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"facebook dialogPinterest\n\n_ DEAR DEREK,\n\n I want to be bold and unique in my outfits, especially with all the inspirations from the popular girls at my school and the fashion editorials in Teen Vogue, but sometimes the cutest things aren't the most affordable. So what stores would you suggest for me to shop at? I'm looking for something that is unique and chic in style, but also well priced!\n\n Sincerely, __Cost Cutter_\n\n DEAR Cost Cutter,\n\n I understand your dilemma. Believe me, for a young man that moved to New York on a student budget and was suddenly surrounded by some of the most stylish people in the world, I know what it's like to be inspired by haute couture and only be able to afford clearance rack!\n\n But a tight budget doesn't necessarily have to mean a tight imagination. One of the first ways I worked around my financial limitations was shopping vintage. I talk about this in detail in my book, but my go-to move was finding old suits in vintage stores back home in Missouri (vintage isn't always cheap in New York, trust me!) and take them to a local seamstress to have them altered to a more modern fit (for example, maybe she would take the bell bottom out of a leisure suit). An old suit might cost $15, and then the alterations another $10, and then a dry cleaning bill - because you must always clean vintage clothing before you buy it - might set me back another $10. Then Wham! A whole new suit for under $50! The trick here is patience: shopping vintage is sometimes an arduous, tedious process, and there's no guarantee that at the bottom of the dollar bin you'll find something amazing.\n\n If you're not into vintage - or if you aren't as enthralled by the hunt of looking through racks of pre-warn clothing as I am - there are so many stores now that carry what the industry refers to as 'fast fashion.' That means clothing that is cheap, produced quickly and isn't always of the best quality. My big tip with these kinds of stores (you know the ones I'm talking about: H+M, Forever21 and so forth) is to get things that you know you won't have forever, but you think is fun for right now. But be careful that what you're getting doesn't look cheap; just because it doesn't cost much, doesn't mean it should look like it doesn't cost much!\n\n The next step up from that are the more mid range stores, which I still shop at: I'm talking about The Gap here, and some of the lower priced ranges you can get the mall. I just got a great cardigan sweater from J Crew, and their girls' section is just as impressive. Another place I can find great things that don't cost an arm and a leg? Outlet malls. Yes, the things you get at these stores are often seasons old, but a great skirt is never out of fashion. (There's a Ralph Lauren outlet in Missouri that I've had dreams about!)\n\n Another great tip is to accessorize the basic things in your closet. You may have a boring grey cardigan set, but style it up with a scarf tied around your neck and a big broach and suddenly your look is very Fall 2010 Louis Vuitton! These sorts of accents don't have to expensive. In fact, my friend Daphne Guinness has been known to mix costume jewelry that she's found on the street with her mega wattage family heirloom jewelry. So think of ways to dress up what you already have with funky accents: you might even have some fun chains or sunglasses lying around your house.\n\n Finally, when you do decide to splurge, be wise with what you spend your money on. I'm not the first fashion writer to reinforce the importance of 'investment dressing,' but I feel obliged to remind you to make sure that your big-ticket items are things that you're going to wear more than once and will love forever. Like a great pair of black patent leather shoes that go with everything, or a coat that you'll wear season after season.\n\n Just remember: money can't buy style! And in most cases, a tight budget will only inspire you to try new, exciting things!\n\n Yours, Derek\n\n Derek Blasberg is the editor-at-large of Style.com and a senior editor at V magazine. His first book, CLASSY, a collection of humorous and helpful essays, came out last week. Blasberg is TeenVogue.com's guestblogger for all of April; if you have questions of your own, e-mail him at TeenVogue@derekblasberg.com. \n\n **More from Derek Blasberg:\n\nHow can I boy like me stay classy?\n\nCheck out his book, CLASSY**"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-do-i-stay-unique-and-chic-on-a-budget>