Being fashionable while on a budget can be nearly impossible if only retail store sales are considered. A far less expensive route to fashion is using thrift stores and consignment shops.
Romancing the Thrift Store
Think of thrift store shopping as an adventure. They are out there, so find out where they are first. They may be hidden in a strip mall or some odd part of town. They may be lurking in nearby cities as well. Their names could be familiar or something completely strange and even exotic. First find out where the treasures may lay, then plot out a course to obtain the jewels among stones.
How about Lunch?
A fun part of the thrift store adventure is to plan a morning of fashion hunting followed by lunch. Perhaps some of the jewels won’t shine so brightly once considered more closely, while others could assemble themselves into a stunning outfit. So after lunch, it is time to make decisions and bring home the fashion.
Bargaining
Sometimes thrift stores will come down on their prices if asked. Consignment shops may do so too, especially if the fashion was given an asking price and a rock bottom figure. The fact of the matter is that whoever put up the clothing for consignment wants the items to move, so it never hurts to offer what may be a reasonable compromise on price.
Altering the Course of Clothing
If the bargain fashions don’t quite fit right, many dry cleaners offer minor alterations for reasonable prices. Dry cleaners are also often good at fixing broken zippers and finding matches for odd buttons.
The thrift store fashion adventure can be made into a fun outing that results in one or more complete outfits for a fraction of retail store prices, even when on sale. The fit can be tailored inexpensively at dry cleaners as well.
