Confession: I am a Maxxionista

I love shopping. Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I am a shopaholic. Perhaps that's not the correct term; I enjoy fashion. I really do. Most of the people I know consider fashion something only the wealthy can afford, but I beg to differ. Fashion is the outmost expression of one's style and artistry. A not-so-wealthy person can have style--before Audrey Hepburn was Audrey Hepburn, she was taught how to acquire taste. (Perhaps this might be the result because Audrey was the result of a baroness.) Just because money is tight doesn't mean you can't have taste. If you know where to shop around, then you know which places has this or that. Which is why I love TJ Maxx. Specifically, I love the TJ Maxx in Sarasota, Florida. I've always liked that particular store when I shopped there last year. It has everything: shoes (Coach at $60); bags (Michael Kors for $100); dresses (Calvin Klein and BCBG to name a few...at $60+); and accessories at reasonable prices. Another thing I should probably mention, I also like high-end fashion as well. My favourites are Marc by Marc Jacobs, alice + olivia, Rebecca Taylor, Rag + Bone, Madewell, and Tory Burch to name a few. However, the prices...? Not so hot. It's not that I'm in a position where financial possibilities are strained; I just think that quality and quantity should have an equilibrium. In most cases, it's not. Which is why, again, I love TJ Maxx. Today, on a particular shopping endeavour, I came across several Marc by Mac Jacobs swimsuit attire...at $50! I also saw Prada shoes for $350. You don't pay that little for Prada even at consignment stores (and I've visited several). And they were new! And they were adorable. If only I had an excuse to purchase such an extravagant pair of shoes...In addition, I also saw a pair of brown loafers by Salvatore Ferragamo for $200. I was taken aback at the collection of high-end designers at TJ Maxx. Coach, Michael Kors, DKNY, Tods, ...the list can go on. In conclusion, I am a maxxionista--a TJ Maxx shopping follower, something I will carry late in my life. If you can find something identical that is available at a different store but at half-price, would you buy it? Of course you would. You wouldn't even blink. Especially at a name like Prada. In short, TJ Maxx is my favourite store, something I do not say frivolously.