While many of us cannot afford to keep up with the latest designer trends, there are plenty of channels for fashion that are much more economical than trendy boutiques and overpriced department stores. The Internet, outlets, and discount stores all offer vast options for looking great on a budget!
Fashion Online
There are plenty of online options for discount designer jeans, bathing suits, shoes, and much more. Bluefly.com is a great resource for designer brand sunglasses, shoes, handbags, and other accessories. For discount designer jeans and bathing suits, Blue Jeans and Bikinis is a great site that even designates a section for D-cup bikinis, which is extremely helpful for the well-endowed. If you’re looking for fancy dresses for weddings, company events, or holiday parties, try DiscountDressesOnline. If you are looking for a discounted wedding dress, PerfectBridal is a great resource!
If you are looking for a variety of items, Overstock has generic clothing items, as well as accessories and makeup. Rue La La is a good place to find a lot of different discounted items, even hotel rooms. The only catch to this site is that you have to be invited by someone who is already a member. Try sending out a tweet and maybe someone will see it and invite you!
Makeup
There are some great online resources for makeup such as Makeup-Mall, and Buy Me Beauty. Their untouched items can be offered at 50% of retail prices and more! If you prefer brands such as Sephora and Bare Essentials, you can often find those items at really low prices on eBay. Overstock is a great resource for makeup as well.
Outlets
Never underestimate the power of a great outlet store. If you are prepared to spend the day shopping, an outlet mall is a great place to go. Make a list of some of your favorite brands and then figure out where the closest outlets are. There are plenty of trendy items at outlets, since many of them are just excess inventory. Gap, Nine West, and Nordstrom’s Rack are all great outlet centers across the country.
Discount Stores
One of the best places to go for high-quality, discount shoes is DSW. They are located all over the country and they offer some moderate brands such as Rocket Dog, Steve Madden and Nine West for incredibly low prices. They also have higher-end brands such as Sergio Rossi and Marc Jacobs for discounts up to 80% of their original prices. You may get some colors or styles that are a little out of season, but it’s a great way to get discounts on high-end shoes!
For haute fashion aficionados, places such as Loehmann’s, Marshall’s and Ross might seem below you, but you would be amazed at the steals you can find there, as well as the new trends you can create with a combination of items! Don’t be afraid to look for hidden gems in the clearance section, you will be pleasantly surprised to find better quality items at these stores than at cheap places such as Forever 21, or average department stores like JCPenny’s, Sears, and Kohl’s.
Health
When it comes to looking your best, health plays a major role. First and foremost, one of the best ways to look good is to feel good. When we feel good about ourselves, we exude confidence and attractiveness. You may not have the time or money to join a gym or purchase expensive work out DVDs, but there are plenty of other options. Simply jogging or walking a mile or too can do wonders for your energy levels and confidence. Try doing 50 sit ups in the morning before work and your stomach will feel and look tighter all day. You can even try wearing a tighter shirt once a week because this will subconsciously force you to suck in a little bit all day, which strengthens your stomach muscles.
The second tier of health is diet. You definitely do not have to go on a specific diet just to look good, but you should consider what you are putting into your body. Try to eat smaller meals, or cut out heavy items that are oil or cream based. You will feel lighter, and who knows, you may actually drop a few inches here and there!
