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From shopping queen Metalia
The current financial situation facing this country is enough to frighten and frustrate anyone. Of course, these feelings are only exacerbated when certain people (namely, ME) peruse the Anthropologie and J. Crew fall catalogs, shedding silent tears over the gorgeous fashions that fall well outside my self-imposed mandate of “fiscal accountability.” And by “fiscal accountability” I mean, “buying food for my children instead of $500 purple coats, even if they are really pretty .”
So what’s a fashion-forward girl on a budget to do? Well, desperate times call for desperate measures, but seeing as I’m not quite desperate enough to sew a dress out of a flour sack (YET), I’ll share with you my secret spots for a bargain online, and my favorite frugal shopping tricks.
Obviously, Target and Old Navy’s online stores are excellent places to scoop up deals on cheap but well-made stuff. This entire outfit (with the exception of the shoes) came from these two stores.
Total cost? $38.97 .
My other favorite cheap online spots require you to sift through a LOT of teenybopper gear, but the payoff is worth it: I speak of the cheap n’ trendy trifecta of Delia*s , Gojane , and Forever 21 . Everything here is from these sites, and each item is under $35:
My five best pieces of advice before you go forth and shop:
Think dark.
When buying cheap stuff online, it’s not as easy to ascertain whether a garment “looks” cheap as it is in a store. My trick is to buy clothes in darker colors, which hide flaws.
Do your research.
Learn the popular colors for the season, and figure out what you want. Because maybe you can’t swing this pink $280 J. Crew coat :
But you can probably afford this (arguably cuter) $45 one from Forever 21.
Take risks.
Since you’re not spending a lot, try a seasonal trend (like a vest, or ruffles).
Mix and match.
The easiest way to make cheap items blend seamlessly is to wear them with pricier items. (Case in point: the shoes I wore with the outfit above.) Finally…
Leave some good stuff for me!
Do you have any favorite cheap shopping pointers and spots for a bargain online?
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Um, could you post a link to the $500 purple coat so that I can cry with you, please?
Robyn | October 16th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
I am so thankful for this post…though my credit card may not be
Angella | October 17th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
So, I LOVE shopping and I love reading about shopping. So, I keep a list of stores in my Google Notebook so I can open it at home and work. Some stores I have listed: overstock.com, smartbargains.com, lulus.com, charlotterusse.com, modcloth.com, francescascollections.com, and target.com. Of course, I also live close to Zara and H&M so that helps.
I also follow a bunch of blogs like fashionunder100.net, frugal-fashionista.blogspot.com, and thelook4less.blogspot.com.
My absolute favorite new dealfinder is Shop It To Me. You choose your sizes, your favorite stores and your preferred deal percentage and every day they e-mail you a list of items you might be interested in. It’s awesome.
Nic | October 18th, 2008 at 2:21 am
Oh lordy, the Forever 21 coat is adorable. I’d take that over a $500 purple one anyday.
Isabel | October 22nd, 2008 at 6:57 pm
My only tip, relelvant primarily to online shoppers such as myself, is this - never buy something unless you have a promotion code. I haven’t paid S&H in over a year. Try Retail Me Not and/or Free Shipping for discount/promotion codes and free shipping codes, respectively. Have fun!
Jamie | October 29th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
http://www.bodyc.com
Cheap, and awesome!! I got a gorgeous dress for my best friend’s rehearsal dinner from here for under $20!
megan | February 17th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
nice and economical
daisy | December 30th, 2010 at 7:22 am