Ever commented on a beautiful outfit to be told it came from a supermarket, discount store or charity shop? Did it make you wonder if you know the best places to shop? Here’s our guide to saving money on your wardrobe – without compromising on style. There’s a whole range of places where you can pick up bargains so take a look…

• NEW Sample sales insider info
• NEW Vintage savings
• NEW Recession dressing
• NEW Wedding bargain bliss
• High fashion on a budget
• How to find online gems
• Swap till you drop
• Moneymagpie top tips for even bigger savings

Samples sales

Members-only websites

These websites offer customers the chance to be the first at online sales. Once you’ve signed up you’ll be sent an email alerting you to the start of the sale so you can get straight there and start grabbing those bargains before everyone else.

Only join a members-only site that offers registration for free. Also, these sites do tend to email quite often so if that sort of thing drives you crazy set up a separate email account.

Head to designer sample sale fashion site Cocosa where you can get your hands on designer pieces with up to 50-80%. This fashion club offers members insider access to premium designer clothes and accessories.

Each sale is announced to members in advance by e-mail. The sales normally focus on one designer brand at a time and last for 48 hours. Previous collections include Christian Lacroix and Jonathan Saunders.

Once you have chosen your items Cocosa will deliver the item, beautifully packaged within two days of payment. You can even make £15 every time you refer a friend and they make their first purchase.

Koodos is ideal for fashion fans who want big savings on designer clobber. The site is really easy to navigate and when you sign up to become a member you’ll get early access to top sales so you can grab the best bargains before they go. All you have to do is check the sale calendar, select the sales you’re interested in and Koodos will email you 24hrs before it starts.

Here at Moneymagpie we also like Brand Alley, where you can get between 30% and 70% off loads of designer labels and receive £10 when you refer a friend who goes on to buy something.

Another great website is Secret Sales  where you can save between 30% and 80% on lots of designer gear by the likes of Christian Dior and Dolce & Gabbana.

Here are some others you might like to sign up to:

• Fashion Confidential
• Private Outlet
• Dress for Less

Factory outlets

These offer lots of big label names (if that’s your thing) at cheaper prices. If you have a car, or can get yourself on a local bus, you can find a list of factory shops here.

The Designer Warehouse Sales are held over three days, 12 times a year, in Islington, Central London. You could get your hands on catwalk one-offs, showroom samples and make savings of 60% or more on your favourite labels. Join the mailing list to find out in advance when the sales are going to take place.

Sample Sales

There are some amazing bargains to be had in sample sales – but the tricky thing is finding out when and where they’re held.

You can find out before everyone else when the next sample sale is by checking Dailycandy.com which lists the venues and times of upcoming sample sales in London.

Other sites such as Samplesaleslondon.co.uk, Designersales.co.uk and Stylebible.com have their own sample sales diaries too so keep an eye on all four to make sure you don’t miss out.

Vintage Savings

• Go to vintage fairs and pick up some stunnning, and unique pieces without spending a fortune. Frockmevintagefashion hosts a vintage fair several times a year at the Chelsea Town Hall, King’s Road, Chelsea. Admission is £4, children under 16 go free and students pay just £2. You’ll find clothes from every era,whether you’re looking for 1920′s flapper dresses, a little eighties number or a classic 1960s piece.

• Anita’s Vintage Fashion Fairs organises vintage fairs throughout the year at Battersea Arts Centre and 20th Century Theatre, Notting Hill.  Expect around 65 stands in Battersea and 28 stands in Notting Hill, full to the brim with fashion, textiles and accessories dating from the 1800′s to 1970′s.  Entry is £4 or £2 for students.

• For vintage fairs in other parts of the country visit VintageFair.co.uk – which hosts fairs all over England including Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Liverpool. Click on the links to your nearest location to find out when and where the next event takes place.

• For online vintage stores Absolutevintage.co.uk is a good starting point with lots of accessories, shoes and bags on offer as well as a few dresses. There are detailed descriptions of all the items and although you won’t find any designer pieces it is pretty cheap and there are some gorgeous pieces for anyone ona budget who is looking for that vintage look.

Marthascloset.co.uk also has some affordable pieces from the 50s right through to the 80s. The sale section at Martha’s Closet is particularly good – you can often find items being offered for under £10.

Pretaportobello.com sells wares from the ultra trendy Portobello Road. There can be some real treasures and it’s great for finding one-off pieces.

Don’t forget about charity shops – both Oxfam and The British Red Cross have specialist vintage outlets.

Wedding bargain bliss

With the average woman spending more than £700 on her wedding dress alone, getting married has never been more expensive. But there are plenty of ways to cut down on the cost of wedding attire, without skimping on its quality or style.

For discounted gowns sample sales are a good place to start. Keep an eye on Dailycandy which lists the venues and times of upcoming sample sales in London. Secret Sales ,  Samplesaleslondon,  Designersales and Stylebible are also well worth a look. 

