Finding Clothes on the Cheap

Picture this...

It's New Year's Eve Eve, and you're asked to go to a NYE party in downtown LA the following night. The catch? It's a neon NYE party. Yep, neon. If you're anything like me, you haven't had an article of neon clothing in your closet since the fluorescent pink and green windbreaker and matching pink pants your mom bought you in the third grade.

So where do you go to find neon clothing in this day and age? Hipster Mecca!  American Apparel, duh. Where else?

Luckily, I live in Los Angeles, the home of American Apparel, so there were plenty of stores for me to choose from when I was presented with the task of finding a neon outfit. While there are many American Apparel stores closer to my apartment, I chose to head to the factory store downtown. This location has the same selection, if not a better one, than their other stores around town--and most of the merchandise is discounted because it's slightly irregular. So instead of spending a small fortune on fluorescent clothing that I'll never wear again, I got some great deals and spent much less that I would have otherwise.

There's a moral to this story, kiddies. Shop at factory stores and outlets. Not only are these stores great for finding random stuff for events like neon NYE parties, but you can find great additions to your everyday wardrobe for significantly less than you'd pay at a regular retailer.

To find outlet stores or factory stores in your area, use OutletBound.com to search for stores by location, store name, brand name, or by category. You can also just type in "American Apparel factory store" (or whatever store name you're looking for) into Google, and you should find some helpful results there.

Happy outlet shopping, folks!