Michael Kors is All That: Part II

Reason #2:

His New Blog

I am proud to say that my love affair with Michael Kors began long before he became a household name, through his role on Project Runway alongside Heidi Klum.  I noticed his classic, classy clothing and accessories years ago and quickly became a convert (At Filene's, in Boston, before Macy's devoured my former favorite department store).  These days, Michael Kors runs a veritable fashion empire, with three separate lines, stores in 58 countries, and a huge product offering that now includes jewelry (see post "Part I").

A few weeks ago, to top it all off, Kors launched a travel blog called Destination Kors.  The blog is fantastic, with links to the Michael Kors Kors YouTube channel, photos of each look from his new collection, pictures and blurbs from his "Travel Diary" and more. I especially love the Weekly Style Tip and the street style photo roll, "How do You Wear MK?"  This fantastic blog was clearly the next move in what has been a career full of growth and success: 

About Michael Kors

Michael Kors now has a whopping 83 "lifestyle" stores in the United States, that carry his Michael Kors, MICHAEL Michael Kors and KORS lines of ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories.  This is not even including the countless specialty and department stores that carry Michael Kors, or outlets.  Michael, Michael, everywhere!

You know a designer has made it big when the Council of Fashion Designers of America presents them with one of its annual awards.  Last year, in 2010, Kors won the CFDA's Lifetime Acheivement Award, an incredibly prestigious honor whose past recipients include Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, Diane von Furstenberg and Caroline Herrera.  The Lifetime Acheivement Award is presented to designers who have offered a "lifetime" of consistent, creative influence and dedication to fashion.  At 50, Kors is the youngest ever to win.  I love how each winner brings something different to the fashion forefront.  As far as Michael Kors' contribution, I will always adore his simple, structured handbags, modern women's wear and affordable/beautiful watches.

For Value-Seekers
For economically-minded shoppers, the MICHAEL Michael Kors line of handbags especially offers incredible value.  Full sized bags range from $178 (totes) to $498 (satchels), with a selection of clutches and cross-body bags for between $68 and $198.  My favorite picks for this fall are the Small Saddle Messenger Bag in Peanut ($198), perfect for roaming around on the weekends, and the top-handled "Margo," in Luggage, soo amazing for a polished professional look.  An MK bag, given the proper care, can be used for a lifetime!  For the best deals, monitor sales at department stores where Michael Kors is sold. 

Michael Kors is All That: Part I

Reason #1:
His new jewelry line!

Jewelry can be tricky.  Cheap jewelry breaks or turns your skin green, and expensive jewelry is, well, expensive.  I think it's important with every element of fashion to mix high- and low-end items, but this category proves to be especially difficult because a mid-level product selection has been hard to find, in my experience.

Michael Kors has solved this problem for me with his amazing new line of jewelry, which includes rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets in both gold and silver.  Prices fall largely between $45 - $195, with a handful of more expensive items.

The reason why this line of jewelry is awesome is the same reason why Michael Kors in general is awesome: he offers simple, beautiful things at great prices.

I especially find these two rings to be fabulous: Silver Buckle Ring ($45) and Golden Chain Ring ($55).

The line is also carried at Bloomingdale's, so if you're looking for an even better deal, watch the sales and use your Bloomie's card to be eligible for greater discounts.

One note to say that I do wish there was a bit less logo with some of the pieces, but if you stick with the subtle and classy ones (no big "MK's"), you'll do wonderfully in my book!

Price vs. Value

Let’s talk about price and value, two concepts that are confused much more often than you’d think!

Price: the quantity of one thing (usually currency) that is exchanged or demanded in barter or sale.

Value: the relative worth, utility or importance of a thing.

The thing about value is that it’s relative, compared to any number of other factors.  You might not ordinarily value a cheap umbrella, for example, at more than $5.  But if you’re caught unexpectedly in a downpour, the value of that umbrella probably just doubled to $10.  Excluding environmental factors (I thought that was a good illustration), value is highly personal, especially when it comes to fashion.

When contemplating a purchase, try to take into account the following points if you are struggling to decide whether you should spend:

Point #1
How critical is the item to your wardrobe?  If you really need a black pencil skirt for work and don’t have any others, you might consider spending more ($100+) on a really nice piece from J. Crew.  However, if you already have several similar skirts, the value is not as high. 

Point #2 

How much will you be able to use the  item? Calculate "lifetime value” by dividing the cost by the expected number of uses.  A new MICHAEL Michael Kors watch may cost $200, but if you wear it only two days a week for three years, that comes out to only $0.64 per use.  That’s great value!  I've had this Michael Kors watch since 2006 and now the brand offers dozens of styles in gold, silver, tortoise, etc!

Point #3

How much do you love it?  I understand that sometimes we encounter that bag, blouse or bracelet that you feel must have been made just for you.  If you feel that something really represents your sense of style, the value is higher.

You’ll need to also keep in mind that no matter the price or value, don’t buy anything if you really can’t afford it.  What’s most valuable is your financial security – and the ability to pay the rent!  See my list of “Budgeting Basics” for an idea about how to save for higher-value items.