Teen tips for finding clothing bargains
Dear Answer Angel Ellen:
I am a 13-year-old girl on a $35-per-month clothing allowance. How do I make my dollars stretch?
— Amelia I.
Whether you’re 13 or much, much older, your clothes budget will go so very much further if you shop at thrift stores, secondhand shops, consignment stores and church sales. And you’re never too young to start there for some great deals. You’ll be surprised by the amazing bargains, even brand-new clothes with tags still on, that were donated to church thrifts, Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. The hunt for bargains takes work because you have to go often to catch the name-brand items before they are scooped up. It also means sorting through plenty of washed out, stretched out, damaged (and even dirty) items. But bring some friends along and look forward to a weekly treasure hunt! (It helps if the friends are different sizes so there are no disputes over the best bargains.)
Some religious nonprofits collect donations all year long that are sold at one huge blowout event annually. That’s where I’ve found my most braggable items. Some thrifts are incredibly well organized (often by volunteers), making shopping a breeze. Other shops are a jumbled mess (women’s shirts wrongly displayed with the menswear, for example). And it’s not just clothes bargains. Never pay full price for housewares — glasses, coffee cups, frying
Dear Amelia:
pans, utensils. Outfitting your home, your dorm room or your new apartment by shopping at thrifts will quadruple or even quintuple your buying power! You’re young, so start honing those shopping skills that will last you a lifetime and do good by helping charities and keeping stuff out of landfills.
Dear Answer Angel Ellen:
I’m 60 years old plus. I love camouflage prints but I wonder if I’m too old to wear them. And also, what colors/prints go with camo?
— Pammy J.
Camo prints are the new leopard — always in style for every age. Since camo often comes in shades of olive (there’s a reason it’s called “olive drab”) — not a flattering color for many of us — enliven it with a red blouse, a cream sweater or a bright pink T-shirt. Consider a print or a check that picks up one of the shades in your
Dear Pammy:
camo garment. Pattern mixing takes guts, but give it a try and enjoy the compliments you get for your bold choices.
Dear Answer Angel Ellen:
I know you hate capris (agreed) but I think you’re OK with ankle-length pants. I think they look great in the summer with flats. On websites and in catalogs, they still show winter ankle pants with bare feet and flats on the models, but I’m not crazy about that during our chilly winters even if I’m inside my office. One of my coworkers wears knee-high hose, but even the sheerest hose don’t look great. I know you’re going to say ankle boots! What’s the right look as far as where the pant leg ends and the boot starts? Any other suggestions?
— Lynn H.
You read my mind. I love pants that hit at the ankle bone, and in cooler weather ankle boots work great. It took me a
Dear Lynn:
while to get used to boots and booties that show a bit of flesh when the pants leg catches on the boot, but fashionable street style photos convinced me that this look is utterly acceptable and chic. Flip through street style images online (fashionista.com, vogue .com, etc.) and you’ll see what I mean. Also, lace-up ankle boots with a heavier sock “cuffed” at the ankle work nicely on chilly days.
Angelic Readers
I was surprised that there’s so much pent-up frustration about the money we waste on products packaged in tubes and pump dispensers that make so much of the creams, lotions and makeup impossible to use. Thank you for the scores of good ideas to get to the last drop:
Tiny spatulas were a favorite solution: MaryJean, Cheryl N., Marilou J., Valerie and Victoria H. buy them at amazon.com. Gail B. buys these tools through google.com, two for $2.95. Amy E. says, “Just Google ‘mini spatulas for makeup.’ ” Eva B. and Jean M. find the little spatulas at The Container Store.
Lee V. and Mary W. recommend The Container Store’s Lotion Saver Bottle Couplers (container store.com, $4.99/threepack) to get the last bit out of a pump container.” Kelly E. buys the $9.99 Zero Waste Cap on amazon.com. Jean O’B. writes, “About getting more lotion out of those $%@!& containers: I put my lotion pump bottles upside down in a coffee mug, pint glass or other sturdy container for liquids. Then I just unscrew the top and get the rest of it out that way.” Bill H., Katie A. K. and Ann S. use the upsidedown trick too. Agnes P. says, “I turn it upside down in my nightstand drawer and close the drawer. It stays there wedged until I use it up. I use the lotion at night anyhow so it’s where I want it to be.”
Readers like Nancy St. J. and Jim B. say it helps to place the container in the microwave first before employing the upsidedown trick. But be sure there’s no metallic labeling to spark the micro.
Julie W. points out:
“Most non-pump bottles have standard size caps. I save a few and rinse them out. When the pumps on my products don’t work anymore, I replace them with one of those caps. I turn the bottle upside down, usually in a corner of the counter, and am able to get the remaining lotion out. The caps usually have a little flip opening which helps.” Jim T., Sharon Sz. and Larry D. do the same.
Now it’s your turn
Send your questions, rants, tips, favorite finds — on style, shopping, makeup, fashion and beauty — to answerangelellen@gmail .com.