7 Places to Find Affordable, High Quality Fashions

If you’re anything like me, you are always looking to find fashion pieces that make you feel good inside and out. If you read my last fashion post, then you may know that I am currently at a point were I am looking to revamp almost everything in my wardrobe. I decided that I want to not only overhaul my closet, but with quality pieces that will last a lifetime (or at least a lot longer than the few washes of my current wardrobe).

While well made, good quality, stylish, timeless fashion pieces is the end game, I also want to be responsible and sensible with my spending. While doing my shopping I’ve run into some road blocks were it seemed as if I were asking for too much. To find affordable, good quality, well-made clothes and accessories was almost an oximoron.

All I want is to be able to find Chanel for $20… Is that too much to ask?!

Okay, I’m kidding, but seriously, I wanted clothing that wouldn’t break the bank or tear up in my delicates cycle. After doing some research, I learned that the best thing to look for when looking for quality fashion items is the material. Then, after lots more shopping research, I found 7 places that consistently deliver on the quality and affordable price point.

behold…

My Top 7 Favorite Places to Shop for Affordable, Great Quality Fashion Items

1.Banana Republic

Banana Republic is my go-to when I am looking for more professional attire. They are the first stop for someone who works in an office setting and is in need of business casual basics. Banana Republic is the perfect place to shop if you need tailored pants, sweaters, or midi dresses and skirts. The materials of their clothing is often of good quality such as cashmere, wool blends, cotton, linen, etc, and are often well made. Sometimes the price point on items isn’t always what I think that they should be. However, they often have really good sales, knocking the price down significantly.

2.J. Crew

J. Crew is very similar to Banana Republic in their clothing options, materials, and how well the pieces are made. J. Crew is also a great place to shop for those of us who need business casual attire, or if you just like more classic, tailored looks.

3.Mango

Mango is a rather recent find, but I must say that I am extremely happy that I finally started shopping here. Mango has beautiful, trendy pieces that are often made with quality materials such as organic cotton, linen, and leather. Even their blended materials are still really good quality, and reasonably priced. They also often have sales, further reducing the prices.

4. H&M Conscious Premium Quality

A lot of people have started to turn away from H&M as they search for higher quality clothing, and leave fast fashion. What a lot of people don’t know is that H&M has a Conscious and a Premium Quality line. H&M’s Conscious line features items that focus on using sustainable practices and materials such as organic cotton and recycled polyester. The H&M Premium Quality line boasts items that feature high quality materials such as cashmere, leather, linen, etc. These lines are already reasonably priced, but of course H&M alsoways has some type of sale as well.

5.Consignment Store

Consignment stores are my absolute first place to shop when I am looking to make a more expensive, often luxury, purchase but I still don’t want to pay full price. Nowadays, most people know about online consignment stores such as The RealReal and Fashionphile, but forget to check locally as well. A lot of ladies are surprised to find that they have a consignment store in their area. Having a local consignment store has its benefits vs. only shopping at an online consignment store and vice versa. When shopping at a local consignment store, you’re able to see the fashion items in person and try them on before purchasing. Local consignment shops are also more likely to have deals or sales (thought The RealReal often has an additional 20% off of certain products every time I go on their site… and that’s a lot of the time). An online consignment store however will offer a wider range of a variety of items and sizes than your local consignment store. Either option is a great place to check for quality, high end, luxury fashion at a fraction of the price.

6.Thrift Store

I’m not the biggest thrift store shopper, but I would be completely remissed if I didn’t include it on this list. For some, thrift stores and consignment stores are synonymous, but to me they are very different. The thrift store differs, in my opinion, in what items can be found, the likelihood of finding something, the price points, and the overall shopping experience. At a thrift store, you really do have to be prepared to dig for those quality items that you seek, but you can definitely find a gem! I used to hate the very idea of thrift shopping until I found a pair of blue label Ralph Lauren pants for less than $10. I’ve found high quality fashion pieces from pants to sweaters to jewelry for literally pennies on the dollar. It’s worth a look!

7. Family Members’ Closet

Now… hear me out! I am not condoning theft, but raiding your mom’s/aunt’s/sister’s/grandma’s closet can be a great way of getting a few quality pieces into your wardrobe. A lot of us have family members who are very stylish and well put together. A lot of times, they are older and more well established, so maybe more likely to have invested in high quality pieces. Ask your loved ones the next time they are doing a closet clean out if you could go through some of their things. Or…. if you have the relationship that I have with my mom… just tell her how much you want it, would wear it, and she’ll let you borrow it… then don’t give it back! The 100% silk shirt that I am wearing in the featured photo is a oldie but goodie from my mom that I got for free.99 … Thanks mom! 🙂

Comment below! Where are your favorite places to get quality clothes for the low?