Top 10 Places to Buy Awesome & Affordable Fashions

I was talking to my homegirl, Poetic Justice, last night, and the conversation quickly turned to matters of fashion and personal finance.

See, we're broke. I mean, DEAD BROKE. Working in the non-profit world helps us sleep at night, but definitely doesn't pay the bills as much as we'd like.

All the same, we're fashionistas. Poetic Justice looks like a model - long, slim torso, legs for miles, waist about the circumference of a sapling - and likes to dress like one. I am just discovering the side of me that likes to talk about Coco Chanel and Anna Sui after successfully sewing on a shirt sleeve or stitching silk into the hem of a skirt.

Admittedly, we both shop the sales. But there are also some other details about our style which set us apart from the average woman: We keep an eye on trends, but only take into our wardrobe what we like. We know what flatters our bodies and what will weigh on our financial consciousness. We are creative in how we see ourselves and how we view fashion.

Most of all, though, we know that the line between fashion victim and fashion maven is like the latest fifteen-year old Brazilian model who has never seen - much less worn - 5-inch stilettos: thin and wobbly. The trends of today are the fads that we balk at tomorrow, and vice verce. I say, wear what you like, work what you've got, and to hell with anyone who doesn't get it.

1) Urban Outfitters (.com) There was a time when I refused to shop at Urban Outfitters. They're too expensive, their styles are the regurgitated fashion choices of high school emo hipsters whose school gates are bombarded with fashion-photogs-cum-style-stealers, and they're obnoxious. (I've never understood why people expect me to pay $100+ on a shirt that looks distressed when I can go over to Salvation Army and by a genuinely distressed shirt for less than $10!)

But one day, after having shopped the post-holiday sales with my mom, I decided to go online and see what I was missing. The website called to me like a siren - especially the link that reads "sales."

Dresses, shirts, shoes, the works - they're designer brands and used to be $80, $90, $100, whatever! Now that they're on the web, they're at bargain bin prices, baby. Shop till your fingers drop!

2) Beacon's Closet My good friend, who I'll call "The Man," is one of the only guys I'll deem worthy as a shopping partner. We'll say "hmmm..." and cock our eyebrows at the same shirts, roll eyes at the same jackets, suck our teeth at sequins on men's suede jackets. And he never holds back from telling me when something looks like a train wreck on me.

Still, we disagree on the fundamental foundation of my fashion world: Second-hand shopping. I haven't brought up the topic since the last time it was brought up (circa 1999), but I trust that his view on wearing duds that used to be owned by other studs is still the same: Negative on that, Cowboy.

Maybe he'd change his mind if I brought him over to Beacon's Closet. I've only ever perused the Park Slope locale, and I've been one of those sorry people whose clothes they deem unworthy for buy-back, but hey: Where else can I get a pair of pristine Christian Louboutins for $40? Can't go wrong there!

3) Buffalo Exchange Let me say now and forever that Buffalo Exchange is the bomb diggity. They're not as pretentious and highfalutin' as Beacon's Closet. Oh, no: they're funkier. It's not all about the designer's names here; instead it's all about style. Your style. Personal style.

If Beacon's Closet is where I go when I wanna purchase a designer dud on the cheap, then Buffalo Exchange is where I go when I wanna make an outfit that no one else will have - something that positively wreaks of ME and no other person.

Recently, I went over to their store in the Burg o' Billy and found the cutest cream-colored cotton jersey dress which will be integrated seamlessly into my wardrobe, later picked apart, and recycled into something else that'll be re-integrated seamlessly into my wardrobe. It was $9. I wore it during my errands yesterday with Mom and there were so many heads turnin, you coulda sworn I was on the set of The Exorcist. That's the kind of yumminess you find at Buffalo Exchange.

4) New Designer's Bazaar Okay, so it's been a while since I've been here. Four or five years, to be exact. But the first few times I was there: WHoo-EE! Lemme take it back, y'all:

It was August 2004 (I believe), and Tall Afro, Militant Lesbian, and I were walking through Little Italy after having participated in the Marcus Garvey Parade in Brooklyn. These were the beginning of my non-profit days, and I had spent the day registering voters along the parade route and singing Bob Marley at the top of my lungs (while kicking it to a yummy student from Queens College - amongst others). Our trio was joined by Monkey Comic, who was weening himself off of the nonprofit scene.

