Want Designer Fashion for Less? Just Buy Resale...

Since Sarah and I are perpetually saving up for college, we had very little to spend on clothes this summer. And on top of that, we're both heading to Europe next spring and wanted to take our usually simple fashion up a notch.

So what makes little money + fashionable clothing both possible? Resale of course. Resale is inexpensive, fashionable, and eco-friendly.

I was surprised to find so many places that sold pre-worn clothes. There are Goodwill, thrift stores, resale boutiques, online vintage shops and even church rummage sales. Check out what Sarah and I collected this summer:

80's Floral
$32

Sarah is wearing a vintage floral dress, $23 ,VonlenskaVintage; gray clutch, $1, thrift store; (not resale: sandals, $8, Sears)

Nautical
$22 & $49

Angie is wearing linen JCrew dress, $7, church rummage sale; red waist belt, $2, church rummage sale; silk scarf, $5, church rummage sale, Nine West cream peep-toe heels, $7, Goodwill Stores; hoop earrings, $1, Goodwill Stores
Sarah is wearing Free People dress, $32, Shopoholics Boutique; silk scarf, $5, church rummage sale; nautical purse, $2, church rummage sale; Steve Madden cheetah peep-toe flats, $7, church rummage sale; vintage earrings, $3, Odd Showroom

Modern Vintage
$23

Angie is wearing vintage skirt, $5, Odd Showroom; JCrew tanktop, $5, Goodwill Stores, vintage bag, $3, Goodwill Stores; vintage pink hoop earrings, $3, Odd Showroom; Steve Madden leopard print flats, $7, church rummage sale

Businesswoman
$53 & $30

Angie is wearing Express pants, $22, Shopoholics Boutique; Express button down, $5, Goodwill Stores; suit jacket, $20, Shopoholics Boutique; black Croft & Barrow pumps, $6, Goodwill Stores Sarah is wearing black high-waisted skirt, $15, Second Time Around; Abercrombie and Fitch button down, $5, Goodwill Stores; black flats with decal, $7, Goodwill Stores; vintage red earrings, $3, Odd Showroom

Night Out
$17.50

Sarah is wearing black skirt, $2.50, Goodwill Stores; Ann Taylor zebra cardigan, $4, church rummage sale; vintage teal sandollar belt, $2, church rummage sale; Neiman Marcus bag, $2, church rummage sale; black flats, $7, Goodwill Stores

Splash of Color
$32.50 & $28.50

Angie is wearing floral skirt, $4, church rummage sale; vintage white ballet flats, $7, church rummage sale; faux pearl necklace, $1, Goodwill Stores; vintage flower earrings, $3, Odd Showroom; (not resale: Ann Taylor denim jacket, $10; Charlotte Russe tanktop, $7.50)
Sarah is wearing Polo t-shirt, $5, church rummage sale; black sweater vest, $2.50, Goodwill Stores; vintage rainbow flats, $7, church rummage sale; gray clutch, $1, thrift store; vintage flower earrings, $3, Odd Showroom; (not resale: Ann Taylor jeans, $10)

Back to School
$40 & $17.50

Angie is wearing Hollister button down, $15, Shopoholics Boutique; green jacket, $7, church rummage sale; brown pumps, $7, Goodwill stores; silver hoops, $1, Goodwill Stores; (not resale: jeans, $10, Ann Taylor)
Sarah is wearing vintage plaid skirt, $5, Goodwill Stores; Columbia button-down, $2.50, Goodwill Stores; pink and cream shoes, $7, church rummage sale; vintage earrings, $3, Odd Showroom

Black and Red
$21 & $25

Angie is wearing denim skirt, $12, Shopoholics Boutique; Ralph Lauren button down, $5, Goodwill Stores; boots, $3, thrift store; silver hoop earrings, $1, Goodwill Stores
Sarah is wearing skirt, $7, church rummage sale; vintage cardigan, $5, Goodwill Stores; black peep-toe heels, $7, Goodwill Stores; (not resale: Aero tanktop, $6)

To sum it all up...JCrew, Ralph Lauren, Ann Taylor, Steve Madden, Neiman Marcus, Hollister, Abercrombie and Fitch, Columbia, and Free People...all at less than half of their original prices.

If you want to go on your own resale shopping spree, here is a little information about the places mentioned in this post:

Odd Showroom- This is a little shop in Portsmouth, NH that sells vintage, modified vintage, and handmade items. Luckily for everyone outside of NH, they also sell online as Amity Joy.

Shopoholics Boutique- This resale shop has locations throughout NH including Dover and Portsmouth. What I love about Shopoholics is that they've already weeded out the not-so-great resale items for you, leaving you to shop a fantastic, hardly-worn collection of clothes.

Second Time Around- Yet another shop in Portsmouth. This boutique recently expanded to offer even more great resale deals on clothing, purses, shoes, etc.

VonlenskaVintage- This online Etsy shop sells affordable vintage clothing. I particularly like their dresses and skirts.

...and if none of these places work for you, Goodwill Stores have locations across the country! Do some exploring at local thrift shops and resale boutiques to create your inexpensive, fashion-forward wardrobe.

Look out for tips on how to successfully shop resale coming soon!

Angie
Co-owner Uncovered Artistry Boutique