Secondhand Chic: Finding Fabulous Fashion at Consignment, Vintage, and Thrift Shops

Fun, funky, and fabulous, this is the first personal buying guide to help you get in on the resale craze that is sweeping America.

Would you like to find a mint-condition Yves St. Laurent jacket for $25...a brand-new, pleated wool skirt still bearing the original $40 price tag, for $7...a genuine Dior suit for $75? Now you can! In SECONDHAND CHIC you'll discover where to look, what to look for, and how to buy quality. In fact, you'll get all the secrets of spotting a valuable bargain so you can shop brilliantly whether you're in a consignment, thrift, or vintage store. Expert shopper Christa Weil shares the insider information that will help you buy the best clothes you've ever owned...at a fraction of the retail cost.

Learn about:

-- Spotting quality -- which you will know immediately from buttons, pockets, seams, and fabric

-- Labels...big names, department store brands, exquisite foreign lines -- and fakes!

-- Finding your size when there are no labels or tags

-- Flaws you can fix and the ones you can't -- from wrong lengths and wrinkles to stains and shininess

-- Unearthing handmade shoes, silk scarves, name jewelry, and other elegant accessories

-- Buying what you really need -- and caring for the clothes you've got

-- The styles that make your body look best

From domestic to international stores, from New York to London, from Memphis to Paris -- no matter where you buy, you can buy secondhand chic.