Women's Clothing Bargains Tips
Read these 12 Women's Clothing Bargains Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Bargain Hunting tips and hundreds of other topics.
Cheap Way to Conquor Impossible Baked-on Food
Save your used Bounce fabric softener sheets and put three or four of them with some water in a baked-on casserole dish or impossible to clean frypan. Let soak overnight. This will make your pan easy to clean in the morning! If you have cast iron fry pans a paste of cream of tartar and vinegar will help cconquor the mess.
Be realistic
It's easy to fall in love with those purple stretch jeans, but how often will you wear them? What do you already have to match them? Will you still love them next year, or will the romance fade in a few months? It's best to review your current wardrobe the day before you shop, and then search for items at the store that best complement your favorites at home. Keep comic strip character Cathy in mind; she's one of the millions who see something they love in the store; but at home later, it turns out to be a dud of a dud.
At the Thrift Store: The way to shop
Dress comfortably. Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off in the event of trying on pants ( hi-top sneakers and boots are a big pain). Weather permitting, wear a t-shirt, and maybe shorts. Remember, if you want to try clothes on for a fit, you'll appreciate the ease of not having to shed much. Everyone knows about those notoriously tiny fitting rooms...
At the Thrift Store: Eye Your Selections
Check your items out carefully before you buy them. Are all the buttons on? Does the zipper work? Is the garment free of stains, tears, pills, and other signs of wear? Re-fastening new buttons on at home is usually no hassle if you're good with a needle and thread, and may even add a unique touch to something you thought was already cool. A broken zipper will probably cost you more to repair at an alterations shop than you paid for the item. Stay far away from stained clothes; unless you're as handy as Heloise, chances are even that tiny speck won't come out no matter how many times you wash it or what you apply to it.
Some Basic Shopping Rules
Before you start shopping for your discount dress, make sure you've identified the appropriate dress code for the occasion and then apply these simple rules:
- White is now allowed after labor day, if you dare flout your mother.
- Full length should really be saved for evening.
- Pair something with a jacket, shawl or pashmina in a church or place of worship that can be easily discarded at the party
- Avoid winter colors in summer and summer colors in winter
- Don't buy a dress in a vivid color unless you are prepared to go shoe shopping or black shoes will really work
- Never wear dark or opaque stockings with a lighter hued dress
Casual Cool
Just because you're at home doing the chores, or popping out to yoga class doesn't mean you have to look like a slob. With the right bargain hunting you can find amazing women's clothing online that is comfortable, stylish and inexpensive. For instance, if you like velour jogging suits or slinky sweatpants you can get great options at stores like Old Navy, Marshalls or TJ Maxx if you just look.
If you're more of an online gal, check out Overstock.com or the clearance section of Old Navy online or Gap online. Of course, Overstock will have slightly less selection, but better brand names and Old Navy and Gap will only have their own clothing lines. Still, you're bound to find something to make you cozy, comfortable and guilt free!
The Accessories
Some women are great at finding amazing bargains on designer dresses and outfits but then they end up spending their savings on accessories like shoes, handbags, jewelry and stockings. This doesn't have to happen! The best bargain tip we can offer is to buy designer discounts accessories that you can make work with more than one dress or outfit.
- Like the little black dress, you should have at least two pairs of gorgeous little black shoes. Something open toed and delicate for summer, and something close toed and solid for winter.
- You also need the right evening bag. If you have a few in black, metallic hues and maybe something completely fun like a Judith Lieber knock off, you're bound to have something in your repertoire that will work.
- Accessories like pashminas are another item of which you can buy more than one in different colors when you find them on sale.
Basically, the idea is to think about your whole wardrobe when you're buying accessories - then you can use them with more than one outfit or dress into the future.
Women's Bargain Shopping Tips
Women's clothing can be a passion and an addiction and so can bargain women's clothing! You can look hip and stylish and a low debt to income ratio if you're smart about it. This is not to say that a discount designer is going to be inexpensive for the average consumer - but you can spend far less than retail to attain the look you want.
The key to finding great women's clothing deals is knowing your body, your size and your budget at a moment's notice. The first two are easy - it's the last that can be tough to stick to. Here's a great bargain hunting tip - don't save up for specific items - save up all the time. Keep a special shopping account with whatever percentage you feel comfortable spending. You could even do this with a prepaid credit card and then only shop from that account. That way, no matter what you splurge on, you aren't in danger of missing the electric bill.
The Little Black Dress
Looking for a great designer dress? As always, we recommend you follow the golden rule - and that is basic black. If you're going to invest in a fabulous designer dress, make it something you can dress up or dress down for almost any occasion. The little black dress never misses a beat, and if you buy something elegant, with classic style that is well cut, you can't lose. Of course, some say pink is the new black, but we'll let you make that decision.
Discount Outerwear for Every Occasion
Are you one of those women that prefers to have the right outerwear for every occasion? Here's a small list of what you should have:
- Everyday Casual
- Winter Sports
- Evening Out
- Daytime or Evening Stylish
If you want to have all of these, you can, you just have to shop wisely. If you look online, especially off season, you can find terrific bargains that make that satin evening coat or that high end ski parka totally worth it even if you only wear it twice a season. A good bargain hunter makes sure that the normal budget for a single coat can buy two or three from the right discount womens clothing website or store.
Buying For Your Body
When you're shopping for discount dresses, remember that the dress is for you - so buy the right dress for your body type. A couple of simple guidelines that will make sure your discount designer dress is truly a good bargain:
- If you have a large bust, avoid strapless dresses. You'll need a bra with good support to look great in most high end couture materials like silk or chiffon.
- If you're thick waisted, an empire waist dress with a wide and flirty hemline may be just the thing to highlight your features and take focus away from your perceived weaknesses.
- A pinched waist and flared skirt is perfect for those of us with wider hips or thicker thighs.
Glove Loser?
Are you a glove loser? Many of us who brave the winter months get aggravated mid winter when just one glove has gone missing. The likelihood is that you'll never find your lost glove, but you can plan ahead if you're smart. If you shop right, buying two pairs of simple leather gloves for the season won't hurt - and if you do lose one glove of one pair you won't have cold hands for the rest of the winter. One of the key's to shopping for discount women's clothing is to plan ahead and not be afraid to buy more than one of any item that is particularly useful, that you like a lot and that fits well.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Carma Spence-Pothitt |
