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"  Everybody&amp;#039;s feeling the pinch. Even in the Harper&amp;#039;s Bazaar offices, where a funny thing happened this season: The dress worn by an editor that received the most attention wasn&amp;#039;t a so-right-for-next-season number or a custom-made confection. Nor was it some great find discovered after hours spent combing the racks at a deep-discount store. Instead, the fabulously floral vintage Flora Kung dress was the reward of a weeklong bidding war on eBay. And it cost only $75. Maybe the discovery of the dress was a fluke or a one-time triumph for the editor, who had never gone online to shop before and typically would have hit every boutique from Marni to Barneys to update her wardrobe. But the revealing trend in this insider anecdote is that while fashion lovers continue to shop for fall, they are being more creative and cost conscious about how they are doing it. Hilary Rhoda, a model and one of the faces of Est\u00E9e Lauder, found herself tightening her own proverbial fashion belt. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m a shopper by nature, but obviously with the recession, I now keep an eye on price tags and go with the sale items if they are available. I particularly like some of the new Web sites, like Gilt Groupe.&amp;quot; Gilt Groupe, an online source that invites members to sales that are up to 70 percent off high-end designer pieces, is one of a growing number of sites created to service this desire for luxury for less. Rechannel those hours spent aimlessly surfing Facebook for a more meaningful experience, like uncovering a cool pair of trousers or a strong-shouldered jacket. On sites like the recently launched theOutnet, shoppers can find goods from designers like Oscar de la Renta, Stella McCartney, and Proenza Schouler at as much as 40 to 60 percent off the original price. For instance, it recently offered Calvin Klein&amp;#039;s sleek jersey dress with honeycomb pleats (originally $2,275) for $682.50. HauteLook, Yoox, Rue La La, and ShopStyle (a search engine that allows shoppers to compare prices from many venues) also promise major fashion finds.  If logging on isn&amp;#039;t for you but shopping is, this season may be the one to explore other avenues. Coach&amp;#039;s president and executive creative director, Reed Krakoff, says, &amp;quot;As a designer, you have to inspire people and give them a reason to shop. It&amp;#039;s about generating excitement, not playing it safe.&amp;quot; His classic carryalls in leather finishes, ringing in at less than $500, have proved to be as perfect a pick-me-up as his animal-print bags. Age-old shopping practices have changed. New interest is now drummed up in different ways, as it&amp;#039;s no longer just about popping into your favorite boutique for the latest $2,000 It bag. Today lower-priced diffusion lines, fast-fashion emporiums, and bargain-filled outlet malls are the way to go. Thakoon Addition, Rachel Rachel Roy at Macy&amp;#039;s, and Cole Haan&amp;#039;s just-announced Cole, Rood &amp;amp;amp; Haan Co., which features of-the-moment shoes for $225, all offer directional pieces for less. Lucy Sykes-Rellie, a Manhattan fashion fixture, occasionally trades in the comfort of her normal Madison Avenue stomping ground for the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, just outside the city. She reveals, &amp;quot;I couldn&amp;#039;t believe how many high-end designers had outlet stores \u2014 all my favorites. But my real thrill came when I spotted a store I had only heard about but didn&amp;#039;t believe until I saw: the Chanel outlet! Classic, legendary tweed skirts and jackets at substantially discounted prices? Count me in!&amp;quot; But such frugal fashion finds aren&amp;#039;t necessarily news so much as back in the spotlight. What is a spectacular new development is the recent addition of Balenciaga to this amusement park of discounted megastores, alongside Fendi, Dior, and Bottega Veneta. These venues are popping up all over the country in places like Premium Outlets in Orlando, which saw the addition of Marni and Michael Kors this summer. Or in Wrentham Village, Massachusetts, where shoppers can browse through goods at Gap Outlet and Burberry alike. But if you aren&amp;#039;t in a spending mood, like New York City&amp;#039;s Rescue Beauty Lounge salon owner, Ji Baek, working with what you already own might be a good option. &amp;quot;I cleaned out my closet, and after five days of steaming, folding, and taking pictures of every piece I own, I realized there were tags on some of the clothes I never wore,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;I started to shop my own closet. This recession, I call it the recorrection.&amp;quot; She trotted out Tom Ford&amp;#039;s Yves Saint Laurent collection safari-style sandals, old Dior Homme blazers, and much more. After all, didn&amp;#039;t we learn something from Madonna? The practice of reinvention is an invaluable one. Juicy Couture&amp;#039;s Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy craftily suggest, &amp;quot;Add shoulder pads to T-shirts and jackets to update them to be the silhouette of the season.&amp;quot; Kate Spade&amp;#039;s creative director, Deborah Lloyd, adheres to this concept as well. &amp;quot;I think women should take inventory of their closets and rediscover some old favorites, then invest in a couple of statement pieces to modernize their overall looks,&amp;quot; she suggests, offering a cocktail ring or a charm bracelet as a quick fix. Tommy Hilfiger, the king of cool comfort, agrees. &amp;quot;Changing accessories or adding a pop of color to a neutral outfit is an inexpensive way to create different looks with the same pieces,&amp;quot; he says.  So rethink your approach to finding the perfect wardrobe. Soon enough, that pinch will become a cinch. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/trends/a418/cheap-shopping-0909/>