Bargain Hunting Basics

Love the comments in the last post! I just wrote about shopping at Payless and you would have thought I was telling people to shop at the Salvation Army—which I do hear has some designer items every now and then ;) Just for the record, though, I think fashion should be a mix of high- and low-end pieces. Who cares whether that gorgeous coat was bought at Bergdoff’s or Filene’s Basement? Personally, I don’t think too about much about name brands —if it looks good, fits well, and doesn’t break the bank, I’m going to get it. While I won’t buy something that looks cheap or is going to fall apart in a few days just because it’s a bargain, I think it’s certainly possible to find fabulous clothes at fabulous prices. In case you’ve never ventured into stores that don’t regularly get mentioned in Vogue (or have bedroom-sized fitting rooms that trust me you’re paying for), here are a few of my favorite bargain strores that I think you should check out.
 

TJ Maxx

My grandmother actually got me hooked on this store. She literally visits almost every day to see what new items the shop has. In the last few days a coworker showed me the awesome ankle boots she bought at TJ’s, a friend bragged about her new orange fall bag, and another editor told me about a great dress she got for “practically nothing.” Since the store has a bit of everything—and its inventory frequently changes—visit often.
 

Loehmann’s

I only started shopping here after college, but it’s become one of my favorites places. I’ll often head there during lunch. Remember last year’s trend of sweater dresses and boots? All my sweaters were bought there. Same with flats. If you are into name brands and designers like Michael Kors, Kenneth Cole and Calvin Klein, they have the best for the least. (I hear that the Riverdale store has amazing bargains as well.)
 

Kohl’s

This shop has a great selection of gym clothes.

H&M

This is my absolute go-to spot for both trendy clothes and basics. It has got a great selection of short and long-sleeve T-shirts, tanks, hooded sweatshirts and cardigans in almost every color imaginable. (I just bought a vibrant green cardigan for under $20.) It carries all the trends of the season—from Mad Men-esque dresses to big, chunky sweaters to accessories like scarves and earrings. Plus a good selection of bags, but if you’re going for faux leather, get it in the right color so it doesn’t look fake. White, oddly, has always worked for me. Also: great selections for kids.

Accessorie

Accessorie has fabulous costume jewelry. I recently cut my hair short and love the way long earrings look with it, so I stopped into the Bronxville store to stock up. It also offers cute tote bags and lots of scarves.
 

Target

This is one of the first stores to collaborate with major designers, and has featured styles by everyone from Proenza Schouler to Erin Fetherston to Richard Chai (whose pieces are on clearance right now) who create amazing clothing frequently featured in a whole range of fashion mags. Target also has Converse One Star sneakers, Isaac Mizrahi home collections and, at the moment, jewelry designed by Dean Harris.

Know of any other great local boutiques for good bargains? Let me know. And stay tuned for the January issue of Westchester Magazine where we’ll have a whole feature dedicated to getting the best bang for your buck, no matter what corner of the county you live in.