There’s also a great little website called Poppy Bridal which stocks a wide range of beautiful wedding and bridesmaid dresses. The dresses are designer so they don’t come cheap, but the great thing about Poppy Bridal is that they have a sample sale section of dresses with up to 80% off. Most of the dresses we found in this section were between the £400-£600 mark, but if you won’t settle for anything less than designer this is a great place to start.

Believe it or not Oxfam has eleven bridal  departments across the UK, and you can browse through their stock right here. The average Oxfam wedding dress costs just £250, and as top designers are known to donate gowns to the store there’s every chance you’ll bag yourself a gem.

In recent years the high street has seriously upped its game with wedding attire. These days you can rarely tell the difference between designer and high street, except of course when it comes to paying the bill. Here are some of our favourite high street offerings:

• BHS sell a goregous range of bridal items, including dresses, shoes, underwear, jewelry and accessories. Check out this stunning Ivory Ruched Dress for just £112 and these Lola Ivory Ribbon Tie Wedding Shoes for £24. Some of the deals are only available online, so make sure you check out the website before buying in-store. Shop online now.
• Debenhams bridal range is more limited for choice than BHS, but still worth a look. Their bridal jewelry is particulalry nice, and we really like this Vintage Flower Y Necklace for £20 and this Pearl and Heart Bracelet also £20.
• Monsoon is a great place to look for dresses with a vintage twist. We love this Paula Rose Tunic for £135. It’s not the most traditional of wedding dresses but we think it’s absolutely beautiful.

For more tips on how to cut the cost of your big day, check out our Credit Crunch Weddings article.

Start bidding

Surf the net for online fashion gems

 

Lots of new trends reflect the fashions of the past, so for retro, vintage clothes and accessories go to eBay and start bidding. Scan the vintage clothes section or go to the women’s clothing section and search by period whether you want a 1920s style flapper dress, rockabilly leopard print shoes, or a 1980s bat-wing dress.

• Check out Fashion Exchange. It is a new online marketplace for all things fashion and it’s an auction site much like eBay where you place bids on all sorts of amazing high street, designer and vintage treasures.

Amazon deals

You wont find any clothes at Amazon but it is good for cheap shoes and accessories, including designer items. Search by size, colour, brand and price to find the perfect item for you. Also take a look at Price Cut Review, a handy website that lists all of the current Amazon products that are selling at half price or less. It’s all sorted into categories for you, so it’s well worth a browse to see if you can get some shoes or accessories for a lot less.

More online gems

Shopping from home should save you the cost of travelling to the shops, and websites often offer seasonal postage discounts. But beware of paying extra to send the goods back if they don’t fit.

A Moneymagpie friend has recommended BooHoo.com to us. The site features some gorgeous clothes that are bang on trend, but at a fraction of the price you’d expect to pay on the high street. Lots of their dresses sell for just £8, and on the whole they’re really pretty. Our favourites are the Jasleen Lace Bodice Printed Skirt Prom Dress, the Faith 2 in 1 Nautical Dress and the Raine Flower Print Dress. For something a bit warmer check out their Ami Aviator Jacket. It costs £45 which is pretty good for such a stylish coat.

Importantly, BooHoo.com has a returns process set up with Royal Mail, which allows you to return any unwanted items free of charge. Check it out here to see what’s offer.

If you know what you want to buy, or are looking for something a little special, try websites like Brown Bag Clothing, Swerve, Designer Discount, Designer Sale UK and Designer Sales Direct.

Trendy boys will love the sale section at Oki-Ni and End Clothing.

Net-a-porter.com is a bit of a fashion favourite amongst those in the know. Expect top designers and check out its new sister site The Outnet.com, which sells more than 200 designer labels with discounts of up to 80%.

Swap till you drop

Swapping is the latest so called ‘recessionistas’ trend and we think it’s great! Check out our article here for more ways to swap your clobber and get yourself a new wardrobe.

Visa Swap

Credit card company Visa has teamed up with clothing charity TRAID (Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development) to hold an annual fashion event in which people can donate clothes in exchange for points.

Those points can then be used to buy other people’s clothes at the event. All of the clothes must be in good condition and you can expect some designer pieces too.

Don’t buy – borrow instead!

