada; Backpack – Chanel; Sunglasses – Ray Ban

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