Let’s face it: very few of us can afford, or in any case justify, spending hundreds, even thousands of dollars on designer dresses. Sadly, our lack of funds doesn’t kill the desire to dress like the well-to-do, so here are some tips for keeping your spending under control

Hit the warehouse sales
Do you ever wonder where all the clothes not sold in their allotted season go once it’s time to make way for next year’s fashions? Goods from many high street stores head straight to the likes of DFO and Brandsmart, but what happens to designer gear?

In Milan, you can visit outlets to stock up on last-season’s Prada, Gucci and Versace; in Melbourne, we have access to Australian designer sales, such as Sass & Bide, Alice McCall and Zimmermann. At Sass & Bide warehouse sales, you can usually pick up a pair of jeans for around $50, or a T-shirt for $30. At Alice McCall, you’ll find the dresses prominently displayed at last year’s Spring Racing Carnival selling for $50 and tops
for just $5.

The best way to stay abreast of these sales is to sign up for email alerts from sites such as Missy Confidential and Sales Guide. For those wishing to share their tips with like-minded shopaholics, also check out the Vogue Australia Forums, which are host to the ultimate sale scoops.

Hot sites:
www.missyconfidential.com.au
www.whatsonsale.com.au
http://www.salesguide.com.au/
http://forums.vogue.com.au

Tip: Warehouse sales generally have communal change rooms, so make sure you wear nice underwear and an outfit that comes off easily.

Specialty stores
There is a bountiful supply of stores around Melbourne that stock imported French and Italian labels for a fraction of the original price. Thanks to these beneficent vendors, it’s no longer impossible to feed your wardrobe with the likes of Prada, Gucci, YSL, Fendi, Miu Miu and Valentino.

At Luisa Leather Warehouse, for example, special deals could see you heading home with three pairs of designer shoes for $300. We’re talking Prada, Emanuel Ungaro, Dolce & Gabbana and more. The proprietors of such stores make regular trips overseas, where they visit designer factory outlets and hand-pick designer (albeit last-season) discounted stock.

Hot stores:
The Brand Boutique
The Designer Room
Luisa Leather Warehouse
Mon Amore Paris
Nina’s Boutique Outlet
Wholesale Italian Imports

High street designer lines
Until recently, designer labels were unattainable for all but the select few, fortunate in their ability to spend thousands on a shoe alone. These days, however, chain stores such as H&M and Top Shop overseas and now Target locally, are bringing catwalk fashions to high street stores.

These days, it’s labels for the masses and while it’s unadvisable to dress yourself in head-to-toe Stella, a few classic pieces here and there will never hurt. After all, it’s not every day that you can indulge in lingerie by Collette Dinnigan, a belt from Yeojin Bae or a Zac Posen handbag. For the patient bargain-hunters among us, it can be beneficial to bide one’s time and visit stores a few weeks after a range release date. Since the Stella McCartney carnage, stock has remained on shelves a lot longer and drastically reduces in price over time.

Tip: No matter how lovely that designer label will look hanging in your wardrobe, if it doesn’t look good on, hold onto your money. When in doubt phone a friend; true chums will always dissuade you from buying those purple suede boots you’re eyeing off.

Swapping vs shopping
In an era where sustainable living and eco-friendly terms inundate every conversation, it seems somewhat over-indulgent to buy a new outfit every week. Enter the guilt-free method of updating your wardrobe: clothes-swapping meets.

In Melbourne there is an abundance of swapping opportunities to be had. There are national websites on which members post pictures of their items and await a response. Alternatively, designer swap-meets take place regularly throughout town. Attendees pay an entry free and bring along their unwanted designer “trash”, hopefully to be exchanged for a sparkling piece of treasure. Not only is this an opportunity to revamp your wardrobe but also to network, bond with the girls and enjoy some bubbles in the process.

Hot sites:
www.whatsmineisyours.com
www.swapmystyle.com.au
www.clothingexchange.com.au
www.swapstyle.com
http://forums.vogue.com.au