more bad news for Marshall's and TJ Maxx customers...

A new development on the TJX Cos. security breach.

Personal data may have been compromised as far back as 2003, Boston Globe Business writer Ross Kerber reports today.

Hmm, let's think about the amount of times that I have shopped at Marshalls since 2003. YIKES. We know my card has been compromised, and the Bank sent me a new one. But as I told you in an earlier post, I never kept track of my bank statements. The only ones I have on file are from 2006. Anything that was charged two, three or four years ago is ancient history now, but this still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. And here is why:

"Separately, a spokesman for MasterCard International Inc. said yesterday that at the time of the breach TJX did not meet a data-security standard set by card companies. TJX spokeswoman Sherry Lang declined to respond to MasterCard's assertion."

Looking for someone to blame for the fact that your information has been compromised, including some drivers license numbers, Kerber says? Blame TJX.

In Massachusetts specifically, drivers were given the option to use their social security numbers as license numbers until the RMV changed over to state-issued S-numbers in 2005. So one can see how the theft of drivers license information as well as credit card numbers could be catastrophic. If state AG Martha Coakley can have her identity stolen, anyone can.

miscellany

Fake Louis Vuitton sighting: Monday on the Orange Line to Oak Grove.
And it was a bad fake. Ugh. This is bargain shopping at its worst. Plus, I read somewhere that the profits from knockoffs fund illegal activities of varying kinds.

--

Thumbing through the pages of the March issue of InStyle, I came across a page that opened my eyes and made me smile. In the "Style File" section, the focus was how to wear black & white. The front page of the section had an amazing patent leather bag next to a pair of very adorable wedge sandals. The bag: by PHI, $295. The shoes: by PAYLESS, $20. A pair of Payless shoes paired with a 300 dollar bag? I LOVE IT. I'm glad that fashion bible magazines like InStyle recognize that the average girl doesn't have money to throw around. It's fantastic.

--

I was reading Business Week about a month ago (my father gets it and I've really started to enjoy reading it) and there was a story about Chanel Global CEO Maureen Chiquet. What I liked about her is the fact that she started in modest fashion roots to become the "global head of one of the world's paramount--and secretive--luxury brands."

Girlfriend worked at the Gap. What? So anyone who thinks that they're better than you because they can afford Chanel, just know that Chanel's Global CEO and one of the most influential people in the high fashion industry was once a Gap trainee. She folded shirts and cleaned the fitting rooms. That's right.

Everybody's got to start somewhere!

an update

I know I haven't posted in over a week.

I found out last week that I have mono. So my shopping is curtailed, and I can barely sit at my computer without falling asleep. This past weekend I went to Target because I wanted something cute to make myself feel better (aside from crippling fatigue and flu-like symptoms, mono is also accompanied by an itchy and UGLY body rash, so I was feeling pretty unattractive.)

I hit the jackpot. I got a beige blazer for $20, a pink and white polka-dot sweater for $13, black loafers that I am obsessed with for $17.99, and an amazing clutch for $18. I also picked up the March issue of InStyle, which I can read while I'm lying in bed 23 hours a day.

That one trip to Target knocked me out for the next two days, so needless to say, I will not be doing any real shopping anytime soon. How sad. I guess I'll live vicariously through my friends' shopping expeditions, read Vogue and InStyle, and shop online, which is not nearly as fun.

Since I am nodding off as I write this, I must bid you all adieu. I'll post soon on some online shopping extravaganzas and I'll be keeping an eye on fashion and business news. Ta ta for now.

spend less, have clearer skin. no, really.

As you probably know by now, I never spend more money than I have to. Some people may call that cheap; I just think I'm pretty damn resourceful. Here is an example that spending more doesn't necessarily equal better products.

Awhile back, I signed up for this deal that Enzo Salon on Newbury was running. Pay $47 up front, and you get four separate salon appointments. A fantastic deal. One of the appointments was for a facial.

If you've never had a facial before, DON'T GET ONE. Its a horrifying experience. I'll leave it at that, since we're talking about something else here.

