Read an excerpt from LivingLesh.com featuring Clothes Mentor West Chester below, or click here to read the full blog post and more on LivingLesh.com.
How to Get $1,000 Worth of Clothes for $150
By Iesha Thompson
I constantly get asked the question, “How do you keep buying all these clothes and still have money to afford anything else?” And every time that someone asks, I simply laugh and continue on, never actually answering the question.
But I’m here today to finally share my shopping secrets. I’m here to let everyone know how to get the closet that they want without breaking the bank.
Let’s start from the beginning:
Before I ever started shopping the way that I do now, I used to rack up a huge bill. I wanted the brand name clothes from my favorite stores such as Nordstrom, J. Crew, Loft, and more, but every time that I went shopping, I left the store with three pieces of clothing and a bill over $100. That just wasn’t something that I could afford.
Then it all changed. I started shopping smarter and wiser.
One of my trade secrets is shopping at stores such as Clothes Mentor.
Clothes Mentor is a women’s clothing store that buys and sells gently used brand-name and designer clothing, shoes, and accessories. When shopping, you can find mostly any brand and designer that you are looking for.
Recently, I shopped the Clothes Mentor in West Chester, PA and was stunned by the service and the amazing selection of clothes that were provided to me. Yep, I said it. Provided to me. Other than selling great clothing, Clothes Mentor also offers the opportunity for you to work with a personal shopper to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.
But let’s not get too much into that. You’re trying to figure out what I bought and how I saved so much money.
Shopping at Clothes Mentor is an experience within itself. On every rack there are pieces that are must-haves and they look practically brand new. Even the shoes looks barely worn. And if I bought shoes from there, then they were pretty much brand new because I hate other people’s feet.
After picking up so many pieces, trying them on, and loving every single one – I had to stop myself because I realized that I had over eight pieces in my collection. My mind immediately went to the thought that I had racked up at least $300. But I didn’t. That’s how great the prices are at Clothes Mentor.
At the end of my shopping experience, I walked out of the store with three bags filled to the brim. And I only spent $150. And you may be thinking that I had gotten a crazy amount of discounts and special treatment, but that’s not it at all.
Here’s my breakdown:
- J. Crew Grey Sweater – $22 // originally $89
- Anne Klein Long Sleeved Top – $12 // originally $69
- Dress Barn LS Animal Top – $6 // originally $36
- INC Top – $12 // originally $60
- J. Crew Blue Blouse – $18 // originally $78
- Anne Taylor Loft Top – $10 // originally $60
- BCBG Dress – $22 // originally $115
- Zara Basic Dress – $16 // originally $70
- Banana Republic Sweater – $18 // originally $69
- The Limited Sweater – $15 // originally $60
- New York & Co Petite Pants – $11 // originally $60
- Aldo Floral Print Heels – $20 // originally $150
It’s quite a bill that I racked up, and considering the original price, I save a whole lot of money.
And if you’re like me and enjoy recycling your closet every once and awhile, you can sell your gently worn clothes to Clothes Mentor and use the cash on the spot that you receive to make your purchases. Nothing better than using the money to make off of your clothes to buy more clothes. That’s recycling at it’s best.
Recycling clothes this way is one of the ways that I save money, because a create budget for myself for buying clothes and use the money that I make when selling clothes to buy new clothes. Therefore, I’m always staying within my budget and my closet only gets bigger.
So there you have it. Those are my tips for saving money and going on a shopping spree for $1,000 worth of clothes but only spending $150.
Clothes Mentor has now become my new go-to place to get the clothes that I want in the brands that I absolutely need. It’s a match made in heaven for a budget shopper like me.