Discount Design Fashions Do Not Have to Be Last Year’s Style

With the grand showing of New York’s Fashion Week coming to a close, the frugal minded shopper might think that she needs to wait a whole season before the newest looks. After all, the hottest runway trends need to filter down to ready to wear labels and then get marked down before they make it to the discount stores such as Loehmann’s, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx. Yet, careful inspection of what the 7th Avenue runways produced can be found now just by going through the racks.

Embroidery, bows, ruffles, and volume were the top “styles” that influenced the collections. Leather, velvet, sequins, fur, and knits were the favored materials of the great majority of designers. These are materials and influential staples of fashion for years and can be found as influences in previous years. In fact, usually, a designer “grows” on their own personal style, so a 2006 piece can be made current by mixing up the silhouette or adding one new piece.

While Douglas Hannent shows a crushed black velvet shirt with a black tulle crinoline as the height of something new, I know I have a comparable black velvet and tulle skirt hanging in my closet right now. I found it last year at Loehmann’s for under fifteen dollars. I might take Hannent’s inspiration and pair it with a pure white strapless top which I also already own, but I don’t need to do more spending to get this look.

Ruffian brought back the skinny black tie this week using it as an accessory with several white shirts and even as black on black. Overall the look was skinny, but a long flowing jacket was also prominent and lead to a very romantic feel. Looking at that, I remember a wonderful black velvet duster that I gabbed on impulse from Loehmann’s clearance rack at the end of last winter. I know it is still sitting in the back of my closet, previously forgotten. In fact, I am pretty sure that shopping trip also brought forth a fitted white shirt. If I pair those, with a skinny pant and chunky sandal, then top it with the skinny tie, then I am at the height of the newest trend.