Whether it’s for work or play, it’s always a great idea to buy the best quality clothing you can afford. That’s because, generally, when you pay a little extra you’re going to get a better fabric, cut, or construction. But everybody – and I mean everybody – loves a bargain. If you know how to play it right you can sometimes find that high end style on a budget.
If you shop frequently at a particular retailer and for a specific designer, get to know a salesperson in that department. She – or he – will alert you when your favorite designer items are coming on sale. They often will hold something aside for you that they know you would like.
If you order from an online retail store you are pretty much guaranteed to be their new best friend. Your inbox will be flooded daily with updates on their latest sales, and they all have a “sale” page on their website. Also, there are online outlets for specific labels (e.g., Coach, Tommy Hilfiger, J. Crew). When you do a search on the name of your favorite retailer just add “outlet.” You’ll likely get a listing of their bricks and mortar outlet stores but if they have an online one, that version will show up too.
There are some high end resale sites that offer couture and pricier items at prices comparable with eBay.
Finally, there are several outlet “collection” websites that partner with design houses or retailers who want to unload overstock merchandise. But heads up: just as with bricks and mortar outlets, many of these items are not regular merchandise on sale but cheaper, schlock-y stuff manufactured just for these websites. But if you have the time – and the patience – to sort through the weeds you can find some real gems.
It seems like more of these types of sites come online every month. If you sign up for one, you might suddenly find yourself receiving popup ads for similar sites. Yes, they’re annoying, but sometimes they can be very useful.
Today, more than ever, it is easy to find high end style on a budget. Happy bargain shopping!