Shop Talk

"Livin like Liberachi, sportin the latest Versace, shotty and Maserati, dodgin the paparazzi." -Lil Wayne

Ideas on how to get designer duds on the cheap, from Shop Smart.

1. Take a trip to New York - Nearly every day of the week there's at least one sample sale in New York City. You can find listings at http://www.nymag.com/ (click on shopping) or try http://www.topbutton.com/. If you make it to a sample sale, here are a few tips: Wear a wide skirt or leggings and ballet flats or flip flops. The shoes are easy to slip off and you can try on anything over leggings or under a flowy skirt. Be sure to ask for discounts on clothes with small but fixable defects like missing buttons. Anyone interested in a vaca?

2. Find local sales - Go to http://www.dailycandy.com/ or any sites that carry local sample-sale news. Get on mailing lists and get to know the salespeople. You may also be able to tap into multicity sample sales like those held by Billion Dollar Babes, one of the biggest sample-sale organizers. The company is also planning online sales; go to http://www.billiondollarbabes.com/.

3. Visit an online sample sale - There aren't many yet, but they're growing. Be sure to get in early and don't dawdle. At http://www.hautelook.com/, you have to become a member and then you'll be sent an email with sale times. Also try http://www.ideeli.com/ and http://www.7thonsale.ebay.com/.