After my facial, of course, the woman tried to sell me the products that she just used on my face. (Side note: even though the facial was a horrible and painful experience, my skin did look luminous for weeks afterward.) The products she wanted to sell me were extremely expensive, but I felt bad so I shelled out $20 for a small bottle of exfoliant by Babor Cosmetics.

I would never normally spend that much on 50 mL of skin care product, but I felt guilty. So I decided to compare this expensive exfoliant with Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub, which costs like $4-$6 at CVS. (Don't forget your extra care card!)

Bottom line is that the Neutrogena product made my skin feel better. Whether a fresh, clean, almost tingly feeling is a good thing for one's face or not, is debatable. But I didn't feel as bad using a big glob of the Neutrogena product--I still have my bottle of Babor exfoliant, and I bought it nearly a year ago. The Bargain shopper in me feels like she has to preserve this product. But I don't really notice or feel a difference in my face after using it. I do after using the cheaper Neutrogena scrub.

Whether you choose to believe my opinion or not is your call. But I have pretty good skin, and I use skin care products that are far from high-end. In my opinion, it's not worth the money. Maybe I'll feel differently when I am middle-aged and beginning to wrinkle (but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to blame that on my tanning obsession).

MY ADVICE: SAVE YOUR MONEY, FRIENDS!

my two cents

A few things I don't like, based on things I've seen over the past couple weeks:

1. Knockoffs, especially bags. If you can't afford the designer, suck it up and either fork over the cash or go to Target and get a cute no-name bag for 20 bucks. It's all about whether you think it's cute. Designer labels don't matter. There is nothing more tacky than a knockoff.

2. Uggs tucked into sweatpants. Yes, I love my Ugg boots, especially when it is frigid outside. But do you realize how utterly ridiculous these boots look with sweatpants tucked into them? Ugg boots are ugly anyway. Don't exacerbate that fact by tucking nasty sweatpants into them.

3. T-shirts with brand names across the front. These are just straight-up tacky, especially when the brand is American Eagle or Abercrombie. Is there a need?

4. Label Whores. Don't buy a designer item of clothing or an accessory just because of the label. Buy it because you like it. Good style is wearing what you like, not what you think others will like.

And the MOST important:

5. When people don't dress for their shape. Whether you're wearing a pair of $250 R&R jeans, or a pair you got at TJ Maxx for $20, a $100 Michael Kors sweater, or a top you got on a Target clearance rack for $5, DRESS FOR YOUR SHAPE. Recognize your strengths, and acknowledge your weaknesses. You're human, we don't expect every part of your body to be perfect. So if you have great legs but a bit of a belly, try some skinny jeans with a loose-fitting top. Got abs of steel, but aren't so fond of your flat butt? Try a tight top with looser-fitting pants. THIS IS COMMON SENSE, PEOPLE. If you dress for your shape you will automatically look a hundred times better, whether you're a Vogue girl or a classy lady who buys her clothes at Wal-Mart. (DISCLAIMER: I am a bargain girl at heart, but I draw the line at Wal-Mart. First of all, I think it is disgusting. Second of all, I think it is ruining America. But if you do buy your clothes at Wal-Mart, hey, rock it sister.)

And, after my third post of this lovely (and I use the word lovely quite loosely) Tuesday, I must bid you all adieu. There's a new SVU on right now. Peace out.

if i lived in chicago, i'd totally stalk her...

I have no problem admitting that I am totally not tech-savvy; the fact that I have photos in some of my blog posts is a miracle in and of itself.

My favorite blog, The Trixie, puts my blog skills to shame.

For anyone who knows of Tucker Max, The Trixie is Tucker's ex-girlfriend Bunny's sister. For those who don't know of Tucker Max, forget you read that last sentence. The Trixie is a 30-year-old woman living and blogging in Chicago. And she is fabulous. Just look at her masthead and tell me you don't love her. Do it. I dare you.





