3 Tips to Have High Fashion Apparel on a Low Budget
by Joanne Victoria

First things first. Women ask me all the time about how they can have high fashion, great style wardrobes in these challenging times. I have chosen the top three questions to respond to.

Question: Joanne, you always say to shop at consignment stores. Aren’t consignment stores like Goodwill, just for poor people?

Joanne Says: Consignment stores come in all shapes and sizes. Find the best store that is in alignment with your style. Research may be involved here. If you are looking for Vintage clothes, there are Vintage consignment stores. If you are looking for Designer clothes, there are Designer consignment stores. You can purchase very gently worn clothing for about 25% of the original price, especially if you wait until the Consignment store has a sale. Really, these types of stores have sales too! For the first thirty days, the items are usually marked down to 30-50% of original price. So if the original dress was $100, the store price is between $30 - $50 dollars. If the dress does not sell within the first 30 days, it is again reduced by 50% per cent! That brings the price down to about $25 for a $100 dress, or even less.

Let’s talk about Goodwill, Salvation Army, Value Village and other stores that sell used clothing. You have to know what you are looking for. I was lucky enough once to find an Eileen Fisher summer jacket for $3.00. Yes, that’s three dollars. It was in great shape, with great buttons. I took it home, realized it didn’t work for me, so I took it to my Designer consignment store. They sold it for $60.00 and I made $30.00! Can you imagine? Of course, it is because I knew my labels.

Get over having any stigma about so-called stores for the poor. Right now, concentrate on finding clothes for your wardrobe at very low prices. Make sure you research these stores especially if you are in another city. You will find a whole new market for you to jump into!

Spend the next couple of weeks looking through the clothes at Goodwill and other thrift stores. You can sometimes find great name brand clothing for a bargain. People sometimes turn in brand new clothing with price tags still on them.

Avoid the usual retail stores (and their high prices) for six months of shopping in consignment and thrift stores and see how your wardrobe takes new and exciting shape and your wallet takes a rest.

Question: Joanne, I still want to upgrade my wardrobe, however, I don’t want to shop at consignment stores or Good Will. Do you have an suggestions for budget shoppers like myself with just a little money?

Joanne Says: I sure do. The stores I like to window shop in are: Forever 21, especially for their inexpensive jewelry, many pieces are available for under $8.00. Their clothing is on the youthful side, however, you can search for their best quality and find some great tops. I like the sale racks at Ross Department Store, Loehmann’s and Nordstrom’s’ the Rack. Please note that I said, their sale racks. Even discount stores have sales racks. When you learn to shop really, really well in these types of stores, you can set an imaginary limit, say $10.00-$20.00 or look in the discount sale racks for good bargains. I recently purchased an $129.00 pair of wool blend Liz Claiborne pants, year round use, for $15.00. I had set my limit at $20.00. You can also check out H&M for inexpensive additions to your wardrobe. H&M usually have copies of the latest trends, with great colors that can help pop your wardrobe with very little investment.

Question. Joanne, while these ideas are great, I don’t have any money at all to spend on anything. What can I do?

Joanne Says: Have a Clothes Trading party. It’s just like having a Tupperware or Avon event. Invite people you know who are in the same position as yourself, with similar styles of clothing, and tell them you’re having a Clothes Trading Party. You can make it fun and have it be a Potluck Party. Everyone chips in.

All invitees should make sure that the clothes they bring are in good shape and clean. Have people set their clothing up in a different part of your home or apartment. First, have everyone go around and check all the clothing. Your guests will be looking for similar styles, colors they are attracted to and willing participants. You will quickly see clothes flying as women try new and exciting things. You are really looking for direct trades. Not everything will ‘sell’ or be traded, however, most everyone usually goes home with at least one new article of clothing.

Anything is possible when you are on a budget. If you are willing to check out consignment and thrift stores, look for bargains in the discount stores as well as do a little clothes trading, it is quite possible for you to have the high fashion wardrobe for little or no money.