• NEW! Girlmeetsdress.com: This is a site that launched early last year. It offers fashion fans the chance to rent beautiful designer dresses instead of buying them. Stock is still reasonably sparse but it’s definitely one to watch out for. Prices start at £24 for two nights rental but most cost much more than this. All of the dresses are new or nearly new and with some retailing at thosuands of pounds it can be a good way to feel a million dollars without needing the bank balance to match.
•  Handbagsfromheaven: Got a special event coming up? Don’t fork out hundereds of pounds on a designer bag. Rent one instead and save a fortune. At Handbagsfromheaven you can opt for Pay As You Go and hire as and when you like with no commitment, or become a member. PAYG – Silver Lining Collection costs per week – £15.00 and per month – £30.00. Cloud 9 Collection costs per week – £35.00 and per month – £65.00. Membership costs £9.99 per month for guaranteed availability of at least one item within each Collection, 15% off all prices (see above) and the option to purchase used stock (if you can’t bear to give the bag back!). You must agree to a minimum commitment of three months. Confirmation of your membership details will be sent via email. They will also provide you with a voucher that you can enter at checkout to obtain the 15% discount.
• Handbaghirehq.co.uk: This is another site that works in a similar way. First of all you’ll need to sign up and fill out a form. Membership costs £7.50 for one month.

You can then start browsing through the bags (click on more details for close up pics, dimensions and hire prices for each bag). Once you’ve found one you like the look of select whether you wish to hire it weekly, fortnightly or monthly hire. Then enter the number of weeks or months and click ‘Add to cart’. At the checkout you’ll need to enter your membership username and password, confirm your address. The bag will then be delivered to your door within 1 to 2 working days. To return use the delivery bag which is supplied with your designer bag (UK only). Delivery and collection costs £9.95.

Tips for making even more savings on clothes

1. Grab the latest best buys

Check our regularly updated list of fantastic shopping offers and sales here. Magazine websites such as Handbag.com and Shortlist.com are also really useful for finding out about the latest sales and bargains.

2. Get a little help from your friends

Swap your clothes with friends. Have a swapping party where you swap the outfits you don’t want any more. Some people have gems hiding away in their wardrobe that might be exactly what you’re looking for.

Want to get those Jimmy Choos for half the price? Try out the latest trend and share them with your best friend. Lots of us have friends with a similar taste in fashion so if you have one who also wears the same dress or shoe size you can club together and buy something you both love (but can’t afford on your own) and share it! Do make sure it’s a really close friend that you trust and agree beforehand exactly how you’re going to share them to save any arguments.

3. Try cheaper chain stores

Clothes are getting cheaper all the time because of foreign competition, which means chain stores like TopShop, Dorothy Perkins, La Redoute, Littlewoods and Freemans can source many of the same goods as the shops in the next price tier. Because of their buying power, they can sell them on to you for less.

4. Shop online

Online department stores such as  House of Fraser are also fantastic for picking up bargains during sale times and even better, you don’t have to face the scary crowds of angry shoppers or mile-long queues. Shop the online womensware SALE now.

Shopping online can be a great way to save money – look out for special voucher codes offering discounts and free delivery in Bag a Bargain.

• All Saints - an expensive but stunning brand of clothes
• BeCheeky.com - for designer underwear
• Bench - great for casual but stylish clothes
• Republic - ONLINE SALE RUNNING NOW!
• Uniqlo - online discounts for cashmere items
• USC - ONLINE SALE RUNNING NOW!
   

5. Check out rock-bottom chain stores

Shops like Primark have also had a huge surge in popularity because savvy buyers are stocking the shelves with relevant, fashionable – and above all – wearable pieces. The trick here is to visit early in the morning whilst the shelves are still being stocked. This way you are sure to get the pick of the best things.

Try and avoid shopping here during peak hours. It’ll be much more manic and when there are fewer people you’ll have no reason to feel rushed. These shops are great for ‘fashion’ items that you’ll only wear for one or two seasons, but be ready to do some repair jobs because the clothes are not made as well. Staples such as stockings, hats, pyjamas, T-shirts and underwear also regularly come in at half the price of the high street chains.

6. Check out charity shops

Good old charity shops are great for getting a pre-loved bargain, as long as you have the time and patience to look regularly. The best goodies are often to be found in posher areas where women (or their PAs) swing by in 4x4s to offload armloads of gear each weekend. Watch out for sneaky stores that raise their prices just because Kate Moss shops there each week. Most of the stuff is on the shelves by Monday afternoon so it’s a good time to go.

7. Always join mailing lists

As long as it’s free, always join the mailing list of any sites that you use regularly because it will usually mean that you get told first about any upcoming sales so you won’t miss out on any bargains. There could even be special offers just for customers who have signed up.

8. Get creative

If you have a sewing machine then making clothes can be cheap and you can always boast that they’re one-offs. Personalised clothing, such as monogrammed baby shawls or handkerchiefs, make great presents, too.

A pair of old jeans can be really easily turned into a cute denim skirt. All you need to do is unstitch the inner leg seam and cut the jean legs to your desired length, then sew them back up again. Click here for a step-by-step guide.

A simple pack of dye can give you a whole new wardrobe. In fact, we can show you how to update your entire wardrobe for less than a tenner!

Useful links

• eBay
• Amazon
• House of Fraser
• BooHoo.com
• Swerve
• Dorothy Perkins
• Revamp your entire wardrobe for less than a tenner!
• Bag a bargain on us!