Did you ever walk into a department store and see a dress so perfect it was as if the lights from heaven illuminated it and the chorus of angels started singing, only to look at the price tag and realize that it would require sacrificing eating for a month in order to afford it?  It’s happened to the best of us, but before it sends you spiraling into a depressed quest for a higher paying job or another credit card, know that there is hope.

St. Louis is home to some of the best designer consignment and resale shops around. Before you get weird about pre-owned clothing, this is not like walking into the Goodwill. Even though Macklemore made it cool to “pop tags”, it’s ok to prefer a step above. Most of these shops are like walking into a trendy boutique where you’ll find designer items such as Michael Kors, Kenneth Cole, Coach, and Prada just to name a few. The options are vast and always changing. Sure it will still take some perusing of the racks, but I’ve found that the staff is always very knowledgeable, accommodating, and always happy to help you accessorize!

As a self-professed shop-a-holic and committed bargain seeker, I’ve frequented many. Here are some of my favorites:

Upscale Resale Boutique —located  at 10042 Manchester Road, St. Louis, MO 63122 (At the corner of Manchester & Sappington)

Has a huge selection of everything from shoes and clothing to handbags and accessories. They regularly have specials and even a discount rack. If you happen to find yourself there on a weekend, you may even see a familiar face from the Mills family.

Rung Boutique – located at 9739 Manchester Rd., St. Louis, MO 63119 (across from the Hacienda Restaurant).

Also with a vast selection, they focus on professional attire for women in the work force. They too offer regular promotions and discounts. You can get the 411 on all of their promotions by joining their email list. Their focus is on women helping women and a portion of their proceeds go to The Women’s Foundation of Greater St. Louis. PLUS, they have a sister store called SPRUNG just next door that has baby, children’s, and maternity items!

Ditto – located at 10027 Manchester Road , St. Louis, MO 63122

Ditto is one of the few resale shops that has items for the whole family in one location.  You can also pick up some house hold items like unique furniture pieces.  While you’ll probably find fewer of the designer labels here, their staff is fully volunteer based with 90% of their sales going towards tuition remission at their founding schools and the rest going back to the neighboring community.

Women’s Closet Exchange – located at 11575 Gravois Rd Saint Louis, MO 63126.

While this is probably going to be at the higher end of the boutiques on this list, and they don’t regularly offer promotions, the selection is HUGE.  They also do the courtesy of separating out most of their designer items on separate racks.  This definitely simplifies the process if you’re looking for a particular label. The company also has 2 other shops in the same shopping center: Clique, which features attire targeted for teens and Purple Cow, a children’s resale shop.

Designer Resale Boutique – located at 344 Mid Rivers Mall Dr, St Peters, MO 63376

This shop is small and can feel a little crowded, but that’s just because they have a tremendous selection! Probably one of the best in terms of discounts, on any given day you might find 20-50% off merchandise. Much like some of the other shops, many of the bigger labels they separate out on designer racks. I did notice that they tend to have a larger plus sized selection than some of their counter parts as well and always a super friendly staff!

So there you have it, my top 5 picks for fashion that won’t break the bank.

Happy Shopping!

 

Mills Properties