Many times we are caught in a fashion dilemma: we want to shop for nice clothes and styles, but we don’t want to spend the hundreds of dollars that they are priced at. When we aren’t willing to spend a lot on clothes, we think that this automatically means we have to settle for less stylish or trendy clothes. Luckily, this is not the case.
There are many stores that offer discounted prices for quality brands. For example, Nordstrom Rack, Saks Off Fifth, and Marshalls are all stores that offer a variety of styles for a discounted price. What makes these stores more preferable than stores such as Forever 21 to some is that they carry very high end brands for much lower prices. Perhaps you might think that these stores carry outdated styles, but the best advice I can give you when shopping for clothes is to never be afraid to look. This means thoroughly examining each rack, because you never know what you may stumble upon. I have shopped in thrift stores, not knowing if I will find anything, but end up leaving with amazing and unique pieces that I would have never found anywhere else.
If you’re more interested in trendy items, stores such as Forever 21, Zara, and H&M are the places to look. These stores are usually the first to hop on a trend or create a cheaper version of a popular luxury item. However, these chain stores can be quite unethical with their fast fashion production, as their factories are in decrepit condition and the production can be quite polluting for the environment. Although I am not discouraging you from shopping at these stores (I admit that I occasionally do shop at these stores), I suggest that you look into local boutiques. Local boutiques carry inexpensive and trendy clothes that are often more unique than chain stores, because so many people shop at chain stores. Some of my tri-state favorites include Dor L’ Dor, Vanilla Sky, and Mystique Boutique.
Patience is virtue. This applies when shopping as well, because on many occasions we may have bought a shirt for full price, only to be filled with regret when we see the item go on sale a week later. If you’re shopping for summer clothes at the peak of summer or right when all the stores are marketing for the summer season, it is most likely that all the clothes will be listed at full price. Generally towards the end of each season, stores will have a big sale in order to get rid of their inventory for the next season, so it is important to wait for sale shopping periods. A lot of stores also offer coupons through their emails and many times if you search for deals on Google or Groupon, you will find some sort of discount.
So how do you know when to splurge versus save when shopping? My theory is that if an item is especially unique to a particular brand and something that I’ve been wanting for a long time, I feel that the purchase is justified and I will likely not regret the purchase in the future. I also take into consideration the shelf life of that item, meaning if I will still enjoy the product in the future. For example, different graphic tees are constantly going in and out of style, so it would be better not to spend all my money on something I will only wear for a short amount of time. It is difficult to draw the line between wants and needs, but if I am hesitant about a purchasing an item, I know it is better to leave it. I actually prefer finding good deals for my everyday wardrobe, not only because my tastes are always changing, but also because this allows me to purchase a lot more clothes for the same amount of money of only a few pieces, if I had not shopped with a budget in mind. Shopping under a budget is quite rewarding, as you will find yourself finding many amazing fashion steals and save a lot of money.
