Visit The Shops at Yale for Christmas 2020

Holiday Shopping in New Haven CT

New Haven got hit today with a blanket of snow, which makes Christmas shopping so much more fun!

Visit the Shops at Yale to support your local downtown merchants - and enjoy the sights and sounds of the holidays!

Gift Card Guide Celebrate the holidays by treating your loved ones to chef-prepared holiday dinners to go from Union League Cafe, Sherkaan Indian Street Food, Tarry Lodge (Feast of the 7 fishes), Anchor Spa and Claire’s Corner Copia. Special at home dinners sell out quickly, so please order yours soon! Visit our Takeout Dining Guide for additional menus, including family style options! SCUBA HOODIE & JOGGERS, $118 each lululemon New Haven, 13 Broadway. Store hours, contact information and more! FJALLRAVEN CLASSIC KANKEN BACKPACK $80 Urban Outfitters, 43 Broadway. Store hours, contact information and more! WARM AND DURABLE AIRLIE SWEATSHIRT, $75 FatFace New Haven, 37 Broadway. Store hours, contact information and more! FRASIER FIR COLLECTION BY THYMES, $10-$36 Lou Lou Boutiques, 23 Broadway. Store hours, contact information and more! GIFT BOX WITH CHEESE, JAM & CRACKERS, $38 Arethusa Farm Dairy, 1020 Chapel Street. Store hours, contact information and more! NANO PUFF JACKET WINDPROOF & WATER-RESISTANT, $199 Patagonia New Haven, 1 Broadway. Store hours, contact information and more! CHANEL SUNGLASSES, $480 & CLEAR GLASSES, $453 Kennedy & Perkins, 80 Whitney Avenue. Store hours, contact information and more! YALE-OPOLY, $40 & YALE BOWL PUZZLES, $23 Campus Customs, 57 Broadway. Store hours, contact information and more! HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE #1 Raggs for Men & Women • Sneaker Junkies • Neville Wisdom Design Studio • idiom Boutique • Walker-Loden • Gilden's Jewelers • dwell New Haven • Grey Matter Books • View Gift Guide #1! HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE #2 Apple • Book Trader Cafe • Shiana Hair • L'Epicerie Choupette • CPR Cell Phone Repair • Knit New Haven • View Gift Guide #2! HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE #3 L.L.Bean • Hull's Art Suppy & Framing • The Yale Bookstore • J.Crew • Atticus Bookstore Cafe • Derek Simpson Goldsmith • Cristhian Shoe Repair • Katahdin Furniture • View Gift Guide #3! Hot Cocoa Bombs & Cookie Gift Boxes at Katalina's Katalina's Bakery, located at 74 Whitney Avenue, is offering a variety of sweet gifts made with love in New Haven! Click here to view Katalina's hours and contact information! WEEKEND SALES - DECEMBER 19 & 20!   Atticus Bookstore Café, 1082 Chapel Street: 15% OFF hardcover books. Barnes & Noble / The Yale Bookstore, 77 Broadway: 50% OFF Yale blue sherpa jackets through Dec. 24. Book Trader Café, 1140 Chapel Street: Spend $25 on books, CDs or DVDs and receive a FREE medium drink of your choice.  Campus Customs, 57 Broadway: 20% OFF entire store through Dec. 24. Derek Simpson Goldsmith, 1094 Chapel: 20% OFF all jewelry in stock, plus receive a $50 gift card for every $250 spent through Feb. 28. FatFace, 37 Broadway: 50% off select merchandise. Hull’s Art Supply and Framing, 1144 Chapel: 20% OFF select gifts and 25% OFF ready-made frames through Dec. 31. idiom Boutique, 1014 Chapel: 60% OFF select sale apparel. J.Crew, 29 Broadway: 20% OFF cashmere, 50% OFF full-priced items, 60% OFF sale items through Dec. 24. Some exclusions apply. L.L.Bean, 272 York: $10 bounce back coupon with a purchase of $10 or more through Feb. 16, 2021. Lou Lou Boutiques, 23 Broadway: $20 Classic Plaid Ruana through Dec. 20. 50% OFF select handbags & wearables and 60% OFF select jewelry through Dec. 31. Neville Wisdom Design Studio, 27 Broadway: 50% OFF select fashions.  Raggs for Men & Women, 1020 Chapel: 20% OFF all regular-priced merchandise & gift cards through Jan. 1. Shiana Hair, 1020 Chapel: 10% OFF color services and $65 blowout special (shampoo, conditioning & styling blowout) through Dec. 23.  Sneaker Junkies, 976 Chapel: 25% - 50% OFF a wide selection of merchandise. Urban Outfitters, 43 Broadway: 40% OFF sweater sale on Dec. 17 & 18. 30% OFF dresses & rompers on Dec. 19 & 20.   View all Retailer Listings, Click Here!   Gift Card Guide Did you know gift cards are the most popular item on wish lists according to a 2019 study by the National Retail Federation? Support your favorite local businesses! Click here to view our Gift Card Guide featuring 65 New Haven merchants! Shopping Rewards - With $25 Or More Purchase! Free 2-Hour Parking & Free Gourmet Hot Cocoa from Claire's Corner Copia or Blue State Coffee with $25 purchase from participating retailers through 12/31. Details at 2020 Holiday Promotions! Shopping Rewards - With $150 Or More Purchase! Free 2-Hour Parking, Gourmet Hot Cocoa PLUS Gourmet Chocolates or Made in New Haven Face Mask with $150 purchase from participating retailers through 12/31. Details at 2020 Holiday Promotions! Holiday Shopping Passport Shop at 38 participating merchants. Spend $25 or more, get stamped and turn your passport in when you have 4 stamps for a chance to win 1 of 3 $950 gift card packages! Hurry, ends December 20. Details at Holiday Shopping Passport! FREE Socially Distanced Photos With Santa Saturday, Dec. 19 & Sunday, Dec. 20 from 11am-2pm at Shubert Theatre Plaza, 247 College Street. Free parking, giveaways, exclusive discount shopping rack card and more! Click Here for Details! FREE 2-Hour Parking When You Spend $25 Park free in your choice of 3 convenient surface parking lots at The Shops at Yale for up to 2 hours with a same-day receipt of $25 or more from any retailer or restaurant! Details! SHOPPING  &  DINING SHOP & DINE more than 60 unique boutiques, retailers, eateries, and award-winning restaurants in the heart of downtown New Haven.

