3 money-saving tips every fashionista should know

Believe it or not, you can be glamorous and fashionable on a budget. Here's how fashionable people look great and save money year-round.

• A good time to buy a winter coat is in the January or February. Department stores often have good reductions before spring fashions arrive.
• If you can wait to buy summer clothes until July or August, you can save up to 40 per cent on the prices from the season's start.
• Swimwear will be on sale at reduced prices by mid-summer.
• All clothing prices are slashed in the post-Christmas sales so that retailers can make room for the new season's stock. Remember that the sales often start before the New Year.

• Retail stores whose selling point is their cheap, up-to-the-minute fashions are expected to have a fast turnover.
• If they remain unsold for more than two months, items are relegated to the sale rack where you can grab them for as little as half their full price.

• Prices at factory outlets during sales times can be as much as 80 per cent less than the regular store price.
• If your taste runs to the glamorous and expensive but your wallet doesn't, the designer sales may be for you. Drop in or call your favourite stores and ask when the sales take place.
• When hunting for seasonal bargains, don't forget that online retailers also hold sales at the same times as the stores. Here, too, items that have not sold during the season are heavily discounted.
• It pays to shop around.
• If you find something you like that has a button or two missing, you may be able to get it at a further discount.
• Remember that you may be asked to waive your statutory rights if you buy a garment in the full knowledge that it has a fault.
• Check shipping policies and costs to Canada.
• You'll find many designer fashions on auction websites, where sales representatives are selling off their samples.

Having the latest looks doesn't have to break the bank. With the right timing, you could fill your closet with the clothes you want, without breaking the bank.