Wanting to bulk up your wardrobe or change your style? Consider changing your ways over to some very frugal fashion options. Sure, Old Navy is affordable, but their labor practices suck and you will wind up looking like everyone else walking the street. Yawn.

Thrifting:

Some rich people have ‘œpersonal shoppers.’ I have a ‘œPersonal Thrift Shopper.’ I trade my Life Coaching services with Jen so that she will spend some of her weekly thrift and consignment shopping time looking for things I would like. Quite frankly, as much as I love shopping, I do not believe in buying new clothing when there are so many great items that have been slightly worn. I do not want to contribute to wasteful mass-production, or unfair labor. I also have eclectic and expensive tastes which I could not otherwise afford. There is the Goodwill, Theater Thrift Stores (old theater clothing), and trendy stores which mix the old and the new.

Consignment:

Consignment clothing stores are where people sell their designer clothing once they have worn it. You can have fashionable items from great designers at a fourth of the cost by shopping here. The people who run these shops are skilled at working with picky customers. You can walk in and say ‘œI’m looking for a grey dress in a size eight’ and they can help you before you spend your time scouring the store. You can also walk or call in with a list of items you would like to have and they will keep an eye out for you and give you a call when your item turns up. Treasures await at your local Goodwill. Do read this brilliant consignment-shopping tutorial if all this is new to you. If the high-end is more your bag, read this how-to list.

Vintage Vixens:

There is nothing I love more than trying on a vintage dress that fits perfectly. Most cities have thrift stores that are geared toward coveted vintage clothing. The prices are always a little higher for something with a distinctive vintage style, but the look you will get is well-worth it. You will be wearing something nobody else has seen before. Often vintage styles just plain fit women’s bodies better than the styles of today. Higher waisted skirts and pants are finally ‘œin’ ‘“ in contrast to the last ten years of low-waisted jeans which show off your butt crack. Shopping for vintage clothing online can be a very rewarding experience, but you must know your exact measurements, not just your clothing size and you should buy from a company that is willing to buy it back.

Naked Lady Parties:

One way to spend no money at all on an entirely new wardrobe is to throw a naked lady party. You don’t actually get naked, just down to lingerie. Everyone brings anything they are willing to get rid of and either go around and show off their items and attempt trades, or put everything in a pile and have a free-for-all try-on fest. This works better if the friends you invite are around your same size but can also be a great place to bring old purses, shoes, hats, and jewelry.

Halloween Costume:

Your local Goodwill or Savers has a huge assortment of once-used and even really adorable home-made costumes in October. There is no need to buy a $50 packaged costume this year. Again, Yawn. Be creative.

I do not recommend buying used shoes (the way a shoe has conformed to someone else’s foot may not be the healthy position for yours). Although the Goodwill sells underwear, I do not recommend buying those new (the cheap way to do this is at Ross). Bras are fine and sometimes they have vintage bras which help you fill out that vintage dress in all of the right ways.

If you don’t have time to look through the used clothing but like the idea of it, think of a friend who loves shopping and send them on a hunt.

Fall/Winter Fasion Ideas for the Thrift Store: (These will make you stand out)

Fake or vintage fur or animal skin print, not new!

Flashy scarves or shawls

The High-waisted Pencil skirt.

For Femme Men: Try higher waisted pants, or tighter jeans. We’re bringing back the 80’s and the 80’s looked great on femme men.