So there we were: walking. Now, I can't tell you where we were walking, except to say that we were somewhere near the Broadway-Lafayette stop of the F. But anyway, yeah: we're walking and getting hungry, and out of the corner or my eye I spy a funky little enclave bursting with clothing and apparel. Much to the chagrin of Monkey Comic and Tall Afro, Militant Lesbian and I went in.

Awwweeesssooommme clothes, y'all. Most of em were either refugees from some high-end niche of a store or newly-designed pieces of art whose makers were on the premises, hawking their wares.

Sneaker-heads would love this place, since it had kicks from waaayyy back in the day, in really good condition. Petite princesses would love this place cuz there was a lingerie designer whose hand-crafted bras and panties were easy on the eyes and the wallet (though, sadly, there weren't any undies for the more curvaceous mujeres, like myself). And clothes: I haven't seen this kind of craftsmanship anywhere but the annual Fashion Expo.

I think I'll walk around next Monday and look for this place. I'll put the address up here if I find it.

5) Target Say it with me: "Tar-jay." Yeah, dude, it's French. And what?

Say what you want about big business, but when you're strapped for cash and time, you can get practically anything at Target. This means, of course, that you can find that really cute little black dress that you've been looking for. But the downside is that Sheila, Latisha, and Diana down the street's probably got it, too.

The up (or down?) side of Target these days is that so many designers have mass-produced lines in its aisles. Vera Wang, Isaac Mizrahi, even Steve Madden knock-offs... This spurs the debate over what role fashion has in the life of the layman, and how important it is in the long run - but hey. Ain't nothin' but a thang when you rock the look you're wearing. Who cares who else is rocking it, too? No one else rocks it like you. (MUSIC.)

6) Aqueduct Flea Market Maybe I'm extolling the virtues of this place because I live so damn close to it, but there's nothing more I'd rather do on a lazy, unproductive summer Sunday than peruse its loud, hot lanes of merch.

Most of the stuff its got is either really old or really ubiquitous, but that doesn't mean that it ain't good. I've bought purses and clutches here on the cheap, and whatever un-chic things you say about them are tempered by their lack of availability anywhere else. Now and again, too, you get to meet entrepreneurs-in-the-making who sell their stuff on the cheap cuz all they really wanna do is see someone wearing their fashion.

The fondest memory I have of this place happened when I was seven years old. My mom and I were walking home and decided to go through the Flea Market since it was on our way. Unfortunately, it was closing up and all of the vendors were packing their merch. I can still remember the sound of my mom's voice as she was complaining that she spent two dollars' admission just to see everything carted off.

But lo and behold: There! In that empty space! Where the old white couple from Long Island usually sell fashion jewelry! It's littered with the stuff that probably fell off their counter! And next to it, where that Asian guy usually sells hair accessories: there are headbands, clips and accessories strewn on the cement!

It was a wonderland of freebies!

I wonder if that's still the case today...

7) Salvation Army My bosslady, Amy, talks about her hippie days, when the best-dressed people wore their grandparents' gear. We agree that thrift stores and second-hand shops are truly the way to go when it comes to finding diamonds-in-the-rough (to lift a phrase from Aladdin).

But the name "Salvation Army" still hits a couple of nerves. People hear it and they automatically ask: Don't only poor people "shop" there? Aren't the clothes dirty? Used? Ugly?

I'm here to dispel the stigmas.

With the rate of inflation and the oncoming recession looming on the horizon, we're all working or middle class. That isn't to say that the proud amongst us wouldn't/shouldn't shun the practice of buying things second-hand, but that there should be no bravado when it comes to class. The clothes are inspected before being put on the counter, and they're clean. Sure, they're used, but they're not used up. And ugly? Have you seen the clothes some brands try to pass off as fashion? In a lot of ways and for a lot of reasons, you're less likely to find something completely offensive to your palate at Salvation Army.

8) Liberty Ave/Jamaica Ave I don't know if people in other cities/states refer to places simply as "The Ave," but here in New York, all of us say it. In Queens, the phrase refers to either Liberty or Jamaica.

