How To
Get More Mileage Out Of Your Wardrobe Investments
In case you missed it: How to get more mileage out of your closet.
Save your favorite warm weather piece by learning how to unshrink a wool sweater. (Pst, its easy: all you need is hair conditioner.)
Learn how to lock a zipper, and keep your jeans, tight dresses and boots from slowly slipping off. Huh? Who even knew that zippers could lock?
Can’t wait to pull out your silk scarf and sunnies for warm weather? Learn how to keep a scarf on your head letting it falling off.
Take care of your best shoe purchases by wearing them properly. Learn how to break in new shoes without breaking the bank, the shoes, or an ankle.
How to Tell if Your Louis Vuitton is Fake
Many unsuspecting budget fashionistas spend up to $1000 on “authentic” Louis Vuitton bags that turn out to be fakes. Before purchasing your bag, read these basic rules to determine whether or not your louis vuitton is fake.
How to Tell if Your Louis Vuitton is Fake
- If it claims to be “brand new” and costs less than $300, most likely it is fake.
- If the “LV” logo is upright on both sides, it might be a fake.
- If it’s “brand new” and being sold on eBay or Yahoo! Auctions, there is a good chance it’s fake.
- If the piping is not leather, it is fake.
- If the seams are uneven, frayed, the monogram is off or the bag is poorly sewn, it is definitely fake. {pagebreak}
- If there is no date code (a.k.a date number) provided or if the seller is reluctant to provide a date code or receipt, it could be fake.
- If it’s a new bag and the bag’s handle is a different color leather than that of the piping, it’s fake.
- If the seller doesn’t allow returns, most likely it’s fake.
- If you bought it in your local Chinatown or from a street vendor, it’s fake.
- If the dust cover has rounded edges and/or it doesn’t come with a dust cover, it’s fake.
- If the bag has a hanging tag (of any type) or a bright yellow tag or envelope, it’s definitely a fake.
- If you bought the bag on an ecommerce site other than eluxury.com (be careful of eBay), it’s fake.
For more information on how to tell the authenticity of your Louis Vuitton bag, visit an authorized Louis Vuitton retailer like (Neiman Marcus or a boutique at your local high-end mall), call the Louis Vuitton headquarters at (212) 758-8877 or visit My Poupette, a site dedicated to the promotion of real LV bags.
** TBF Note: I have no opinion one way or the other on the whole fake bag issue. However, most people assume if you’re carrying a Louis Vuitton Monogram Canvas, it’s a fake. So why bother purchasing the fake OR the real thing? My advice: head to the nearest Loehmanns, Marshalls, Off Fifth, Saks Fifth Avenue, or Last Call Neiman Marcus, purchase a real, high quality bag (Coach, Marc Jacobs, Longchmap, Cole Haan) for cheap and put the money you save into your retirement account. **
How to Sell to a Consignment Shop
At the end of each season, I sell my clothes to a local consignment shop. Each consignment shop sets its own guidelines for the type of designers, styles, sizes and quality they prefer. You and the consignment shop enter into an agreement by which the shop sells your goods for a percentage of the price (selling fee). This fee usually runs between 30 to 70% of the item’s selling price. As with everything, this can be negotiated depending on the quality and the designer. For example, if you have a high-end Hermes bag you would like to sell, you could probably negotiate a lower consigning fee. Once your item is sold, the consignment shop takes out its fees and sends you a check for the rest.
Before consigning any items, make sure you receive a contract that spells out how much of the sale you will receive and the length of the contract (30-60-90 days). If you are leaving your items with the store, ask for the option to pick up any unwanted items or have them donated to a local thrift store. You should go for the pick up option, so you get the tax benefits of the donation.
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