How to Shop a Killer Outfit for Under $75

I’m a huge fan of scoring designer clothing for less. Especially if it’s a trendier piece. After all, who wants to shell out hundreds of dollars for an item that may or may not be on trend by next week? I want to give you guys a couple tips on how to shop a killer outfit for less than $75. Actually, a lot of the time, even less than that.

I’ve had quite a bit of practice in this area. Not to say I’m some kind of expert or anything. Well, actually, maybe you could say that. I’ve scored Calvin Klein denim for $5, Isabel Marant printed pants for less than $15 and a Christian Dior blouse for $45. Look fabulous for less? Hell, yeah.

Here are some things to keep in mind when shopping designer (or just amazing) pieces for less. As we know, one woman’s trash is another one’s treasure!

Be prepared to search for hours on end

First of all, you’ve got to be ready to browse for what seems like eons. Sometimes you come out with gold and sometimes you’ve just tried on a million items and hate them all. It can be pretty discouraging at times. I highly recommend calling your girlfriends for happy hour straight after shopping. You may have just scored the deal of a lifetime! Or you might have left the store dejected and depressed. Either way, you’ll need a cocktail.

Don’t discriminate against ugly pieces

Imagine you find a gorgeous pair of DKNY jeans but they’re boot cut. Ugh! What do you do?! Well, you do as I do when I was in this exact situation. I grabbed a pair of scissors and hacked away the cuffs. Not in the store, obviously. Now they have a fabulous step-hem and they look so much better. It’s all in the creative eye, people!

Hit up more than one store

When Value Village did their last sale day, my girlfriend and I hit up two different locations in neighbourhoods across town. It doesn’t take much to know that obviously different locations are going to have insanely varied stock. Between the two stores I ended up leaving with a complete new outfit. I got a leather skirt, wrap around blouse, black blazer and a crossbody bag for less than the original retail price of just the skirt. And that, my friends, is how to shop a killer outfit for under $75.

Keep your eagle eyes peeled for labels

And I don’t just mean Gucci. Keep your eyes on “made in” labels too. I’ve spotted so many garments that were made in Canada, which means great quality, duh. Who cares if I didn’t recognize the label? It’s not all about the name, you know. How cool a piece of clothing looks also relies massively on how you style it. You can sometimes see the grossest garment on a hanger and then throw it on under a leather jacket and it looks like magic.

Sign up for reward programs

You’ll be the first to know when things go on extra sale. I know what you’re thinking. It’s already affordable, right? But sometimes when these stores need to clear stock, they’ll do an extra big sale. And who doesn’t like the sounds of 50% off? After all, that means you can get double the stuff.

WHAT I’M WEARING:

TOTAL: $66

The only items I bought brand new were the tank top and earrings. I scored the blazer and shoes at Value Village and the shorts at Black Market. The shoes weren’t like that to begin with though. Strangely enough, they’re a vintage purchase that has been covered in another vintage purchase. For my #ValueVillageDIY project, I covered them with a ratty old fur coat I bought at one of my favourite vintage stores in Victoria, The Patch.

How to Shop a Thrifted, Casual Outfit for Under $75