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If you don't have a lot of money to spend on clothing but your tastes and preferences run towards the expensive, you are not out of luck. Time and tenacity will get you there. Patience will be helpful, too—for the right clothing to come your way at the right price. Take these three pills: ONE. Buy fewer clothes. (And get rid of the pieces you don't wear.) By replacing binges at the local department or discount store with a few well-considered purchases of fine quality and near-timeless taste, you'll have a sparse closet with a few perfect items but enough variety to last a good many years. TWO. Shop sales at better stores. Most department stores have good season-end sales and frequently at 50% off. If you want guidance for your sale purchases, befriend a salesperson beforehand to discuss your needs and limits. Be upfront with them and they should do likewise. (Some salespeople won't want anything to do with you and they'll make it clear. It's okay, find someone else.) A better salesperson will work within the limits you impose, financial or stylistic or otherwise, and sometimes will give you advance notice of sales or special promotions. THREE. If the sale prices still aren't low enough for you, and you have much more time than money, and—most importantly!—you can judge quality and fit very well on your own, shop bargain basement stores. Filene's Basement, Marshall's, T.J. Maxx, Syms, and Century 21 often have rare finds. (Be careful online at BlueFly or eBay: fit and fabric are so important, much more so than a good deal.) It is to your advantage to tread lightly but often in these stores. New stock arrives at least weekly and the best is scooped up quickly. Shirts, ties, knits, and shoes can be great finds; think twice before buying tailored clothing: do you know a good tailor to fit it?—and how much will that cost? Finally, don't get carried away by the prices: an ugly $130 tie for $25 is still an ugly tie, but worse: you'll be proud of it. |
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