When I say, "Liberty Ave," what I mean is the stretch of road in Little Guyana, Queens, that roughly extends from Woodhaven till about 130th Street. There are some goldmines in there, including a few shoe stores that have adorable heels, sexy pumps, and everything in between - and not at the exorbitant prices of name brand shoes. (I'm talking less than $40 for a pair of killer heels!) Also, there are a few clothing stores that I swear by, like Knockout.

Knockout is located on the NE corner of Liberty Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard and it's the go-to spot for cheap threads that look more expensive. Think Strawberry's, but cheaper. Back in my JHS days, I would spend $100 here and leave the store with an entire new wardrobe. Of course, now $100 gets me only half a new wardrobe, but it's in the neighborhood, easy on the pocket book, and always has a few great deals.

Jamaica Ave is an obnoxiously loud and busy part of Queens. There's always bumper-to-bumper traffic (which used to be alleviated with the ubiquitous Dollar Vans), and hordes of people shopping in every season and at practically any time, day or night. That said, the experience can be intimidating. You don't get to be zen about things. You can't take your time shuffling about, relaxing. But what you do get is a look at the discount side of 'hood fashion.

You know what I'm talking about: Roca Wear, Baby Phat, Sean John, et al. Marketing folks call it "urban fashion," but it boils down to brown skin tones. Way before rappers, producers, and their wives thought it was cool to sell back to the streets what everyone was already wearing, Jamaica Ave was where you could find the hoodie that LL Cool J rocked in his latest music video - and it remains that way today. That curve-hugging cut-out dress in the window for 15 bucks? In a couple of months, a sweatshop in the Philippines is gonna be recreating it with classier fabrics and stamping Jennifer Lopez's logo on the label.

Get it now, while it's not hot.

9) Flatbush Ave Flatbush, my adopted Ave, how I love thee!

In every borough is a goldmine (or three!) of inexpensive fashion. It takes a good eye to weed through the "blah!" and come up with a "yeah!," but when it happens, the clouds part and a ray of light beams straight at you as angels sing and violins play... Or, at least, that's my experience.

The first time I really paid attention to the burgeoning fashion scene on Flatbush was three years ago, when I joined a bunch of people in walking from Brooklyn College to Manhattan. We walked down Flatbush, and every now and again we stopped at a second-hand furniture store with some gorgeous (and affordable!) antiques, or at a clothing store that had vintage shirts. I couldn't stop oohing and aahing at all the great merch that I'd never noticed before. It was like rummaging through my grandmother's attic - that is, if my grandmother had an attic, she had kept fashions from the 30s and 40s, and she was fashion-forward during WWII.

Closer to Brooklyn College, though, is Canal Jeans & Co. Okay, so technically this isn't on Flatbush, and it might even deserve its own number - but it's close enough to that intersection of Nostrand and Flatbush lovingly called "the Junction," and I wanna stick to my claim of "Top 10 Places to Buy Awesome & Affordable Clothes." The title just doesn't work if you replace the number 10 with the number 11.

There isn't enough praise in the world for Canal Jeans & Co.! Not only does it sell gently-worn second-hand ensembles, but it also has a great assortment of cheap furniture and household necessities, like kitchen ware. Also, it's quiet enough that you don't have to deal with lots of people blocking your way in aisles and rudely bumping into you with their carts.

10) ASIAN STEALS: Main Street & Canal Street An Asian woman can get away with wearing ANYTHING. Maybe it's because so many of the fashionista Asians are tall and slender (or short and slender, LOL), but somehow we just make everything work. Rainbow tights, distressed jean skirt, and a wifebeater? Sure! Black knee-high stockings, purple gaucho pans, and a green T-shirt? Why not? Put it on an Asian woman and watch it work!

I've embraced my Asian-ness of late and I fully relish the Fact of Life that is the perfection of the Asian-woman-fashion-maven; I'm making choices in fashion that I never would've had the balls to make before. With that in mind, let me introduce you to Main Street, Flushing (Queens), and its big brother, Canal Street, Manhattan.

Walking down Main Street (near its intersection with Kissena), or anywhere near the Queens Korean-Town, there are a plethora of shops that cater to the stick-skinny who want to look like they've just walked off a Japanese runway. Sometimes, there are even amazing wardrobe finds tucked away in the back of a grocery store!

