I was strolling through the mall the other day to get out of the heat & do a little walking when I was struck to hit up The Gap to see if there were any to-die-for bargains waiting for me to take them home. Alas, this asymmetrical striped dress ($49.99) is my newest friend that I almost didn’t buy, but this is one of those too-good-to-be-true stories, but I wouldn’t lie to my Style Darlings about affordable fashion!

Now you might look at the price & think that $49.99 is not a bargain… well, in the store, I found this marked down from its original $64.95 price to $16.99.  Since it was Tuesday, I was able to earn another 10% off & b/c I opened a Gap card on top of that, the store granted me an additional 15% off. I paid under $14.00 for a dress that was originally marked up $50 more!

I don’t usually find myself attracted to stripes, but there’s something a little nautical, something a little Parisian about this very flattering dress (which I bought in a smaller size since I’ve dropped a dress size this year!), that makes me want to layer it with pearls & wedges to feel feminine or add a chunky belt & ankle boots for a transition-to-fall look.  However, I already know that I’m saving it for a special family gathering when I go on a little road trip with my boyfriend next week b/c that’s the perfect occasion to break out this new bargain.

The lesson here is to always check both the store & online price before you commit to buying something, b/c if you’re lucky enough to have access to both, you could really be serving your budget wisely, especially since the styling never stops! Happy Styling!