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Tips to Becoming a Budget Fashionista

September 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

A big chunk of the budget is spent on clothes, particularly for fashion-conscious kids who want to keep up with the latest and greatest fashion trends. There are several ways to become a budget fashionista so you can get more bang for your clothing bucks, whether it’s for the kids or adults in your life.

Are you one of those people able to turn a pile of fabric and accessories into an attractive outfit? If not, do you know someone who is? Buying clothes from talented designers is a great way to save money. Here’s how it works: You get outfits at a reasonable price. In return, you agree to tell anyone interested that the outfit was made by your talented friend.
Shopping online is a good idea if you’re looking to save money on clothes. Just imagine being able to search from thousands of online stores. That’s a lot of competition, and some sites may offer sales and promotions, such as free shipping.

For instance, if you are looking for  holiday costumes for the little ones, you can visit costumeexpress.com for plenty of great deals.

Another cost-saving approach is to join the couponing craze. There are dozens of different coupon sites online that offer deals on everything you can imagine. Many of the coupons can be redeemed online. Take advantage of your search engine to look for available coupons on the type of clothing you want to buy, or find out if your favorite store is offering any worthwhile coupons. Becoming a budget fashionista takes a bit of work, but the effort can pay off with significant savings.

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Fashionable Kids Clothing at a Discount

July 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Children dressed up in Halloween costumes.

Image via Wikipedia

As a parent you want your kid look their best. You want to dress them to the best of your ability, but you also have to face your own economic limitations. The last thing you can afford to do is to spend all your money on getting your child clothes that they are certainly going to grow out of. So here is a way to get your child looking smooth and stylish for a fraction of the cost of the department stores.

Clothes Swap

The best and easiest way is to get clothes from other parents whose kids have grown out of their clothes. Or if you have a parent friend with a child of a similar age, all you have to do is swap clothes. This will keep your child looking supplied with fresh and current clothes and won’t cost you an extra dime. This is also great for kids Halloween costumes.

Clearance

There is an untapped market for kids who are looking to be fresh on a budget. Don’t buy clothes for the age your child is, but rather for the age your child will be. If you buy clothes at the end of the season and buy them for the age your child will be at the time the season rolls around again, you will find you have a ton of new clothes that you got for a cheap price.

Your child can look stylish and do it for less. Don’t get consumed with their fashion sense too much, but if you are willing to be a little creative and use your parental connections, you can have your kid decked out as a young fashion trend setter.

Filed Under: Fashion, General Tagged With: , ,

Trendy Style for Getting Education

July 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Most students want to look stylish when going about their daily activities. People wear the latest fashions for personal expression or to catch a person’s eye. When you take online classes, style can be just as important as it is to students attending a traditional college.

College is often a time to re-invent yourself. You will meet new people who have no idea what style you preferred in high school. When you find online classes at eLearners, you’ll have the chance to meet students from across the globe, and many of these meetings will take place via a webcam. That’s why it is important to think about your style before you login to class for the first time.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to buy new clothes for college. Focus on buying a few accessories that will look great with several different outfits. For example, you can wear a scarf to dress up a shirt one day and then use it for a headband another day.

Fashion doesn’t have to stop at the clothes you wear. Why not dress up your laptop with laptop skins. Picking out a stylish skin is a great way to express yourself when you are studying at a coffee shop or the library. You can even get skins for the other mobile devices you’ll be using for school.

Other fashionable school supplies include colorful folders, stylish office supplies and trendy backpacks. With these items, you can create an environment that will encourage you to learn while displaying your style. Everyone needs a platform for self-expression, even students who take classes online.

Filed Under: Fashion, General Tagged With: , ,

You Can Do Well by Shedding Your Unfit Clothes

June 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment
SALE

Image by Gerard Stolk après la Pentecôte via Flickr

A lot of people think the best thing you can do with lightly used clothing that no longer fits is to either throw it away or sell it at a garage sale. While you can do whatever you want with your property, a lot of times these aren’t the best ideas available to you. For one thing, you can actually donate your slightly imperfect clothes to a charity and get a tax deduction while someone else gets to enjoy them.

Having a slick pair of Dereon pants is great. But it can get annoying if you bought the wrong size, or if you experience a major change in your weight. When you aren’t the right size for your clothes, it can be a problem for you. Also, while having a successful garage or yard sale is a fairly easy way to make some quick cash, it might not be the most effective use of your cash if you’re making money and paying taxes.