Holiday Shopping at the Westfield Trumbull Mall CT

Every year I like to beat the crowds and find out what styles and trends are in for the season BEFORE the holiday shopping rush begins. This way, I have a better idea of what purchases to make for family and friends...and ideas for dressing up (or down) for upcoming holiday dinner parties and celebrations. Where to go? My local Westfield Mall!

And...of course, what holiday shopping visit would be complete without a visit to SANTA!!!!

#ShopTrumbull
Visit Santa at the Westfield Trumbull Mall 

This holiday season I partnered with the great folks at the Westfield Trumbull Shopping Mall whose management team arranged for us to visit four stores and talk to their management teams, store managers, and sales associates to find out what's on point in the coming season.

And the Westfield Trumbull's management team has some wonderful ways to keep us all on point this season as well, as they have some weekly surprises coming up for their shoppers! Be on the lookout for the Westfield Trumbull Merry Makers in their holiday attire throughout the mall beginning on November 28th (Black Friday!) The festively dressed Merry Makers surprise shoppers with unexpected acts of kindness and special holiday entertainment performances. And they're fun too!

Westfield Merry Makers at the WestfieldTrumbull Mall
#ShopTrumbll
#MakeMeMerry

This year Westfield is donating $1.00 to St. Jude's Research Hospital every time #MakeMeMerry is tagged in a picture from their malls! And you can help by stopping in the management office at your local Westfield Mall and making a donation too!

And now...let's get this shopping party started!!!

