Thrift is defined in the dictionary as wise economy in the management of money and other resources or frugality, something we’ve all had to
learn in recent times, whether we like it or not. But is it really possible to get glamorous formal style outfits on a shoestring After couple of unexpected invitations landed on my post mat in recent days, I was determined to find out, and with a minute bank balance, splurges were just not an option. The challenge, a formidable one, was to find six pre-loved (a nicer secondhand) outfits under &euro50 for a wedding, a trip to the races or the formal graduation or ball. Here’s how I got on my very first mission as a wannabe stylist and thrifty shopper. A Swap Shop With A Difference First stop on the bargain tour is L’Echange, (the French for exchange) in Irishtown, a relatively new swap shop to Athlone providing a myriad of formal dresses for grads, casual wear, evening wear, along with accessories and bags. Apart from shoes, it is really is a one-stop shop for the recessionista who is looking for quality fashion at a low price. What photographer Ann Hennessy – who came along to document the adventure pictorially – and I discovered was a bright, bustling shop with plenty of customers perusing a massive range of clothes, from the Warehouse tunic to the designer grad dress in a huge range of sizes, all at recessional friendly prices. The way it works is that you leave in clean, good quality branded clothes to the shop and if they deem them saleable, you agree a price and if sold, you get 50%! With so much to choose from I really could have selected several show stoppers in L’Echange but after a quick browse I settled on two possible outfits, a little different than my style, figuring if I’m in a swap shop I might as well plump for something a bit unusual or try different colours.
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