Cheap Clothes

So much is made in advertising and the media about the hottest fashion trends and designer clothes, that sometimes it can make you feel like you have to spend a lot of money to look good. I would argue that there is nothing wrong with spending a little bit of time looking for cheap clothes if that is what you choose to do.

I cannot speak for the world, but I can say that I think that people in the United States are in a strange place economically right now. We are in the middle of one of the worst economic situations in our history, yet we still see the same push from advertisers who would like us to spend outrageous amounts of money on clothing fashions. As someone who prefers not to spend a lot on clothing, I have a few ideas for saving money that might help some people out.

If you have found yourself looking for cheap clothes either due to economic hardship or just because you think it makes sense, there are some different methods of shopping that you might want to consider. Walking in to a store and buying the first thing you see without any regard to specials or sales is a sure way to burn through your clothing budget in a hurry. Impulse buying really is not recommended if you are trying to save money on anything.

Where to Find Cheap Clothes

A very simple way to save some money is to get into the habit of actually looking at the store advertisements that arrive in the mail and the newspaper.  Most of these are being sent out to announce some kind of special savings.  The trick here is to see if they have something you like and then stick to only buying sale items.  The stores expect that people will walk in the door with the idea of buying something on special and then walk out with a few additional pieces of merchandise that were not on sale.  Often, the main reason they are having the sale is to attract shoppers in the front door so that they'll feel like picking up something else while they are there.  It really isn't anything deceitful on their part.  It just takes advantage of human nature which says it makes sense to get everything you need in one trip while you are already out shopping for clothes.  If you enjoy going to retail outlets, think about stocking up at the end of each season with clothing for next year.  If you are not the neighborhood model for fashion, no one will probably ever notice that you are one season behind on the latest clothing fashions.

If you are only interested in finding cheap designer clothes, well, your options tighten up a bit and you may have to consider some shopping techniques you haven't considered previously.  If you are able to be flexible and even travel for designer clothing, there are sample sales offered from time to time by major designers.  These are sales that often bring huge savings to customers.  The downside is that they are sometimes not open to the public at all or under restricted conditions.  To find sample sales, you may have to do a bit of research.  The easiest way to start would be to search on a designer name followed by "sample sale" and then see what comes back for you.  Be warned that if you choose to go the sample sale route, you may have to pre-register and be able to get to the sale itself which could be some distance from where you live.

Another alternative that people sometimes consider for saving money is shopping for cheap clothing online. The goal here is to find websites that are able to offer discounts for any of a variety of reasons. Some sites may deal in overstocked items or seasonal merchandise that is taking up valuable floor space in a retail outlet. Some other sites can offer discounts because they can buy in huge volumes and then not have to deal with the costs of a traditional brick and mortar establishment. Some of that savings can be passed on to people searching for cheap name brand clothing while the company can still turn a healthy profit.

Some people also swear by eBay as a source for cheap designer clothing. You can find both new and lightly used clothing for sale on eBay. If you are willing to consider purchasing gently worn clothes, you can usually grab some good deals here. Very nice deals often show up as people clear out closets and try to get some money for clothes that they might otherwise end up donating to charities. Often, people treat their designer clothes with extra care so it isn't unusual to find some very nice clothing offered at low prices.  The same strategy also applies for looking for any designer items.  People tend to take better care of them because they cost so much to begin with.  Designer sunglasses and cheap designer purses are a couple of other very popular eBay items.  If you do decide to check out eBay, be sure to check the seller's feedback rating. It is a very good indicator of their selling history. Personally, I only deal with people who keep a feedback rating of around 98% or higher. That does a very good job of weeding out any scammers who may try to sell off fake merchandise.

If you like to stay close to home, you may want to consider checking out yard sales, garage sales and estate sales for deals on cheap fashion clothes. Personally, I routinely see brand name clothes like Abercrombie, Aeropostale and American Eagle being sold for fifty cents a piece. When I find these in good shape, I grab them for my kids. Most of them look almost like new and the savings is tremendous. This is also a great way to find cheap maternity clothes as moms clean out their closets after they have their babies. Once again, the savings here can be huge. Estate sales are very good for picking up clothing that is a bit more formal than you would find at a yard sale.

One final place to consider looking is your local thrift store. The prices will be higher than at a garage sale, but you will have racks and racks of discount designer clothes to look through. You may want to ask if the store restocks on any particular day so that you can check out the most merchandise when you visit. I have found that the stores near me usually have some great selections on vintage gowns of all things!

Finding cheap clothes isn't really all that difficult once you put your mind to it. The potential ways to save are all around you and there is certainly no shame in buying second hand.