Name brand fashions are an icon amongst serious fashion aficionados. Even those who loudly proclaim that they do not care whose name is on the label will, given half a chance, prefer the name brand sweater over the department store manufacturer brand.  Yet all those who simply adore fashion also know the sad reality: they are expensive!  Very often you could purchase a whole ensemble of no-name pants, sweater, and matching shoes what you might have to pay for simply a name-brand pair of pants!  Bu phooey on full price!  Follow these great shopping tips for fashion bargains, and have your cake and eat it, too!

First and foremost, think outlet shopping! Outlet stores are found in many major metropolitan areas, and you will be able to purchase wonderful fashions for a fraction of the price that you would have to pay at the local department store. If you are a traveler, take every traveling opportunity to find out about outlet shopping opportunities at your destination.  After all, while your shopping opportunities may be limited at home, if you are traveling anyways, you might as well make the most of the trip and investigate any shopping opportunities that might exist.

Work with the sales personnel.  You cannot imagine how often there are markdowns in the back of the store that are waiting to hit the shelves!  Friendly chatting with a sales clerk – rather than barking at them that you are “just looking” in the hopes that they will move on to the next customer – may make sales items appear that you did not even know existed!  Identify yourself as a bargain hunter, and pick the clerk’s brain for running sales, markdown tables, and items that are likely to go on markdown any day.  Sometimes you might be able to pick from some gems from the back room, and you might even be able to further negotiate the price, especially if you are purchasing a number of items!

Do not discount coupons! As a matter of fact, check manufacturers’ and department stores’ websites to see if they offer any deal on brand names or simply for coming in.  You will be surprised how often you will be able to print out a ten or even 20% discount on any number of items.

Did you know that small boutiques sometimes offer the biggest bargains?  Very often when lines go out of style, they are marked down to make room for the next line of fashion.  Since there is only limited space available, these markdowns happen more often than you realize!  Add to this the reputation of many a boutique for having outrageous prices and you will quite possibly have a proprietor on your hands who will be more than happy to wheel and deal with you on some items.  After all, keeping the store in the black rather than going in the red is a powerful motivation for marking down an item with a hefty discount, if the customer will only buy something.

Shop at stores that pay their sales personnel a commission on sales made.  These sales clerks will be most likely to bend over backwards to make a sale, rather than simply tell you “we can’t do that.”  Granted, they might not be able to mark down a designer pair of pants – although sometimes they will – but they might be able to offer you free alterations!  They might be able to give you a hefty credit toward a matching belt of pair of shoes.  Simply talk with a sales clerk and see how willing she or he is to help you.  Maybe talking with a different sales clerk might help.

 

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