She's a fashion lover, like me. And she loves bargain shopping, like me. But she blogs about everything from food to fashion to fitness to celebrity gossip. And because of her status on the periphery of "celebrity" (aka Tucker Max), she has quite a following.

Her Holiday Gift Guide was cute, and I enjoy her short posts, like the one she wrote today:

We may have below zero temps here in Chicago, but my BPA's are keeping me warm. Bitchin'. Prada. Aviators.

Hot.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Why should I care about the musings of a woman eight years older than me, living in a different city, state and time zone?

I'll tell you why. She's witty. She's funny. She's fluff and a nice break from academia.

So check her out!

fashion week

Fashion Week, an iconic New York event that takes place twice a year, ends on Friday.

The event is used by designers to show off upcoming collections and attracts journalists and celebrities alike. Though in the past, Fashion Week was meant strictly as an industry event, the week has become something of an entertainment and media event in recent years.

If you're like me and can barely afford a plane or train ticket to New York City, buying designer clothing and accessories is out of the question. You can, however, use the styles presented during fashion week for ideas for summer and fall styles. It seems silly to be thinking that far ahead, but February Fashion Week showcases new fall styles, and Fashion Week that is held around September showcases new spring styles. This is so the retail industry has enough time to prepare.

So check out some of the runway pictures and pick up Vogue and InStyle for March. If you see something you like, see if you can find something like it at places like H&M, which I have found to be overly trendy. Target is a good place to get anchor pieces for cheap, then you can add on accessories to take your look to the faux-designer level. And keep an eye on the rotating schedule of GO designers that are presenting bargain-priced lines for Target--in stores now is Proenza Schouler, labeled "New York's Newest Powerhouse."

The key here is to keep in mind that you're not going to get exactly the look you saw on the runway. But use it for inspiration, and then go your own direction with it. Don't try and be super trendy because in my experience, the only people that can pull that off are gazelle-like runway models or some of the European tourists you see walking down Newbury Street (who, by the way, walk too damn slow and take up the entire sidewalk.)

Just have fun with it.

maybe i should look at my bank statement once in a while?

The unthinkable has happened.

Yesterday, while at work, I noticed that I had 4 missed cell phone calls from my parents' house. I initially thought that: a) my mother had some sage life wisdom to give me (i.e. "You seem a little down lately. Maybe you should go tanning.") ; b) my father had to inform me which seinfeld episode was on, complete with a quote ("Well you know, 80% of rickshaw businesses fail within the first six months." "We should have gotten some collateral from him. Like his bag of cans. Or his...other bag of cans.") ; or c) my sister had to tell me that she shut her finger in the microwave (which she actually did the other night.)

So I called my house, ready to tell them to quit bothering me, because I was working hard selling running shoes to the population of Brookline. What my sister told me, however, was slightly frightening.

"The bank called. They said there's a problem with your account and you have to call them as soon as possible."

Problem with my account? I knew I had plenty of money in there. My mind scanned all the possible options and settled on one: MARSHALLS. My card must have been compromised because of the TJX Cos. security breach. I did shop at Marshalls basically five days a week when I was on co-op, as I told you in an earlier post.

I called the Reading Co-operative Bank and they informed me that my debit/credit card was on a hot list because it had been seriously compromised (no doubt because of my overzealous bargain shopping). The woman informed me that all the cards on the list have been de-activated, and can only be used at an ATM where you have to input a PIN number to get money. I won't receive a new card for a couple weeks, and because of my class and work schedule, have no time to go to Reading to pick up a temporary card. My Citizen's Bank debit card has like 150 bucks on it, so I guess I'm shutting down my shopping operations for a couple weeks. How horrifying!

If anything, this has taught me that as an avid shopper, I should probably open my monthly bank statements and review them. My current system involves me piling the envelopes on my desk at home. And that's it. I don't look at them, I just assume that everything is status quo. I should probably grow up. But just a little bit.

I know you all care about my life so very much, so I'm sure what I have just written is more than enough to satiate you. But just in case you're still hungry, here's a Boston Herald article about this whole fiasco.