Ask Fashion Girl

Dear Dana,

Looking cool without a lot of dough takes a little more effort than it would if you were loaded, but it can be done. What it takes is a bit more time and effort and a bit more creativity, but in the end you can feel very good about yourself. I myself almost never buy anything for full retail price -- it's just not nearly as exciting as finding the same or a similar item on sale!

One great thing to do is to shop at thrift stores for cool vintage stuff. Finds from the 70s and 80s are totally cheap and thrift stores are full of them. If you become a really good shopper, you'll end up finding cool stuff from the 60s and 50s and 40s on occasion as well. You will be astounded at how far your clothing dollar will take you at thrift stores -- and don't forget rummage sales, church sales, garage and yard sales, etc. Vintage is one of the biggest stories in fashion right now, and all the stars are wearing it!

My other secret weapon is stores like Ross, Marshalls and TJ Maxx -- big discount chains where you have to hunt through racks and racks of stuff where great deals are hiding. I swear by them! You've got to develop a good eye for bargains, but when you do you'll be a power shopper with a black belt in shopping, and everyone will envy your finds.

I also recommend mall and department stores' end-of-season clearance sales, where you can find stuff up to 70% off. Sometimes the same clothing and accessories you wanted when they first appeared on the racks will be waiting for you on markdown, so be patient, wait and watch for sales at your favorite stores. Often if you ask the salespeople, they will tell you when the sale will start.

Sincerely, Fashion Girl