Designer Oops! It's (almost) a dupe :)

As a woman, there are a few universal concepts to which we can all as a sex (most likely) relate. Getting lipstick on your teeth, turning your laundry pink because of a forgotten red item you never wear, and owning fifty pairs of jeans...only to continually wear the same,solitary favorite pants until they crumble and DIE. But women also have it rough in this respect....we all live in a society who's fashion, health and beauty marketing teams seem hell-bent on making us believe we must spend boat loads of cash to look and feel good about ourselves. Have you been to the makeup counters at the mall lately or visited the designer sections? I can't speak for everyone, but I, personally, would have to live off rame noodles and live out of my car to make sure I was up-to-date on all things fashion. And, since it's pretty easy to run out of ramen options quickly...and I own too many clothes already to live out of my civic....I had to get a bit creative when it comes to fashion.

Now, my friends and family will tell you, I go shopping almost every weekend. Sadly, I'm on a first-name basis with many of the cashiers, sales associates, and inventory specialists at many a store. This might make my abovementioned soap box seem just a touch hypocritical...but hear me out first :)

You see...I believe that it is totally possible (and I'm here to prove it) that a woman can be totally fashion-forward and clothing-wealthy, yet can also spend pennies on the dollar to do so. You just have to get creative...and ohmygosh its so much fun to HUNT :)

Lately, I've found some pretty saucy items at one of my favorite stores...the GW Boutique. Otherwise known as GoodWill. If you havent visited your local GoodWill...get to steppin'. Especially if you are in need of a wardrobe basic (i.e. a black skirt, a white collared blouse, a couple of books, a few decorative belts), get out there! If you don't like what you find at the Goodwill nearest you....go to the one a few miles away. And keep trying. The coolest thing, in my opinion, about Goodwill, is how fast there inventory moves and how one GW can be completely different from the next!

Some people think that because an item comes from good ol' GW it means it looks worn or old. That is so totally not the case. You just have to be prepared to do some sifting. As a case in point of how much wealth the GW has to offer...I present you with two items I found that are very close to items for sale at major merchandisers.

First, sometime ago, I purchased this really pretty, pleated long sleeve blouse from Goodwill for 3.99. I love to wear it with a black pencil skirt to work under a black blazer. It really makes a professional outfit pop and I get compliments on it alot.



But here is the kicker....check out this shirt on sale at Macy's right now. It's almost an exact duplicate but in different colors!!!!



So, at Macy's on sale for 16.99...but at Goodwill for $3.99. Hmmm..... Another interesting thing for me to add here is I also saw an almost exact replica of this shirt on sale at JC Penneys for $28.99 under the Liz Claiborne line. It was awhile ago...and it's not on the website...but I remember thinking: "AWESOME!!! I just saved tons of dough to look like I shop designer :)"

Also, I bought this snazzy little dress today at the GW. It was on sale for $5.99 and it just was so different and interesting I had to buy it. For six dollars....I figured even if I don't lose those extra ten pounds to wear it..I could give it to one of my super beautiful girlfriends :)




As the tag states, it's from the designer Arden B who BTW have AMAZINGLY gorgeous dresses if you haven't visited their website. But, unless it's a re-he-heally special occasion, there prices are just a touch out of my ballpark. Since it's such a specific dress...I couldn't find it exactly on the website..but I did find this dress two dresses that look somewhat similar on the designer's webpage. They are selling as follows


BLACK DRESS $89.99
RED DRESS: $39.99

So essentially, I saved either about $84.00 or $34.00 for a dress I actually like better than either one of those. I'll take it. So, as a friendly reminder, keep treasure hunting, keep sifting, and keep the faith. You never know what might be one rack away :)