Designer Clothing Steals in the Chicago-land Area

Let's not kid - everyone loves a good bargain, myself included. With the economy in a questionable state and climbing gas prices, many of us feel the need to save money somewhere. For the fashion-obsessed, it's becoming more difficult to rationalize that new pair of Jimmy Choos or Manolos. The following tips will help to build your wardrobe while saving some cash along the way. Here are my favorite tips and ways to save.

1. One of my favorite ways to save, along with being able to visit a variety of stores all at once, is to visit an area outlet mall. For Chicagoans, we have a few choices: Chicago Premium Outlets, located at 1650 Premium Outlets Boulevard, Aurora, Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall, 6170 W. Grand Ave, Gurnee, or Lighthouse Premium Outlets, 601 Wabash St., Michigan City, IN. My particular favorite of the three is the Chicago Premium Outlets, which includes Gap, BCBG Max Azria, Armani Exchange, Aeropostale, Coach, Kate Spade, Diesel, Juicy Couture, Puma, Theory, Kenneth Cole, and many other exciting outlets.

If you plan a trip to the outlet mall, timing is key. Post-Christmas is an excellent time to shop, as many stores are trying to move inventory to make way for spring lines. Also, the mall is outdoors, so there seem to be fewer guests wanting to brave the cold. I went to the outlet mall this past January and purchased a new handbag from Coach ($460 marked down to $120) and five shirts from BCBG (I spent around $175, whereas the retail would have placed me well over $600). Weekends at the outlet mall can be busy, so get there early and be ready to wait at the busier stores.

Also, check to see if there are additional discounts that you may qualify for. According to the Chicago Premium Outlets website (www.premiumoutlets.com), guests over the age of 50 can receive an extra 10% off on purchases every Tuesday. The website also lists current in-store promotions.

2. Next on the list is Nordstrom Rack, one of my favorite shopping locations. Nordstrom Rack features previous seasons' hot trends at discounted prices. There are Rack locations in Woodfield, Oak Brook, Northbrook, The Shops at State and Washington, and one will be opening soon in Naperville. The store features misses, petites, plus-size, men's, and children's fashions, along with a fantastic shoe selection. They also often have exclusive events for additional savings. The best way to find out these savings is to either check the website (www.shop.nordstrom.com) or sign up for the mailing list inside the store.

Nordstrom Rack is my favorite place to purchase designer denim, as I refuse to pay $200 and up for jeans. Some brands that you might find include True Religion, Rock and Republic, William Rast, Seven for All Mankind, and others. Some of the best deals I have gotten were a pair of True Religion jeans for $60, which had been left for hemming and never picked up. As I always hem my jeans, this was already a great deal, as it saved me a trip to the tailors. At a recent sales event, I purchased a pair of Rock and Republic jeans for $40 without tax. You may have to spend some time digging through the racks, but the deals are well worth it in the end.

Nordstrom Rack also features an in-store alteration service, along with a credit card in which you receive additional rewards to shop in the store. The only downsides to shopping here are that the store gets very crowded on the weekend and can become disorganized. Be prepared to wait in line for the fitting rooms and the cash register.

3. Try visiting locale consignment shops or thrift stores. One of my friends works from Goodwill, and she mentioned that a large amount of their items come from other stores' overstock. Her store often gets brand new items from Target that didn't sell, including popular electronics like the Nintendo Wii, plasma TVs, and various video games. Again, you might not find something every time you try a thrift store, but it's worth a quick look around if there's one nearby.

These are just a few tips to save big money while still looking stylish. Good luck shopping, but be careful - we might end up fighting over the same pair of designer jeans in the clearance rack!