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Be a frugal fashionista

I love to be in fashion. I’ve become more frugal over the past few years. But, if I’m totally honest, I have a long way to go before I’m truly frugal.

I have friends who love to be frugal. They try to be in fashion, but that’s secondary.

Apparently we all win right now. I saw an article asking, “Is frugal the new black?”

With everyone dealing with rising prices, nearly everyone is becoming more frugal. And, miraculously, frugal has become fashionable.

Now, I should note that frugal to one person may not be frugal to another. I can’t remember where, but not long ago I read a story about consignment shops doing better business than ever. The story focused on consignment shops in

The people shopping at the particular shop featured in the story were buying high-end designer clothing. The consignment shop price for some of these little gems ranged from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

I guess if you’re someone who is used to spending $4,000 on a dress, getting one for $950 is a bargain. That’s frugal if you’re that woman.

But back to the real world where most of us live and shop. (Sigh …)

There are ways to still look fabulous and be frugal at the same time.

Never buy any clothing or accessories that aren’t on sale. Practically everything goes on sale at some point, so if you’re patient it will pay off in the end.

Shop off-price retailers like TJ Maxx, Marshall’s or Gabriel’s. These stores carry lots of name brand clothing and a reduced price. If you can hold out for sales or clearance items at these stores, you can get some serious bargains.

Example: I patiently waited for a pair of Cole Haan shoes at TJ Maxx to go on sale. And then I waited for the sale price to drop to a clearance price. The result of waiting was that I ended up with a pair of shoes originally priced at $230 for $22.

Shop outlet malls if there is one close to you. Much like the off-price stores, outlets offer clothing at a discounted price. If you can hit a sale, you can get a steal of a deal. I am admittedly a J.Crew addict, but the clothes are just too expensive for my budget. I only buy online during clearance sales and from the outlet. Outlet malls in the dead of winter are great for good deals. A few Januarys ago at a J.Crew outlet I snagged an $88 skirt for $8.

A big benefit of buying higher-end clothing at a discount price is that you’re also getting better quality clothing for your money. It doesn’t do you any good to buy inexpensive clothes that also happen to be cheaply made because then you’re just spending more money to replace the item in a shorter time period.

Consider shopping in consignment stores and vintage stores. You never know what you will find. Angelina Jolie made vintage store shopping fashionable last year after she showed up at a movie premiere in a vintage dress that cost her a mere $26, a far cry from the thousands usually spent on big Hollywood event gowns.

Shop in the closet of a friend, and by shop I mean borrow. My college roommate and I used to borrow each other’s clothes all the time. I inherited some great clothes from my sister-in-law. She took a job that involves wearing a uniform. She passed off some of her “office” clothes to me. For the cost of absolutely nothing I got some great pants and shirts (that she probably paid way too much for!).

Those are some of my suggestions for being a frugal fashionista. Do you have other suggestions for looking fabulous on a tight shopping budget? 

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