I like dressing well. I think I still have a lot to learn, but my love for darker fashion has blossomed. I haven’t gotten a true grasp of seasons and trends yet, but I think I’m getting there. And I’ve said it before: the only problem with being an art student at college is… dressing well can be expensive. I aim to write this not as an advertisement, but as advice and ideas for friends and new readers. I’m not paid to link any of the places I’ve suggested. On to the exhibition!

Here are some ways I’ve managed to work things through a budget:

Exhibit A: The gothy fashion blog. Seriously, and I don’t mean my own blog. Many of my finds have come from Haute Macabre in their $25 or $50 & under posts. Check it once a week, they usually post something bargain-oriented there.

Exhibit B: The discount stores and low priced department and clothing stores: Target, Marshall’s, Ross, Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, Payless, etc. Most items are under $40. The key to these stores is checking in on them now and then (I check out Forever 21, Charlotte Russe and Payless online). Then, see how you can incorporate what you like from those places into your wardrobe. Most, if not all, are current and in-season. What makes it work is your discerning eye. Note: A lot of Forever 21’s items are on their website for a short time, and not in the store. They don’t often restock, either. And, I’d like to note that yes, I do think some of these stores probably are using sweatshop labor to keep these clothes cheap. I don’t promote that. I simply promote the idea of dressing well at good prices. Fair-trade standards should become, well, standard. If you don’t support these companies, there are many other options listed below that you can choose from instead, or you can research the companies that are offering cheap clothes, and see if they have a good track record.

Exhibit C: Styling websites like Polyvore and ShopStyle. These are fun for building outfits that you can draw inspiration from, or for scouring for deals across a multitude of online boutiques. If you’re not careful, you can spend hours on these websites.

Exhibit D: Trade. I spent several hours on Sunday at a goth trade event and walked away with a lot of amazing items. It was a nice, intimate event hosted at a friend’s house with beverages and snacks. All the people there were friends, or friends of friends, and it worked out well. We brought items that were very gothy, basic street clothes, and everything in between.

If you know people in your area willing to give away, sell, or trade items, perhaps host something similar. It doesn’t have to be at your home, but someplace relaxed would probably be best. It gives the community an opportunity to meet in a non-club setting and most of the time, everyone walks away with something new. If it doesn’t work out that way, be kind and patient—there will always be another chance to score new additions to your closet.

Exhibit E: Thrift Shops. I don’t mean to leave this near the end. I just don’t have much luck in thrift stores. However, I know many resourceful people who make genius fashion discoveries at second-hand and thrift shops. Here in the San Francisco bay area, I’ve had or heard about luck with Saver’s, Crossroads Trading Company, MoonZooom, Good Will, Salvation Army, and a few other local shops in San Jose. The best you can do is do some searching, look on Yelp for reviews, and take the plunge.

Exhibit F: Making/Altering your items. I knit and I’m still pretending that I can sew. This helps with keeping costs down without sacrificing material quality: If I want something that’s popular right now in knitwear, I can make it myself and work with better fibers, and it generally will be a fraction of the price for an original, designer piece. Being able to alter a piece is very handy, also. If you learn how to fit a jacket to your size, you’ve opened a wide new world of opportunities from second-hand shopping and trading that you hadn’t had previously.

Exhibit G: Last but never least, DO please check out sale sections of popular gothic brands. My particular poison is Lip Service’s closeout section, and I’ve gotten many an item for quite cheap through that.

While I know many of my friends are master bargain hunters, I’d like to stress for anyone who is still learning: with all of the options above, keep in mind prices. Set a budget for yourself. See if you can afford to get this, or pay for that. If you browse a shop like Lip Service and have trouble with an itching wallet, perhaps make a limit for yourself by saying you’ll only buy 3 items. Make the most expensive $25. Work down from there. Ask yourself how badly do you *want* those shoes, or how badly you *need* that corset. This will help you keep to your budget in the long run. :]

These principles in practice: What I wore today

Make-up: Clinique black eye shadow, Black Palladio eyeliner, Palladio mascara
Jewelry: two (one black/one red) costume gem brooches, four rings, and two necklaces—all but one from the goth trade event, red earrings from Torrid (bought back in HS, probably $4.99), my standard metal tunnels
Outfit: Forever 21 striped sweater, xhileration dress from goth trade event, hand-me-down leggings from Mom
Other accessories: A hat I made myself, a small hair bow that’s not visible from this side, lace fingerless gloves from Forever 21
Shoes: Steve Madden combat boots—also gained through the trade event

I hope this helps! I’m hoping to make this a recurring topic. I want to delve into each of these topics further in other posts.