Holiday Outlet Adventure - Penny Pincher Fashion

This weekend we got to go on a little adventure as a family to Niagara Falls. One of the things we love the most about living in upstate NY is that there are so many amazing attractions within driving distance from our house…and we are a family that loves to road trip! So when I was invited to take part in a winter shopping challenge at the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls, I couldn’t wait for the chance to exercise my bargain hunting skills. We picked the kids up from school with our bags packed and headed straight to Niagara Falls, which is an hour & a half drive from our hometown. We checked into the Four Points by Sheraton and were treated to a gorgeous suite, where my kids wasted no time claiming the bed nearest to the window that overlooked the river.

After grabbing a bite to eat, my husband dropped me off to start my shopping adventure while he took the kids to explore the mall (my son spent over an hour in the Disney Store and my daughter wanted to drop her entire allowance at IT’SUGAR). One of the things I love most about Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls & what sets it apart from many other outlet malls is that it’s all indoors…so you don’t have to freeze while you’re walking from store to store, making it the ideal shopping destination in the winter months. They also have tons of designer outlet shops like Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Barbour, Burberry, Ralph Lauren + more (see the full list here). I consider myself to be a fairly well-seasoned outlet shopper and I felt like there were some of the best sales I’d ever seen on this particular trip. I was also told by store managers that this will be their biggest Black Friday yet (in terms of the discounts being offered).

I was given a gift card to shop with and was tasked with creating a chic winter look. Of course, I wanted to get the most for my money, but I also wanted to find luxe items for less. I went to the BCBG store first, where everything was 50% off (including sale items) – in addition to this luxurious plaid coat, I also picked up a pretty bell-sleeve sweater (under $25!) & a warm quilted vest (under $50!). Once I had the coat, I was able to build the rest of the outfit around this statement piece. I picked up this cozy sweater at Banana Republic Factory, where most items were 30-50% off (including some irresistible velvet holiday styles). From there, I headed to Saks Off 5th (grabbing a Starbucks along the way to refuel), where I was confident I could find the remainder of my look. These boots were my greatest steal of the day – they were nearly $200 off the original price & the only pair left in my size! I grabbed these coated jeans to contrast with the suede finish of the boots & finished it off with this gorgeous leather quilted bag.

I was so thrilled with what I was able to find & how much I saved – I’m breaking it all down for you below so you can see the incredible deals I uncovered in just 2 short hours. This is further proof that it’s completely worth the drive – whether you’re building an outfit from scratch, rounding out your winter wardrobe or shopping for holiday gifts for friends & family. If you live in the area, be sure to check out the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls Fashionably Late & Fashionably Early events this holiday season – hours are 8pm to 2am on Thanksgiving Day and 6am-9pm on Black Friday (click here for all the details). You can also look up specific sales & promos being offered by store here before you head out to shop.