beso blog

Know what I miss about New York? Century 21. For many years, I lived just a stone’s throw from the downtown outpost, which means I had ample time to wander through the happy jumble of aisles every weekend. And sometimes after work. (One friend used to make a morning pit stop on her way to the office, and legend has it that she managed to befriend one of the security guards at the door who would keep an eye on her coffee while she shopped. No drinks and food allowed.) Anyway, one of the brilliant things about Century 21 is that the largest graphic element on the receipt is the number of dollars you managed to save—and when you’re dealing in high-priced designer gear, that number can be staggeringly high. For dollars spent, my friend Emily was super pro at maximizing that number (I don’t think she ever left without hitting at least a thousand)—in part, because she was super pro at finding that lone, pristine Balenciaga blazer amongst the racks that had somehow been put on triple clearance and was priced at $69. To this day, when it comes to sale shopping, she’s kind of like a truffle-snorting pig. But really pretty.

So what’s the point of this ramble? You can bargain hunt on Beso, too, without the physicality. (If you’ve been to Century 21 you know how aggressively physical it can get.) There’s a Sale tab on our homepage: Click on it, and the category of your choice, and then click on the Stores tab on the left to refine by your favorites (otherwise the search returns will be too staggering). You can also choose to see things that are at least 20, 40, 60, or 80 percent off. It’s dangerous territory though: If you’re anything like me, you see that 72% off banner and feel compelled to give the item a home. Meanwhile, I’ll be compiling my finds in this collection right here. In Century 21 style, if I buy the four items above, I’ll have saved $1,302.50. Isn’t that like paying myself to shop?

clockwise, l-r: THEYSKENS’ THEORY PAX FALM PANTS, $88.50 (from $295.00), Shopbop; DOLCE & GABBANA WATERCOLOR SKIRT, $125.00 (from $490.00), Bluefly; NICOLE MILLER STRAPLESS GOWN, $178.00 (from $550.00), Bluefly; NANETTE LEPORE “DIVINE” FLORAL PRINT DRESS, $239.00 (from $598.00), Bergdorf Goodman.