Fashionista on a Budget

 In today’s less-than-stellar Canadian economy, a lot of us have started to look for creative ways to spend less and save more. This is especially hard when you love fashion and you covet beautiful things - like your shoe collection.A lot of advice out there would tell you to let go of the attachment to those sorts of material things and to prioritize, but any fashionista knows that it’s easier said than done. I am all about minimizing and having fewer, special “key” wardrobe pieces, but those key pieces can come with hefty price tags. Over the years, I have become a master at the “mix and match” technique. There is nothing wrong with matching a great DVF sweater with a Joe Fresh or Gap tee, but the challenge when you are on a budget, is acquiring that DVF sweater. Believe it or not, there are actually ways to save a TON on your wardrobe and still love your closet. Here are some of the ways I do it without the guilt of overspending:Consignment Shopping – Consignment stores sell gently used items at great price points and new stores are popping up all over the place. Look for stores that specialize in premium and designer labels and that guarantee authenticity of items. As a shopper who likes the thrill of the hunt, this venue is great. ONLINE consignment stores take the digging out of the equation AND you can browse and shop from home! For the fashionable kids in the family, check out [pre]shrunk (www.preshrunk.ca). It’s a super easy way to shop online for the kiddies and all merchandise is on-trend, premium label and either brand new or barely worn. Online marketplace sites like Kijiji can be great too for selling, buying and even trading, but more work is involved and there is no guarantee of authenticity, so buyer beware.Factory Outlets – Almost every city has a good factory outlet mall where you can find premium label items for 20% to 50%+ off regular retail prices. If you are a reseller or a fashion snob, keep in mind that items sold at factory outlet stores are often made specifically for the outlets and never make it to the flagship stores. You usually won’t find the label’s most iconic items here.Department Stores – Stores like Holt Renfrew, The Bay or Nordstrom ALWAYS have big sales on designer labels throughout the year, but you need to be in-the-know about when they are happening. Get on mailing lists to beat the crowd and to get the best selection. If your heart isn’t set on anything specific, wait a few days when these stores do their second and third markdowns. If you are in the larger cities where these stores have their outlets, I highly recommend visits here because this is where those final markdowns are sent and discounted even further.Discount Retailers – Specifically, Winners. Look for the locations that have a “Runway” section exclusively for designer labels. Usually they aren’t current season, but if that bothers you, I STRONGLY recommend at least checking out their premium label denim.Happy shopping!Tracy Fu is the founder of PreShrunk and is a contributor to LesleyScorgie.com and MeVest.ca