Cheap Designer Clothes - Are You Considering Secondhand Clothes?

Do you LOVE wearing Ralph Lauren, Ann Taylor and DKNY? Hey, me too! Have you cut back on shopping for your favorite designers because of the economy? NOT ME! If anything, I have even more designer clothes in my closet. No, I am not bragging and no I have not emptied my savings account. I just found a new way to shop for my favorite designer labels. I call it shopping for CHEAP designer clothes. Yes, I said cheap designer clothes, not expensive. Cheap designer clothes shopping is the way for all of us designer clothes divas to stay in style, despite the economy. Take notes!

CHEAP DESIGNER CLOTHES 101:

There are 4 places that you can find Ann Taylor, Talbots, BCBG, Ralph Lauren, Banana Republic and all of your favorite designer labels for a fraction of the retail price: thrift stores, consignment store, outlets and online designer thrift stores. I will briefly discuss all 4 and provide tips for successful shopping adventures.

Thrift stores: These are not for the weak at heart. However, I have found awesome deals at these neighborhood designer clothes goldmines. For success at thrift stores, the key is consistency and patience. They restock frequently and you need to consistently visit and be patient about finding your gold. Trust me, it is definitely there and you will be in awe of the rediculously low prices.

Consignment stores: Here the prices are not as awe striking. However, prices are at least 40% off retail. Who can complain about that? Also, the quality is consistently high and you don't have to wait as long or hunt as hard to find your cheap designer clothes gold nuggets. Designer shoes? If you are looking for designer shoes, you'll hit jackpot at your neighborhood consignment store.

Outlets : Ummm....I have definitely found my share of cheap designer clothes at outlets. However, the best time to hit these stores is definitely at the end of the season. Regularly, their prices ar just o.k. End of the season shopping at outlets, can put you at close to 75% off retail. However, end of the season shopping does takes some planning. You have to keep up with the outlets of your choice and shop at the beginning of their sale when they have the most selections available.

Online designer thrift stores: These are cool because you can browse through your cheap designer clothes selection at your leisure and in the comfort of your home. Also, you can do comparison shopping between stores. Online, you can expect to get 50-75% off retail. Be careful, many online designer thrift stores are selling their secondhand items for closer to 25-30% off retail. Don't be fooled! You can do better. Just keep surfing!