Being frugal and having good taste may not seem to go hand in hand. On any given day you can catch me in Kenneth Cole, Ralph Lauren, and Perry Ellis but I don’t necessarily pay retail prices. The secret? Designer outlets and thrifts stores (in “rich areas”) help a lot.

For me its not about spending to look great, its about learning the rules of style and then finding ways to obtain it. Although it is nice to occasionally treat yourself and invest in a nice cardigan or pullover that you can wear over and over.

Style is subjective. But there are certain fashion rules that help you look great. (more on this some other time)

I have found RL polos at thrift stores anywhere from 25c to a few bucks! No shame in my game. People don’t know the difference AND you end up with high quality tailored clothes (not to mention that little logo with a guy on a horsey-it goes a long way in my book!)

I still browse fashion runways: instead of buying a magazine, I find pictures online for free.

A big part of being fashionably trendy is not necessarily labels, but the colors you wear. I suggest learning what colors or patterns are in, and look for those. H&M is my favorite store in the whole world, because they offer really nice things for the best price.

I dunno, my goal is to not be known as the F-word, but to be respected as a smart buyer. If I pay 57c for a polo and you pay $30, I would like to think that that makes me smarter.