Shopping in Vegas: My Afternoon with Cheapy, Part 2

After we left the hectic environs of Kenneth Cole, Cheapy and I rounded out our afternoon at the shops of the Venetian with a trip to Banana Republic. The store was bursting with both people and sale items.

I tried a number of things on and ended up buying one black and white silk dress.




I also tried the dress on in orange linen.




These dresses are cute exactly the same. The silk version looks good on me; it drapes very nicely. I hated the dress in linen--it was really awful. Fabric makes such a difference.

Cheapy (who opened a charge to save 20%) bought me the dress and got himself--what else--a blue button down shirt (that looks an awful lot like a dozen other shirts in his closet--blue is his color, however, so I guess one more won't hurt).

After Venetian shopping, the whole Vegas group went to a restaurant in Caesar's Palace for dinner, so I had a chance to take a quick spin through the Vegas Anthropologie--which was huge.

I'd found a dress and a sweater.



When I went to checkout, however, I realized I had no wallet--I had switched from a big bag to a clutch and didn't have so much as a dollar on me. Right then, Cheapy called--he was at the Imperial Palace where there was karaoke going on, and he dislikes karaoke more than he dislikes shopping, so he and his wallet zipped on over. Before he would pony up, however, he had me try on the items I wanted and Mr. 85-blue-shirts-in-his-closet nixed the dress claiming it "looks like all of my other dresses." I liked and, but didn't love it so I let it go--but I'll keep my eye on it in to see if it goes on sale.

Shopping in Vegas: My Afternoon with Cheapy

After a morning at the overpriced Canyon Ranch Spa (and lunch at their delicious and very vegetarian friendly cafe), I met up with Cheapy to hit the shops at the Venetian. We only made it to two stores because, despite the fact that he had an OK buzz, Cheapy was not feeling the retail vibe. There were too many people (it was Saturday) and they were harshing his happy-mellow.

Our first stop was Kenneth Cole. (Cheapy hated the music.) I got this pair of shoes that I'm still thinking about taking back. I love the gray leather contrasted with the black woven heel (they also come in a great yellow and beige), but I'm concerned about the comfort level.


I also got a small and super soft leather hobo. It's below in cream, but I got it in gray (which was not offered online). I guess I was in a gray mood--it's a good neutral for summer!


I loved a lot of the bags Kenneth Cole has to offer. The shapes and colors really appeal to me and many many of them are on sale.

For example, this blue bag which almost has the look of denim leather and is soft and slouchy. (It's on sale for $129 from $278.)



This cream and black satchel is clean and simple and soft. (It's on sale for $129 from $248.)



I love this gray and white tote. It looks roomy but not too cumbersome. (Its' on sale for $159 from $338.)



And this silver tote is fancy and shiny, and somehow slouchy and structured simultaneously. (It's on sale for $159 from $318.)


The service in the Las Vegas Kenneth Cole was not exactly stellar, but since I had to wait so long to try on the shoes the sales person gave me a 25% off gift card. If I decide to return the gray wedges, I may us the discount to get this dress (which looked much better and more interesting in person).


Here's a funny Cheapy shopping anecdote. After I finished the whole shoe transaction we headed to the second floor of Kenneth Cole to check out the clearance. Cheapy walks over to me holding this shirt:




I personally think this shirt is kinda cool. I like the dip dye and I love the palette. But for Cheapy to pick it up--I thought someone must have slipped something into his beers. Everything he owns is beige, army green or light blue.

"This looks kinda good. Do you like it? I'm going to try it on," says Cheapy. "Um. O-K. Dressing rooms are that way," I say.

So we go into a dressing room and he puts on the shirt. Then he takes off his sunglasses, and has a mini-freak and rips it off. "Why didn't you tell me it had...colors?"

Shopping in Vegas: Taryn Rose

I got back from Vegas on Sunday afternoon and I'm just now feeling back to normal and up to blogging--too much drinking, eating, and time-zone changing and not enough sleeping. But hey--if you don't feel like crap after you get back from Vegas you did something wrong. And if you don't have to expand your suitcase when you repack you're either a Tetris packing champion or you didn't take advantage of the amazing shopportunity that is Vegas. (I didn't gamble at all on this trip. If I'm dropping a wad of cash I want something for my closet.)

My favorite place to browse in Vegas are in the shops in Caesar's Palace which was just a quick jaunt across the street from the ultra-lovely Venetian where we were staying. (Note: I just saw an article in The New Yorker that said the guy who owns The Venetian makes one million dollars every hour. For reals, y'all. Can you imagine?)

I wasn't sure how my first Vegas shopping day would go because we were there hanging with a group of people (this was a surprise birthday party trip for my friend) and when we hit Caesar's there were five ladies perusing the stores--but we seemed to be in perfect shopping sync. The first place we collectively purchased was Taryn Rose--where tons of beautiful shoes (and I mean like three quarters of the inventory) were 70% off. Granted these are $400-500 shoes so they still weren't exactly giving them away, but since I didn't have any $500 shoes, it was a good time to snap some up.

I came home with these gunmetal peeptoe wedges. The are comfy and o-so-shiny. (If limber enough, one could check her lipstick in these babies.) I always have a hard time passing up a metallic shoe--but especially when in Vegas where everything is shiny.


One of my shopping companions got these peeptoe maryjanes wedges in the shiny gunmetal. (I actually liked these better than what I got, but they didn't come in my size.) This particular shopper bought three pairs of shoes which was quite the shoe coup--she wears a size twelve and they are few and far between so she tried on everything in stock in her size.


My birthday girl friend, along with pair of smokin high-heeled strappy not-particularly-New-York-friendly sandals, got these drag-queen-tastic gunmetal pumps.



I made a sad discovery when I came home and unpacked. I got a scratch on one of my shoes--a little nick in the shiny--when I wore them out to dinner. So, if my Vegas Taryn Rose shopping companion are reading this, be careful out there!

I've got more to report, so look for more Vegas posts this week.