But what if you've got some meat on your bones? Canal Street's where it's at. Not only are knock-offs of celebrity fashion choices - and all the one-dollar finds imaginable - to be found on this stretch of street that runs through Tribeca, Chinatown and SoHo, but so are regular-sized versions of the gorgeous Asian gear found in Flushing.

The Making of a Fashionista/Designer

My mom had an old shag coat from the 70s that I've been meaning to take apart, and yesterday, I finally did something about this desire. I cut the sleeves (which were too skinny for my sinewy arms) and made them into bell-shapes. Then I cut off the limp tie at its collar and created cuffs with this fabric. I restitched the shoulders after taking out the shoulder pads, and I started on the lining of the jacket, which will be silky and red. With the remaining fabric, I made a cap, which I'm thinking about embroidering with a butterfly-shaped sequin pattern that I found in my armoire.

My mom also had a 100% polyester dress that's pink with tiny black dots all over it. It's long, has ruffles in the front, and has a very high neck. So far, I've raised the hem of the waist to accentuate my cleavage, and cut the neckline so that it falls off the shouder, creating a flattering décolletage. I think the dress needs something to make it more modern. I'll probably add a felt sash and a matching felt border - both black - around the neckline. (Maybe cotton? Silk? I want the texture of the sash/lining to up the class factor of the dress.) That way, it'll draw attention away from the distraction of the ruffles in front, while maintaining the integrity in the line of the dress. I'm also thinking about putting a slit in the back of the skirt, down the middle.

There are two other dresses that I'm working on, both of them more modern than the jacket/hat ensemble and the pink and black dress. One of the dresses is a black and white number that I bought off of a discount rack maybe four or five years ago. It's made of some cheap stretchy material and is black with white polka dots. The dress has served me well, being something on which to add layers and look young in. However, with my eclectic sense of style burgeoning and my lack of funds painfully obvious, I've wanted to make something new of it. Gucci, D&G and YSL are making see-through fabrics the go-to affair of their spring lines, and since I'm too broke to afford the real deal and I have the means/talent, I figure I'd do something with this dress that reflects that particular motif. I'm going to keep the polka dots on the hem of the dress and the upper half of the bodice, but I'm going to cover the rest of the dress in a barely-there black and white diagonally striped sheath which will up the class AND sass factors, while being more forgiving and affectionate towards my curves. In fact, if I pick the see-through fabric correctly, the dress'll have the curvy-in-the-right-places look of the black and white number Cameron Diaz wore in The Mask.

[NOTE: I tried to find a pic of said black-and-white number, but all I could find was the following.]

The other dress that I'm working on scares the shit out of me because of the challenging nature of the design. It has a nude-colored bodice, and involves draping different barely-there fabrics on it, layer by layer, to achieve a sexy bohemian look. It'll be short, but tasteful and irreverent while also very spring-time worthy. At least, that's my hope.

I've taken inventory of my jackets, coats, scarves, shawls, etc., and my jewelry collection -believe me when I say it's a COLLECTION! I've got rings and things for daaaayys - and I'm happy knowing I can properly cover up and accessorize whatever craziness I create.

The part that I'm really scared/psyched about, though, is actually wearing something I've created. Because it's one thing to be fashion-forward and BUY good taste. It's something entirely different to make something of your own design and wear it out in the world, exclaiming that you've got the go-to goods and/or grand and gorgeous gear. It's a statement, in every regard. The lack of label doesn't immediately hint at how much (or little) money I've spent on buying the clothes, or how much (or little) time I've spent scouring the city for just the right look.

Clothes of my own design speak entirely of the people I've been, the people who have influenced me, the cultures that I've experienced. It's a complete and unadulterated physical view of Me. NOT Calvin Klein, NOT Tom Ford, NOT Betsey Johnson, NOT Abercrombie & Fitch, NOT Guess?, NOT Anna Sui, NOT EVEN THE PEOPLE AT FOREVER 21! Every stitch, every fabric, every collar, every sleeve is a direct indication of something I thought, something I did, something that I am. And wearing that out in public is more revealing than walking down the street naked.