Consider what could happen at a garage sale. You sell your nice clothes for a few bucks to someone who walks away feeling high on their great deal. But when it comes time to pay your taxes, your refund won’t be as large as it would have been if you’d donated your clothes to a charity. You can often deduct 50 percent or more of your clothes’ original value from your taxes, which can be a boon if you donate a lot of clothes in a year. Just make sure you get receipts and donate to a reputable charity that will use your clothes for good.

Filed Under: Shopping

How to Dress Fashionably on a Budget

June 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

 

Fashion:District The Show 

Image by TPWP via Flickr

Most people want to have nice clothes and look fashionable. This is true in the workplace, at school, and even just hanging out with friends. The problem is that not everyone has the expendable income it can take to maintain a nice wardrobe. Designer clothing is expensive, and if you do spend money on it, a lot of the time it goes out of fashion in one season. There are things you can do, however, to dress fashionably on a budget.

 

Buy Fashionable Clothing at a Discount

  • Second-Hand Shops: Most cities have stores that sell second-hand clothing. Some are run by non-profit organizations while others cater to a more fashion-conscious clientele. You can find these shops by searching on the Internet or consulting with your local Yellow Pages.
  • Discount Outlets: Some stores take overstock clothing from designers and sell it at a discount price. Ross and TJ Max are two of the more famous stores that do this, but there are plenty of others, too.
  • Clearance Racks: If you shop at the right time of year, there may be some great deals on clearance racks. This is because stores are trying to clear out last year’s fashions to make room for new products.

Nobody is going to know where you bought that fashionable dress or blouse unless they ask you, so why pay full prices when you have other options. It is possible to look great without spending a fortune – you just have to know where to look for the good deals. Shopping can be fun anyway, so why not take the time to look for bargains?

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The Best Found for Less

May 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Wearing the best clothing you can does a lot for you. People treat you better when you wear nicer clothing, and often times you even feel better when better threads are against your skin. So when it comes down to finding great outfits at the high end of the spectrum, you don’t need to spend your entire paycheck to get them. In fact, sometimes the best clothes can still be had for great deals.

The thing is, you won’t likely find LRG clothes sitting on the $29 rack of your local secondhand store. Life just isn’t quite that easy. However, one of the best places to find the hottest brands for nickels on the dollar is at flea markets. These places tend to buy in tremendous bulk, and will occasionally buy seconds that aren’t quite perfect but are still good. They can then pass on the savings to you. Of course, there are also garage sales, but they tend to be a bit more of a mixed bag than flea markets are.

After all, a garage sale is basically someone trying to part with what they no longer want. The best outfits, with the exception of baby clothes and small children’s items, tend to be worn until they’re downright worn out. While you can reduce the wear and tear on your clothes, you will eventually have to buy new ones. And when you do, most people who practice the same kind of clothes-sparing activities will have ridden their wardrobe until its proverbial wheels have flown off. However, if you go early and temper your ambitions, you can still pick up the occasional great deal

Filed Under: Shopping

Best Places for Designer Discounts

May 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment

If you love designer fashions but can’t afford them, you are not alone. There’s no reason to continue to deprive yourself of high-end designer labels, no matter what size you are or what style you prefer.

 

Outlets

Most major designers and brands maintain outlet stores in addition to regular retail venues. In fact, this concept has recently evolved into outlet malls. These are truly a treat for the bargain shopper who doesn’t want to forego significant labels.

Outlet shoppers can save between 15 and 60% on most items, but if you happen to catch an outlet sale, it’s even better. You can pick up a Pyrex serving dish for $1 or a NY & Co. cashmere shawl for $2. If you have an eye for a bargain and a nose for high-end fashion, find yourself an outlet mall and stay for the day. If you’re more of an online shopper, check out Offers.com and shop away.

 

Image courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/rbitting/4029615786/sizes/m/in/photostream/

 

Sample Sales

If the outlets aren’t your thing, try sample sales. They’re usually very quick with limited merchandise—but if you’re quick, you can certainly add some great labels to your wardrobe without adding too much to the balance on your credit cards. These types of sales are especially great for unique items such as wedding dresses and furniture, as one can save 50 – 80% off retail price.

