You know how much the Czarina loves a sample sale, especially when there are FREE cocktails involved along with the discounts. Shecky’s is both an online and mobile event that partners with over 1200 designers across the US – and Shecky’s Girls’ Night Out is coming to Chicago!

SAMPLE cool cocktails, beauty treats, games, and more from Shecky’s partners.

SCORE up to $100 in beauty products and fun freebies in Shecky’s Famous Goodie Bag.

SHOP hundreds of hot, one-of-a-kind items from indie designers and boutiques across the U.S.—all at up to 75 percent off!

Aside from their events, Shecky’s synthesizes the hot trends and lets you know where to find them, with links to the online retailers. I really enjoy this feature, as who has time to comb through all online sites to find the best options? For instance, their feature on lace tights included the best of the best and what to wear them with. It reminds me a bit of The Lucky Shopping Manual that I have previously recommended, only the writing style is more friendly and the links make it easier to find what you want.

Sign up to be a Shecky’s Insider on the website to get emails and watch Stylefool for a sponsored giveaway!

Shecky’s Girls Night Out Chicago

Date: Wed.-Fri., Mar. 18th-20th, 2009
Time: 5pm-10pm
Place: The Great Hall at Chicago Union Station
210 S. Canal St. (entrance on Jackson Blvd.)
Price: $25 in advance, and $15 if purchased before February 25th!

Another year, another birthday that isn’t your Czarina’s. I haven’t had a birthday since my 29th.

What?

Not having birthdays doesn’t stop me from asking for birthday presents, though…usually in the form of something from Mulberry. But we’re not talking about my contorted and highly rule-intensive birthday construct for myself. We’re talking about the Czar’s birthday, and the distinct WTFery that danced on the periphery. It’s going to be a weird year.

Read more »

As your Czarina has said in the last post, life hasn’t stopped because she stopped blogging. No! In fact, she has been accumulating an entire eight months’ worth of customer service sucktitude that she is excited to share with you over the next couple of weeks, in the form of her 2009 Crud List.

The people, organizations or companies on the Crud List have committed real or imagined affronts to customer service, in the Czarina’s opinion (which is the only opinion that really counts.)

Without further ado, the first company to make the 2009 Crud List:

Neiman Marcus: Theoretically I could give NM a break, because all of retail is suffering. I used to work retail to put myself through grad school, and I can tell you it is brutal. I once had a woman scream at me for not holding a $40 skirt for her – she had not asked me or any other salesgirl to do so. She left it in the dressing room and wandered off after something shiny during a crazy markdown sale with lines to use the dressing room a mile long. So, of course, someone used that dressing room after the woman had left it and decided to buy that particular skirt. Rabid Skirt Woman was foaming at the mouth when she found it missing out of the dressing room. C’mon, lady. If you want it that badly, then keep it with you.

As a result of these experiences, the Czarina does not abuse retail help and takes a dim view of anyone who does. But I just can’t give NM any more leeway. I feel like I’ve been generous enough. Their downslide started way back here, with NM Online. Over the past year or so the bad customer service has leaked over into the Michigan Avenue store. I’ve walked in there, browsing their lovely purse department, and I have been alteratively ignored, assaulted by fragrance people (although this isn’t their fault, they’re like wandering minstrels over there), given the once over and assessed to be wanting in…oh, I don’t know, class?

This is a riot, because: hey, NM? Your sales are down. By like, a lot. Women’s Wear Daily says you are in pain along with Saks. I’m not going to dress up to go there when it’s 80 below. I’m going to look like a North Face wearing, frostbitten, Malemute wrestling, arctic explorer with Canadian Ugg ripoffs. At least Saks NYC had the courtesy to have a 70% off handbags sale, which resulted in practically a stampede. You have done no such thing.

In addition, NM is now also Bergdorf Goodman online. At first I thought this was great because I could use my NM charge and have things sent to me without paying the INSANE 10.25% SALES TAX THANKS TODD STROGER. WAY TO GO KILLING CHICAGO INDEPENDENT RETAIL. (As an aside, when I was shopping in LA this summer, I think the guy at YSL was about ready to pop out of his skin when I told him about our sales tax.)

I guess unsurprisingly, the customer service at BG Online was just as bad. They didn’t give me credit for something I had returned for the longest time because they had a shortened version of my name on the shipping label and my full name on the credit information. Because a nickname TOTALLY means a different person! It took me almost a month to get that resolved and I called every single day for about a week. And you know I have nothing better to do.

So to sum up: in person, NM’s customer service is crud. Online, it’s also crud. Guess what? I can get 99% of stuff I would ever get at NM elsewhere and probably for less. Some luxury companies understand that the days of the 5k handbag are over…at least for anyone who isn’t using bejeweled Charmin.

I really hope they learn their lesson. In a way it’s very sad that a place that was supposed to be all about the service now seems to be all about nothing.

For that, NM folks, you have the honor of being the Czarina’s first “C List” installment. Enjoy! Don’t forget your Ugg ripoffs when you’re out in the cold.

Seventy restaurants are offering three-course prix-fixe menus for lunch and/or dinner the week of February 24th through February 28th. Lunch menus are $21.95 and dinner is $31.95. Some of the good deals include Aria, China Grill, Naha, The Peninsula, The Four Seasons, and OneSixtyBlue.

See www.choosechicago.com/eatitup for more details!

Chef Vivant runs Vie, a restaurant in Western Springs. He will teach you how to cook an Easter meal, and then you get to have a three course lunch with him! Chef Vivant won Best New Chef in 2007 from Food and Wine Magazine. His philosophy includes supporting local food producers and using seasonal produce whenever possible.

Yes, it’s a hike, but it’s worth it. The event takes place on March 10th, from 9:45 am to 1:30 pm. Call the restaurant for more details at 708-246-2082.