by Aisling Ashbery

Created on: August 24, 2010

Paging through any style magazine will show you page after page of designer clothes and accessories. Though it's easy to lust after such items, it's not as easy to pay the exorbitant prices that designers think their items are worth.  Especially in today's tough times, it's hard to justify spending $500 on a dress. Luckily, if you are willing to wait a season or so, there are places you can get secondhand designer clothes.

1. Consignment Stores

Consignment stores are excellent places to find used designer items. Consignment stores only take items that are in good quality, and some will only accept an item if it is a notable brand name. Check for local consignment stores in your area. If you can't find anything nice, try taking a trip to an area with a higher cost of living – it simply makes sense that the best designer items are likely to resurface in places where people are more likely to buy those items in the first place.

2. Thrift Stores

It is harder to find designer items in thrift stores than in consignment stores, but it is still possible. Check back weekly for new items. The same tip as far as looking in neighborhoods where more wealthy people live applies to thrift stores, too. You will have to do some digging in thrift stores due to the large number of items they'll have that are low quality.  Also, don't discount private sales like rummage or garage sales - you never know what you're going to find!

3. Online

Today there are many options available online for people to sell their merchandise on places like ebay. Because the internet connects you with so many more people , you are much more likely to find items of the type and style that you want to. Unfortunately, because the internet can also connect the sellers to many buyers, you may wind up paying a higher price than you would really like to. There are also certain risks associated with buying clothing on the internet. It is hard to examine it for quality and condition when you can't see it, and of course you never know how it will fit.

Though it may seem like a hassle to pick through the items in consignment stores, thrift stores, and online bidding arenas, it will all be worth it when you find a gem of a designer item for a fraction of the original price.

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