Shopping Like It's 1982

1982. That was the year of the last major recession in the United States. Now it’s 2009 and once again everyone’s on a tighter budget. That’s a bummer especially with back-to-school shopping season around the corner. It’s now to the point where fashion magazines are printing articles on saving money and shopping smart. So I thought I would do the same. After reading all the articles and doing research on my own, I’ve come to the best solution. Shopping smart in today’s economy requires two things; (1) Spending smart and (2) Building a timeless/recession-proof closet.

Shopping Like It’s 1982 Part 1: Spend Smart

1. Spend money on classic, quality staples and simple basics (see part 2 coming July 25)

2. If buying a trendier item go cheaper. Instead of spending $50 on a trendy blouse at Nordstrom, spend $20 at Forever 21. Good stores where you can find cheaper trendier items are stores like Forever 21, Love Culture, H&M or Wet Seal.

3. If you’re going to splurge, splurge on staples that will be in style for the next few years, as long as the item is a staple you can view it as a investment. When splurging a common rule is to try to divide the cost by the number of times you would wear it in a year to get the cost per wear. The lower the cost per wear, the better the investment.

4. Look for sales whenever possible. Check newspapers and websites, store websites will let you know of most sales. There all also websites dedicated to finding you the cheapest price on a item and tracking down sales. Some websites to check are
· theOutnet.com
· shopittome.com
There are also websites that will give you online coupon codes such as
· retailmenot.com
· couponcabin.com

5. Check for bridge lines. Love your designer fashions? Well now designers are coming out with lower-budget lines. Converse and Alexander McQueen both have lines at Target, Charlotte Ronson has the i heart ronson line at JCPenney, Vera Wang has the Simply Vera Vera Wang line at Kohl’s, Coach has its new lower cost line Poppy, and now Marc Jacobs has his new line Don’t Miss the Marc by Marc Jacobs (see right) where all items are under $200 and most are under $100. You just have to look to find lower cost lines by your favorite designers, and these days you don’t have to look hard.

6. Don’t be afraid to scour sales racks. You never know what you will find. It’s true sometimes you won’t find anything, but every once in a while you’ll find a hidden gem. Some of my favorite clothes have been found on the sales rack. A pair of $200 True Religion jeans I got for $97, a $120 Juicy Couture printed jacket I got for $60 and a $180 Coach handbag I paid $70 for were all found on sales racks. It’s one of the easiest ways to save when shopping

7. Check outlet stores. Different brands have factory outlet stores that are nothing but clearance. You can search your area for outlet mall where they will have a bunch of outlet stores together. Nike, Coach and Nordstrom all have really good outlets where you can find good prices and quality merchandise.

8. Raid your friend’s/mom’s closet. We all borrow and trade clothes with our friends anyway. Sometimes a good clothes swap party is a good way to mix up your wardrobe.

9. Raid your own closet. You know those clothes you have pushed in the back of your closet and sit at the bottom of your drawers? Pull them out again. Maybe you’ll find they fit better, they’re more your style than before, or maybe they’ve come back in style.

10. Don’t be afraid to hit vintage and re-sale shops. Most often the clothes have barely been worn more than once or twice and you can get them for way cheaper.