Let’s face it—most of our tastes in fashion far exceed the depth of our purses. If you find yourself living on ramen noodles and beans just so that you can afford that Prada bag or the hottest new designer coat of the season, you may need to readdress your priorities. Instead of falling deep into debt by adding designer dream duds to your closet, be smart about shopping! There are deals to be found around every corner on authentic, quality designer merchandise. They key to finding awesome deals when it comes to purchasing items for a fraction of their mind blowing price tag is to do your research! By being able to identify designer items by their look, feel, and materials, you will be less likely to be ripped off by buying a clever fake.

By far, the best source of this season’s hottest designer clothing is the bargain basement. This secret shopping extravaganza has been carefully guarded by fashionistas all over the world. There are a variety of bargain basement stores that specialize in a variety of different items. Some stores are strictly fashion outlets that supply the fabulous on a budget with quality designer items that look like they came straight off the runway. Other basement stores specialize in accessories or sporting apparel, so you can hit the mall or hit the slopes looking as gorgeous as you deserve! The most popular of these bargain basement stores is Filene’s Basement, with locations all over the country. Filene’s is most well known for their annual wedding dress extravaganza that draws brides to be from near and far!

Get with the trend of online shopping and use the World Wide Web to find excellent designer deals. Websites that specialize in liquidating stock provide a fabulous way to find those must have items ranging from shoes to accessories to clothing. is a great example of a liquidation website, but keep in mind their stock is extremely limited—often only a couple pieces. The motto of “you see it, you like it, you buy it” comes into play, since you may miss out on that great designer deal if you wait. Furthermore, online auction sites have proved to be the next best thing in finding designer items at a bargain basement price. The popularity of Ebay and Yahoo! Auctions has made shopping for anything under the sun—including designer shades, bags, shoes, and clothing—a great deal easier.