Monday, April 20, 2009

Rue La La et ooh la la!

Once in a great, great while, I come across a true designer bargain. Now, keep in mind--what Budget Girl considers a bargain has certain parameters. A designer purse marked from $700 to $400, for example, does not fall within those parameters. It may be utterly fabulous, but I'm far too practical a soul to splurge to that degree.

But sometimes, when all the planets align, there are true designer deals out there to be had. And my new favorite bargain destination is the invitation-only Rue La La (fear not, the details on how to get your invite are below).

Enter: Rue La La. They open members-only online "boutiques" several times a week, each featuring a specific and very desirable designer. Recent seletions have included Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Robert Rodriguez and Anne Klein Boutiques. You'll find true couture fashion--for women and men--as well as sportswear, and all manner of accessories and shoes. They've also recently begun including home furnishing boutiques--just last week featured boutiques Villeroy & Boch and Henkels cutlery.

Items featured are all from current-season lines, at discounts ranging from 30 to 80 percent off retail. Some of the items are still several stratospheres above what I consider budget prices, but I recently picked up a fabulous designer knit dress for $29. It's worth browsing the boutiques each day to see what's out there, especially if you're looking for classic wardrobe essentials--the kind that are worth a little extra investment.

Membership at Rue La La requires no obligation on your part, but it is invitation only. Once you get the invite and sign up at their site, you'll get emails a few times a week alerting you to upcoming boutiques and the day and time they'll debut on Rue La La's website, and it's up to you whether you want to surf over and do some browsing. If you'd like an invite, send an email to me at chickonabudget@gmail.com, with the words "Rue La La invite" in the subject line (and your email address will never, ever be used or passed along for any other purpose). I'll have the invite sent over to you within 24 hours of your request, and then you can shop to your heart's content.

3 comments:

  1. LOVE Rue la la! Gilt Groupe and Glamlist are fab also!!

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  2. Thanks, Kristin! I'm always looking for new sites to check out, so I'll definitely give those a look.

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