Katy and I are both in savings mode at the moment, and because friends don’t let friends pay full price (especially when in savings mode) we kicked off our Gold Coast girls’ weekend with a visit to Harbour Town outlet shopping center.
Back in my preppy days, every trip to the coast involved a stop at Harbour Town so I could stock up on goodies from Ralph Lauren; my wardrobe was filled with striped Oxford shirts and brightly color polos, usually teamed with a pair of jeans or navy Canterbury shorts.
Thankfully, these days my style is a little more quirky with a mix of luxury labels and high street pieces.
With stores offering up to 70 per cent off the original retail prices, we headed straight for the recently opened Premium Mall which is home to beautiful boutiques for international heavyweights including Kate Spade New York, Coach, Michael Kors, Furla, Ralph Lauren, Victoria’s Secret and Hugo Boss.
As well as boasting large discounts, most of the international retailers also have new season (full price) pieces available and my heart skipped a beat when I spotted a gorgeous new season bag in Coach–although I quickly put her down when I realised she cost more than $800!
If you prefer to stick with your high street favourites, you’ll find Seed, Seafolly, Cue, Nine West (where I picked up an awesome pair of pink loafers at 40% off the already discounted price, $139 down to $72), Bonds, Mimco, Jo Mercer, and Peter Alexander.
There’s even a Timberland store which will be getting some of my business down the track as I’m super keen to add a pair of their signature boots to my AW17 wardrobe! (Check out their online directory for a full listing of stores – and some added discounts).
For those needing (or wanting) homewares, you’ll find outlet stores for Sheridan; Villeroy and Boch; Bed, Bath and Table; and The General Trader.
After lunch at Guzman y Gomez, Katy and I were back on the hunt for bargains and there were plenty to be found in Typo (striped mugs for $4), Mimco (shoes more than jewelry or bags), Oroton (hello everything!) and Tigerlily (bohemian goodness).
In the end my heart lay with Kate Spade New York. Basically everything in the boutique is adorable; feminine and girly with a touch of the whimsical and between us, KP and I probably touched, tried or photographed almost the entire collection in our quest to find the perfect pieces to take home.
After debating two bags (see the spotted beauty above), I decided on the Chester Street Miri Pebbled Leather Shoulder Bag and the Painterly Stripe Bow silicon phone case (although if someone would like to buy me the second bag, I’ll happily forward the details #gofundme). The Chester Street was reduced 30 per cent from $539 to $377, and the phone cover (also 30% off) was $48.30 (normally $69).
Read more about our weekend away, including our stay at QT Gold Coast, here.
Thank you to Harbour Town who generously provided me with a gift card so I could do a little more shopping than originally planned!
