Shopping on a Budget

I've been getting a lot of questions about budget shopping lately. It's clear that the economy is rebounding a bit (retail sales are up which is considered to be a reliable indicator--people spend based on their discretionary income, and wardrobe and beauty replenishment is fairly consistent with this.) However, despite people having a little money to spend, they're not feeling especially flush. Most people shopping for a makeover don’t want to break the bank. The cultural swing towards a new frugality has become more entrenched (yay), and people are more reluctant to purchase things they are not going to get a fair amount of utility out of. So let’s talk about ways to get the most bang for your buck, while still incorporating the occasional ‘fresher’ or seasonal updates into your regular wardrobe rotation.

Ever since the market crashed, retailers have been forced to slash prices to often-astonishing lows. It's not been uncommon in the past couple of years to find discounts of 75-80% on items that would regularly have fetched a maximum of 40% off at the rock bottom of bargain bins. This trend has not yet totally worn off (happily for us shoppers!), and it's still widely possible to outfit yourself with at least a partial new wardrobe for a fraction of the usual price if you know where to look and when to shop.

Outlet stores and overstock storefronts are terrific places to source bargain designer wares that are still on trend and are often even seasonally appropriate (especially in the Bay Area, where our summer is everyone else's fall.) This consistently holds true at individual storefronts such as Jeremy's in Berkeley/SF, Thread Lounge in SF, and the North Face Outlet in Berkeley. However, beware the allure of the mass outlet mall retailer! Cabazon outside of Palm Springs is a great example. They get a huge influx of tourists all day every day, pay vast sums marketing to this demographic, and often have long out-of-date, damaged, or poorly constructed garments for sale at prices that are only marginally lower than what you'd pay for the same or better items at a normal retailer. (Can you say artificially inflated original prices?)

Another popular bargain source is the ever-popular sample sale. Terrific things can pop up at a sample sale, and if you're a sample size (generally Medium or smaller...often much smaller) and have some time on your hands, you can often find some great deals at these pop-up markets. Sample sales can be sourced through retailers or found online on various mailing lists, such as BargainsLA.com. Be prepared to encounter a giant hassle, hectic and grabby crowds, no dressing rooms, and zero customer service (bring cash)...if this doesn't bother you, get on out there and shop.

Finally, seasonal sales and department stores shedding inventory to make room for seasonal turnover are always a great place to shop. This is a personal favorite of mine, actually—the products are new, are usually discounted a couple of times already before ending up on the clearance racks, and if you do your research on individual retailers you can synch your shopping up with any number of desperate “Sales Events” where things are often discounted an additional 40% of the lowest ticket price. This is the best place to pick up special pieces (coats, denim, dresses) from pricier mass market designers at only one or two brief seasons from their original launch date. And since a season usually lasts only a few months in inventory terms, you should have no trouble finding stellar bargains on stylish new stuff for your wardrobe rotation. So get on out there and start shopping! Or better yet, give us a call and let us help you make the most of the awesome bargains that are in stores now. ☺