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 Vallarta Living | October 2007 
Talk About Shop 'til You Drop!
 Denise Derameé - PVNN
I just love to shop. Shopping is fun. It’s functional. It's entertaining. It’s about acquisition and instant gratification. It's the indulgent, fun escape everyone is looking for. It's a rush, a complete treat - especially when there are bargains to be had!
So when I heard that Puerto Vallarta's own Mikki Prost was planning to have a 3-day "Blow Out" sale at her boutique consignment store, Encore, from October 25th-27th I started making plans to get there early.
I can hear your blasé comments now... "Why would I go to a consignment store in Puerto Vallarta? If I wanted to buy used clothes I'd shop at my neighborhood Salvation Army." Well, let me tell you, Encore is nothing like your regular thrift store. Not at all.
Encore offers "gently used" designer and casual clothing, shoes & accessories at deep, deep, discounts. And mind you, these clothes are in quasi-perfect condition. Clothes worn only once. Well, maybe twice.
Shopping at Encore is always like going on a treasure hunt. You never know what kind of bargains you might walk away with. But during this 3-day sale, Mikki offered customers "all you can put on your body for $200 pesos," proving once again that she knows how to give Puerto Vallarta fashionistas a shopping experience that's a little different - and a lot more fun.
Hoping to beat the crowd, I arrived just after 11 am, only to find a bevy of bargain hunters had beat me to the punch. Now, your average consumer might have given up at this point since, with all of shoppers bundled up like Ralphie in the 1983 movie A Christmas Story, it might have seemed that the best selections had already been snapped up. But I knew that a closer look would reveal some hidden treasures, so I wasn't overly concerned.
Plus, I had a few tricks up my sleeve. In college, a friend taught me that the secret to snatching up the best bargains at clothing sales like is to wear things that allow you to try your potential buys on while standing in the aisles, rather than wasting time taking clothes on and off in the dressing room.
Don't get me wrong, I’m really not into walking around in public with my skirt tucked into my underwear but by avoiding the line for the dressing room I've ended up scoring an enormous amount of clothing for quite literally a few dollars.
Another trick I picked up some years ago is to try on pants by fastening the buttons/zippers and wrapping the waistband around your neck. Yes, like a cape. You’ll get some odd looks, but the fit around your neck very closely approximates the fit around your waist. I was skeptical at first, but it’s saved me many a trip to the dressing room with items that were never going to fit me.
On this occassion, I ended up with 10 pieces of brand name clothing - including some Levi's jeans, a pair of khaki pants, an All that Jazz dress, a few blouses with Chico's and Caribbean Joe labels, a couple of tank tops and a faux gem studded leather belt - all for only $200 pesos!
As I waddled out of the store wearing all of my new garments on my body and a big smile on my face, all I could say to the gawking passers-by was "Now that's what I'd call a successful shopping spree!"
So ladies, if you're looking for something just a little different, treat yourselves to a relaxed and fun shopping experience at Encore. Even when Mikki isn't throwing one of her wild and crazy Blow Out Sales, you'll always find some very beautiful clothing, shoes & accessories - at bargain prices.
Open Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 7 pm and from 10-4 on Saturdays, Encore is located at 584 Lazaro Cardenas on the south Side of Puerto Vallarta.
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