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Posted on Wednesday, June 9th, 2010 at 3:24 pm

Do your friends and even strangers compliment you on how well you dress? Do they want to know how you can look like you stepped out of a magazine without going bankrupt? If so, then you must be a Designer Deal Diva. (And if you aren’t, well, don’t worry, you can be).

The secret of course is to do some smart shopping and wardrobe planning. My friend, Sara is really good at this. She always looks polished and can combine the right bits of a trend with classic pieces, so she always looks fresh and wonderful. You would never guess that her clothing budget is less than most people spend on just casual non-name clothing.

The first thing she does is look for great prices on classic pieces that will stand the test of time. she is willing to spend a little more on a great pair of dress pants, for example, because she knows that the right cut and fit will last for years to come and just need some updating with accessories. You can often find classic pieces off season in the clearance areas of both traditional retail stores and online stores.

Sara is also willing to have better quality pieces tailored to fit her well. So if she finds a great quality designer piece that is a size or two off, she will spend a few dollars to have it altered and still save up to 80 percent off of the normal retail price.

Next, Sara looks for trendy pieces and accessories that will work with what she already has. She will look to get killer deals on these items since they won’t be able to remain in style for as long as the classic pieces. Seasonal sales and coupon codes will yield some great stuff.

Sara also has a good eye, so she can re purpose items she already has, such as turning a large scarf into a casual skirt, or even cutting and braiding an old tie-die t-shirt into a belt. Sure, we may not all have her talent, but perusing fashion magazines or websites could give us some ideas on how we can adapt trends to work with what we already have.

Finally, Sara is not afraid to buy clothing at non-designer stores, such as Walmart or Target. Many popular designers develop less expensive versions of their designer clothing lines for these types of stores, so you can often finds some great pieces this way. Also, Sara knows that something that is relatively inexpensive can look couture when it is combined or “hidden” by real designer pieces, such as when she combines an inexpensive pair of Lee jeans with a long Prada sweater and great shoes.

If you want to start getting your designer diva on, you can follow Sara’s example:

1. Start with a few key classic pieces
2. Don’t be afraid to alter great finds
3. Use trendy pieces to work within your wardrobe
4. Peruse the fashion magazines and fashion websites for ideas and get creative
5. Combine low cost items with designer clothing.

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