Five things we got at the outlets today

The 15yo and I went to the outlets today. I have never in my life gone to the outlets myself, for no other reason than to do so. I’ve been with other people, usually because we’re near them on our way to somewhere else, and last year we stopped by some on our way home from the snow, when we charged the car. I’ve been interested in going again ever since, so I decided we’d hit up the big ones in Livermore (about 45 minutes away) today. The 15yo’s friend was supposed to join us, but had to cancel last minute and that ended up being really good because we had so much fun together. It was a great day. And… we got some good stuff, at fabulous prices. Here is what we picked up.

Lululemon skirt ($30). I already bought two Lululemon skirts (same style, one black, one blue) online, to wear with my many leggings. The store at the outlet was really overwhelming; it was big and it was packed. I found the skirt I already got, but in a color that was not offered online (a lovely green), so I grabbed that I used the gift card I got when I took back a grey version of the skirt that I didn’t love (it was final sale, so I could only return it for store credit) to buy it. Then I peaced out of that place, because it was stressful!

3 pairs of Underarmor pants ($20 each). Some Underarmor pants fit the 12yo pretty well; they are slim fitting in the waist, but long enough for my tall, skinny kid. They also aren’t super cheap. So when I saw a $20 special on fleece pants that seemed like they would fit him relatively well, I went for it. If they are too big now, they will fit him later, because they are plenty long enough.

Converse sneakers ($30). The 15yo really loves Converse. They are her favorite shoes. Today she found a pair that she really liked that are more like athletic shoes, and she doesn’t really have a pair of shoes that are good for PE, so we got them. We didn’t realize that everything in the Converse store was 50% off when we brought them to the counter, so we were delighted to hear they were only $30.

7 for all mankind jeans ($80). I have not been in a 7 for all mankind store in over a decade. How can their jeans be $250?! The clearance rack was a mess, the sizes were all over the place and there wasn’t much selection. I found a pair of grey jeans I liked that fit me in size 24 (never have I ever worn a size 24). Another pair I liked was way too small in size 28. A pair of khaki colored pants (they weren’t even jeans) I LOVED were a little too small in size 27. And finally I found a light blue pair of jeans in size 26 (also not a size I’ve ever worn) that I loved and fit well, so I went with those. I have to admit, it will probably be the 7 for all mankind outlet that lures me back to Livermore again… I am a sucker for a pair of really nice designer jeans, but even an $80 price tag was hard for me to accept.

Two pairs of Gap jeans ($23 each). Okay, I confess, I really love Gap. I have a LOT of Gap clothing. I really like a lot of their styles and their clothes generally fit me well. All the Gap stores in our area have closed, so I can only buy their stuff online now. Which is fine – it’s easy to return stuff that doesn’t fit – still, I was excited that these outlets have a Gap Factory. Except it totally sucked! It was big and had so many clothes, but not many different styles. A lot of what was there just seemed… low quality. The initial prices weren’t knocked down, they just had 40-50% off most stuff. I did find a couple pairs of jeans I liked and they ended up being really cheap, but the experience was a let down.

And that is what we did get. There was plenty we didn’t get too. We didn’t get anything in the Nike store; they had no “slim fit” pants in sizes less than L, and no Jordans I thought the 12yo might like. We didn’t get anything at Uggs either; most of it wasn’t on sale at all, and the stuff that was was still over $100 a pair. Crocs was also a bust (I”m looking for a new pair for the 12yo for Christmas, because his Pringles pair is going to be too small soon). We meant to stop in The Northface on our way out, but there was a long line to get in by then. I was bummed because the 15yo’s backpack just broke and I wanted to see if I could another one on sale.

All in all I would call it a successful trip to the outlets. We got a late start, and the threat of bridge traffic on the way back meant we couldn’t stay longer than we originally intended. Which was fine, because the amount of stores, and people, was overwhelming. I feel like now that we’ve gone once, and no what to expect, we can go again in six months or so and be way more strategic. I can see us braving them again before the next school year, when I have to restock the kids closets and maybe a grab a few things for my own. 😉

Do you like going to the outlets? Are there any nearby? What stores have the best deals?