Being fashionable can be fashionably expensive in this modern world. Just take a stroll through Saks Fifth Avenue or Neiman Marcus to see the cost of luxury items. We all don’t have to take a second mortgage out on our houses in order to find clothing that’s fashionable, trendy, and stylish. We’ll be looking at all the ways to become glamorous and still stay within our budgets.
The first thing any fashionista on a budget will want to look for is sales in their local department stores. You can get some luxurious styles without going for the luxury items. Sales come in two flavors. The first is the “all the time” sale where items have an inflated retail price and the sale brings it down to its actual price. For example, you’ll find a shirt that is originally $100 but thanks to the 75% off sale you’ll find it for $25 which is what the shirt is actually worth. Those kinds of sales don’t save you anything and are just a drain on your wallet. The other type of sale is generally specific or clearance items.
Clearance items are usually extremely cheap, but you’re stuck in a situation where there aren’t many sizes available for a specific style. That’s why you’ll want to go through the entire clearance rack to hunt down and find styles that look chic and fit you as well. Remember that tailoring services are inexpensive; usually less than $10 USD to hem up a pair of paints or shorten a short, so consider the ability to get alterations when looking for these inexpensive items.
If luxury items are what you’re looking for, then getting good deals on say Dior or Christian Louboutin will be slightly more difficult. Luxury items rarely, if ever, go on sale. There are a few tricks to lower the price. Stores like Saks will offer a 10% off coupon for opening a credit account or registering for a newsletter (the later requiring the purchase online). That’s a smart thing to investigate for an item that’s over a thousand dollars.
The other alternative is searching second hand for the item. This is a dangerous route because second hand items are often counterfeits but you can usually save over half off of retail by using sites like eBay. The most important step is to research what is and is not a counterfeit and look for reputable sellers that you can trust. There is no dearth of resources online that will tell you if an item is really a Louis Vuitton or just another knock off.
Of course, don’t forget online retailers. Most online retailers like Amazon sell items for less than retail and you can even snag free shipping. Go out and window browse in your local stores for items you want then rush home to your computer to find the item online for less. There are a lot of helpful cellphone shopping tools that will even let you know if the better deal is in the store or at home.
If fur is your thing or if you want to save even more then look for consignment shops or thrift stores. Finding fashion on a budget is super easy but also super random. Thrift stores usually move their high end items to online auctions, but you might find a designer piece hiding behind the glass or lurking within the rows of clothes.
Here’s another secret, look for a niche designer who is in design school and commission them to make you some clothes in a style you want. If no one knows their name then you’ll have a unique and chic outfit that comes for a low price. A lot of local designers have their own boutiques that offer clothes that are stylish but not too pricy.
The final and last place to look is your own closet. There is a ton of clothes sitting in there that you may have forgotten about. Mix and matching your already purchased styles can make a fab outfit for absolutely nothing.
It doesn’t matter in the end what choice you make as long as you’re happy with your purchases and the way you look. You don’t always have to pay top dollar to look as good as possible. There are deals, savings, and more everywhere for the frugal shopper. You’ve just got to get out there and hustle to get those savings from the store into your purse.
About Sarah Zammit
