Fashionistas - your money-saving style tips please

I don't really have any (didn't like seeing this go unanswered though - I love fashun freds).

You need something more than shop in Primark, H&M and New Look, right?

Buy fewer but more expensive items.

Buy second-hand from eBay - something is 'used' the second you wear it, so why pay for new?

Personally, I'd rather go without than go to Primark, Asda, et al. That sterile, cut-price, pile-em-high atmosphere kills any enjoyment that is to be had from the shopping experience.

Get your shoes re-heeled and use the money saved for some cool tights.

Get crafty and learn to customise. Happy to point you in the direction of some useful sites and tutorials if needed?

Thanks both.

Chook - yes ?

Fliss, those are good ones. I'm also after stuff like when are items usually marked down? Where in a store is the new stuff put? Insider tips, like ?

I bumped it for you though. Fliss wouldn't have replied unless I did so, in fact, I was very helpful.

I once read (I think it was on the Martin MoneySaving Forum) that when clothes are about to be marked down, a red marker dot is placed on the care label - helps the shop workers identify what needs to get a sale ticket. This seems pretty true to me, as things I buy in the sale often have such a mark.

That is very true. I am a lazy bird who never looks beyond the first page! ?

There was a thing in the Sunday Times Style this weekend about haggling in high end fashion shops. May be worth a peruse for ideas if this is the end of the market you're looking at?

This was certainly true of Next (and possibly Monsoon) a few years back as m sister worked there and had the delights of the red marker!

Cheers - I'll have a look for that.

When I worked for principles years ago they marked there sale stuff in pencil with the price it was going down to, and then the persons initials either side, for example an item that was 35 would have R18G on it. They still do this now!

You can make cheap things like jackets look much better by resewing the buttons- either customise with nicer ones or just resew the originals- cheap clothes are often poorly put together and the buttons hang off as they haven't been properly secured.

Go to charity shops in expensive areas.

Find a good tailor who can do alterations and repairs- saves a fortune as you can have things repaired instead of replacing.

I used to work in an Arcadia store we would put the store number and the price it was going down to:

10210 = Store: 102 Sale Price: 10

Not really helpful if you don't know the store number though but you can always ask an assistant (just say you are trying to get something delivered from another store).

The sale price would almost always come up on the system (and till) the day before we were "officially" in sale too.

TK Maxx. You have to go regularly as they get new stuff in at random, so sometimes it's better than others, but I've found some fab and unusual things in there. I've found it especially good for bargainous bags at a fraction of the original price.

Thanks ladies - keep them coming!

What about jumble sales? Surely with all this credit crunch & environmental worries etc they'll fashionable soon and the Sunday supplements will be all over them?

? There was a thing in the Grauniad yesterday about how fasionistas are flocking to car-boot sales (yeah, right). I'm talking about shopping in the West End so can't really use that one but thanks anyway.

Oh, I only do provincial ?

Re car boot sales, I did a couple late last year and no-one hardly touched my stuff but H's flew of the rail ? One woman said "I suppose it's all small sizes?" which I took as a compliment ?

Dress agencies? So taking in last seasons clothes so they can sell them for you?

Also, what about things like Swishing and Clothes swapping?

Swishing - good call Pooch.

Granted, its generally for quite a 'young; audience, byt the thrift store community on livejournal can have some real gems.

I'm pretty boring: buy good, ever so slightly dull, well made pieces in the sale (usually reiss or whistles for me) accessorise to buggery for the next 10 million years.

I used to work at Gap and they were quite good for bargains - although it may have changed as it was a few years ago.. They did mark downs at the same time every week - once people knew people would flock in at that time? Price adjustments - gap hated to publicise this but its a great policy - if something you bought went into the sale within 2 weeks of purhcase you got the difference back? Worth a try.

Higher end I've recently read of bag hire companies - where you can hire a bag for an occassion rather than buy? I live in Dubai where cheap just doesn't exist - I miss charity shops so v much

There seems to be more and more clothing exchange shops opening up and they tend to have more high end stuff then charity shops. Not only do they sell your unwanted items, you can pick up designer stuff for bargin prices. There is a cool one on Goodge Street called Bang Bang.

I also found a similar concept online https://sell.sawbrokers.com/domain/fashionexchange.co.uk/

Never buy 'cheap' shoes. If you need to pay less, buy last season's shoes in the sale. Ditto handbags.

Shopping outlets? Sometimes there are bargains to be had although it is hit and miss. (M&S outlets are great but I suspect that's not the kind of store you're thinking of?)

Have a capsule wardrobe & accessorise.

Excellent - thanks guys.

Dylon - especially for black stuff - you get a load more wear out of faded stuff if you give the colour a boost.

At higher end stores make friends with the assistants they can let you in on insider deals and tip you off about upcoming sales and whether they've got lots of stock. Also get on the mailing list for info and discounts.

Sample sales although personally I hate the fight to get at anything and ques a mile long for changing rooms.

Check your credit cards, some refund the difference if an item goes on sale within a set time after purchase.

What about www.etsy.com? Kind of like Ebay but you don't bid, and everything's handmade (therefore potential to be 'designer') and reasonably priced

Seconded. I got 6 crocheted wool corsages from Etsy in colours I chose, for about £20 - cashmere ones were selling for £30 each in Brora.

John Lewis is great for buttons. I rebuttoned a sale coat with black brocade buttons, and it looks really nice.

www.styleshake.com has been a bit of a find - I designed a dress on there and it has been worn lots.

Buy fewer nicer clothes in a limited palette - that way everything goes with everything else. Also you can see what you've got rather than drawers and wardrobe being crammed full.

If you do go to TK Maxx or Primark, go on a weekday when it's quiet.

Small people or people with small feet can buy children's clothes and shoes like T shirts and trainers free of VAT.

Stick to plainer clothes, and change your accessories. Charity shops are great for brooches, which are coming back apparently.

Don't dress like everyone else - if you find your own style you can get things which suit you as the winds of fashion change, but if they're your style, they'll last longer tan a season or two.

Even if your clothes are older, if they're neat with no hanging threads, and you have plucked eyebrows and short clean painted nails and are wearing perfume, you'll look 100% more groomed than most.

Avoid dry clean only clothes - the cost of cleaning makes them more expensive to wear.

Get haircuts and beauty treatments at training schools - I get hair cut and coloured for about a 1/4 of the salon price, and they don't flog me expensive shampoo either. It does take HOURS though as they are (a) slower and (b) constantly getting this and that checked by a tutor. (Don't go to my local one though please. Its hard enough getting an appointment in normal times let alone now all these credit crunchers are jumping on the thrifty bandwagon.)

Get out in the sun for half an hour a day for a healthy glow rather than a fake tan (and save on anti ageing treatments:
(https://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/sciencenews/3313722/Sunbathing-slows-ageing-process.html )

Erm... learn to knit, or sew.

Of course I could just lose a bit of weight and fit into a lot more of my clothes. That would save me on getting new ones ?

Not really shopping, but every few months I drag everything out of my wardrobe and cupboards and 80% of the time manage to rekindle a love for an item I'd completely forgotten about, especially when fashions come back round or fashionista's start to wear certain items of clothing in different ways.

Plus with accessories being so bargainous now, you can revamp with vintage brooches and necklaces etc.