Historically, these sales were usually centered around New York and Los Angeles, but through the Internet, everyone can have access to private sales, sample sales, and online designer launch parties. Memberships are usually free so find a site, sign up, and have fun.

Filed Under: Fashion, Trends Tagged With: , , ,

Swapping Clothes, Finding Bargains

May 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment
A fashion shoot of outfits found at a "Ta... 

Image via Wikipedia

The quest for style is a long one, bordering on the epic with its endless demands. You trek from shop to shop, scouring the aisles for discounts. Saving pennies is the intention, but such savings prove to be elusive.

All stores seem intent instead on demanding your time… and your dollars. There are few deductions to find; and the ones that do exist reek of poor fashion sense. Purchasing anything beyond the most meager accessories seems beyond your reach.

This is not true, however — if you allow your quest to lead you to your friends and their closets.

Hunting for bargains doesn’t have to be a tedious thing. It can instead be a victory. Individuals craving style without the worry of high costs and limited selections — a horror you’re all too familiar with — are encouraged to gather their friends together for a Swapping Party.

As its name implies, a Swapping Party is when items are exchanged between individuals. Clothes and accessories are traded easily, with colors, patterns and designer labels offered to all. The intention is for wardrobes to evolve into an eclectic mix of fashions; and that intention succeeds. Friends can rely on each other for new looks (hoarding percentages of their weekly pay-checks until they can afford new outfits later). This allows for variety to be achieved.

A Swapping Party is essential for those needing more than the common fashions. Through a large group — it should be noted that the individuals within this group should share similar body types — style can be earned without the usual complications.

And that’s a value that can’t be denied.

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It’s True. Designer Clothes at Second-Hand Prices

April 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

If you are looking to spruce up your wardrobe but don’t want to go broke doing so, perhaps you are not looking in the right stores. There are two types of stores that your should be visiting on a regular basis.

Discount Stores

TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Loehmann’s are just a few of the stores that you should visit before heading to the full-price department stores. These stores boast super discount prices, but you will need to be ready to spend some time. Although the items are separated by type and further divided into sizes, the racks are extensive and varied. In order to truly find your “wardrobe-changing item,” you will need to take your time. Perhaps you will find a unique, yet classy Tahari suit for 75% off retail. In this particular case, patience is not just a virtue.

Consignment Shops/Second Hand Stores

Never been to a consignment shop? You have no idea what you are missing. You can certainly find designer clothes at deep discounts. But don’t be fooled by the” type” of store—most of the items have never been worn. In fact, there are stores that will only carry clothing with the original tags still attached. There are treasures to be found—for women AND men. Just a few tips – search for shops in upscale areas (you are assured to find higher-end clothing); wear leggings and a tight t-shirt so you can try things on without a fitting room (be prepared for anything); bring latex gloves to wear while sifting through bins; and make regular visits as these stores have new items on the floor all the time.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gwdexter/2549748508/

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Making a Fashion Statement on a Budget

April 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Vintage raw silk dressform/mannequin adorned w... 

Image by EraPhernalia Vintage . . . here only occasionally via Flickr

Making a fashion statement and trying to establish a look that is different and unique can be difficult. But for those who are living on a strict budget it can seem even harder. Luckily there are some simple ways to make a fashion statement on a budget. Here is a look at some helpful tips!

Be Sure to Accessorize!

Adding accessories is one of the best ways to make a fashion statement on a budget because there are great accessories that do not cost a lot of money. Adding the right pieces of costume jewelry is one sure way to really add some style to an existing outfit.  For an outfit that is lacking that special “something” look for bigger, bolder pieces of costume jewelry. Another way to accessorize and make a fashion statement is by choosing an interesting handbag. There are a number of different purses and handbags that can really make a fashion statement. Choosing a bright colored handbag or a vintage purse is a great way to say “Look at me!”.

Pick the Right Shoes

Shoes can really make the outfit so for those who want to really stand out in the fashion world, picking the right pair of shoes is very important. Even though some shoes can be pricey, there are ways to still get fashionable shoes without having to break the bank. Many people find designer shoes that have been gently used by shopping at clothing boutiques or even online auction websites. Others opt to buy fake designer shoes that are low price.

Filed Under: Accesories, Fashion Tagged With: , , ,
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