THE RUNWAY FASHION QUESTION: RENT OR STYLE? I SAY BOTH

I know there are millions of us out there, women who LOVE designer fashion, (for more than just the label of course, there’s the uniqueness, the design house’s history, the quality-most of the time, the fabrics and how we feel in it), but can’t realistically figure a $2000 piece into their budget. It seems crazy hey? Most of us don’t even pay that much in rent each month! But every now and then we save up and splurge, or are crazy enough to pull out our plastic. (Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet built her business on this!) I’ve been known to spend up to $500 retail on an item, and so far that’s my limit. Most often, if I want designer I only allow myself to dig through the sale racks. I don’t really care if an item is from a season or two back, I think that good design stands the test of time, especially if the piece is by a house like Chanel, or Lanvin. Actually, almost every designer item I own I bought at a vintage shop or as part of a terrific sale, ex: Chanel silver pumps, $400 from $950, sequin Miu Miu’s for $4oo from $1000. And most recently the Jason Wu skirt! $100 from $1635. I still can’t get over pricing a skirt like that, and it’s not even made of gold. Anyways, I thought I’d show you this skirt that retails for approximately 1.7 times my rent:

How to find designer deals? From my experience, the best place to find a good deal, (an item that you love at a marked down price that fits your budget), is to buy from the quality American shops after they’ve marked down. Sadly, Canadian shops don’t often have giant sales where you can get big designers for cheap, although you can sometimes find a steal at Brown’s. Visiting the states when the stores have just brought in the next season’s lines is THE BEST TIME to buy! This is when the previous season’s merchandise is seriously marked down. The funny thing is, say in July when Fall is starting to arrive in store, the Summer merchandise is on sale, yet, the hot weather has only just begun. It almost makes me feel bad for retailers, I suppose most people wait for the sales, as I do. If you have any tips for finding great deals, let me know!