Three Secrets Behind My $10 or Less Fashion Mantra

Upon reading my "$10 or less" fashion mantra, many people exclaim, "You must do a lot of shopping!" The assumption is that in order to snag the kinds of deals I do, I must spend hours upon hours surveying stores, rummaging through racks and waiting for mark-downs. In reality, I spend very little of my time in retail space of any kind, let alone stores that carry clothes. As a full-time student and full-time writer and interdisciplinary artist, that kind of time simply doesn't exist in my schedule. The other truth is many of my clothes came free, in the form of hand-me-downs, gifts, or as costumes from films in which I've acted. But when I do shop, I am a savvy shopper.

The secrets to finding attractive, quality clothes at affordable prices don't really hinge upon shopping frequently and for long periods of time, at all. They involve: 1) knowing where to look, 2) shopping off-season, and 3) exercising patience. Here's how to work these secrets:

1)Whenever possible, hit secondhand stores, yard sales, flea markets, and stores famous for their discounts. If you never leave the glitz and glamour of a high-end shopping mall, you severely limit your opportunities to find bargains. Gucci, Guess, and Bebe, for example, often have cute and even gorgeous duds, but you pay for the names leading in style. Realize that religiously following trends is expensive (and unhealthy.)

2)Always think in advance. If you can shop for the next year and have the storage space, do. Hit end-of-season sales when garments typically sell for their lowest retail price. If you know you'll need a ski jacket next winter, don't wait until next year to buy it new. Exceptions lie for anyone whose weight widely fluctuates or if you anticipate you will gain a lot of weight due to a pregnancy or growth spurt. Even if you expect to be a different size in the season for which you are shopping, you can try and make an educated guess and estimate how much you will weigh by that time.

3)Wait for clearances! Wait until a trend starts to die out instead of rushing out the moment that stores introduce that must-have item. Forsake instant gratification more often then not and always question a purchase before you make it. Do you need this? (When it comes to clothes for medical, vocational or religious reasons, the answer is almost always yes, in which case the $10 may not always apply). How often will you actually wear it? Do you really like it or is it just so-so? Can I wait for it to go down in price or do I really need/want it now? These are critical questions to ask yourself if you plan to maintain a reasonable budget for your wardrobe.

Now, putting these secrets to practice takes discipline and foresight, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Spending $10 or less on every item in your wardrobe is doable in almost all circumstances-and you don't have to be a professional shopper to make it happen, either.