Francesca's Collections at the Westfield Trumbull Mall

We started at Francesca's Collections, a boutique that originated in Houston Texas and now boasts over 450 stores in 45 states and an online boutique! Each store is unique to its area, and offers a a beautiful array of carefully-curated clothing, bright bangles and baubles, bold accessories, and playful gifts.

Francesca's Collections at the Westfield Trumbull Mall

At Francesca's Collections we learned that accessorizing is in the details and it's their attention to the details that sets them apart. In every nook in the store are amazing finds. Whether you looking for cute boots, unique outfits, a clutch with a pop of color, or some statement jewelry, Francesca's Collections has you covered!

Francesca's Collections at the Westfield Trumbull Mall

Banana Republic at the Westfield Trumbull Mall

Next we moved on to the Banana Republic where the subtle style transformation that new Banana Republic EVP / Creative Director Marissa Webb, former designer for J.Crew,  is bringing to the organization was apparent. While still featuring clothing that is grounded in professional office  wear they are addressing the relaxed culture of corporate America, where fashion can be a bit more contemporary and reflect a more edgy street-vibe.

Banana Republic at the Westfield Trumbull Mall

We all loved finding out about the high-low (hi-low) trend taking place. While I had always thought it referred to a shirt or dress hemline that is higher in the front and lower in the back, we learned that the term also refers to the layering that takes place, where a short jacket is layered over an untucked shirt, or a sweater sleeve that is rolled up exposing the shirt cuff beneath. Banana Republic features both  men's and women's wear.

Banana Republic at the Westfield Trumbull Mall

F&F Clothing in the Westfield Trumbull Mall

The F&F Clothing Brand is a franchised retail subsidiary of the UK Tesco Company. Currently expanding in the U.S., they have  43 franchise stores in 10 countries - Saudi Arabia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Gibraltar, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, The Philippines and Armenia (Source: TheDrum.com). F&F strives to be the global leader in affordable clothing for men, women, and children's fashions.

F&F Clothing at the Westfield Trumbull Mall

The F&F store opened this year in the Westfield Trumbull Shopping Mall. The entire outfit pictured above left, cost just over $300.00, including the overcoat, scarf, sweater, skirt, purse, and boots. I especially liked that consumers can pick up trendy accessories that often change from season to season at affordable prices.

F&F Clothing at the Westfield Trumbull Mall

The Limited at the Westfield Trumbull Mall

Our last store of the day was The Limited, known for offering high quality design at a great value. The Limited design team headed by Elliot Staples, has partnered with ABC's hit show Scandal's costume designer Lyn Paolo and Scandal actress Kerry Washington who plays lead character Olivia Pope, to design a fall/winter collection, The Limited Scandal Collection. The details in this collection are incredible. Soft luxurious fabrics, sharp collar designs, detailed cuts and hemlines, and tailored sweaters. Every piece just gets better and better.

The Limited at the Westfield Trumbull Mall
Featuring The Scandal Collection

In addition to the Scandal Collection, their entire line has amazing details, including lace insets, leather trims, sleekly cut blouses, stylish bags and purses, and of course, classic jewelry. There's something for everyone at The Limited!

Timeless pieces with quality design!

The Limited at the Westfield Trumbull Mall

After a long day of shopping we stopped at the Westfield Trumbull Mall's newest restaurant addition...The Cheesecake Factory! After a quick libation and lunch from the SkinnyLicious Menu, and, of course, pumpkin cheesecake (!!!)  A bit more shopping on my way out - and then I was on my way home. Full of ideas for the holiday season!

The Cheesecake Factory at the Westfield Trumbull Mall
Mojito, Chicken Thai Lettuce Cup, Pumpkin Cheesecake

I hope this little glimpse into four stores at my local Westfield Mall inspired you for your holiday shopping!

Have a merry merry!

Westfield Trumbull Mall

5065 Main St

Trumbull, CT

(203) 372-4500

http://www.westfield.com/trumbull/

Find out more about Westfield Retail Malls here ==> http://www.westfieldmallretail.com/

Disclaimer: I was invited to this store tour by members of Westfield's Management Team. All opinions are my own.