Between living in the heart of the Midwest, my health and my budget online shopping has become my Rodeo Drive but without the Gucci.  The girls will show me a look they like and within an hour I can find them an equivalent look for a lot less.  Knowing where to go to find what I need to fit my budget without giving up quality.  As we get older the quality of clothes we wear becomes more important.  Here is how I look at it, we are more sophisticated and we need things that fit our sophistication, wink wink.

Everyday Pieces:

J. Crew it's a store we all know is a great place to pick up quality items but their best deals are found online.  They have more options from product to sizes and the sales are really amazing allowing you to build a new wardrobe without going broke. J. Crew is great for classic pieces that will last for years to come. I have been a huge fan of J. Crew for decades and this is why; you buy a black suit this year and something happens or you need to add to the look but matching black is not as easy as it sounds so you have to rebuy the entire suit if you picked it up from Nordstrom.  I have learned that I can add to my suit or replace one of the pieces and be able to match the black.  When you are on a budget you have to buy piece by piece so get the jacket and pants today later add a skirt, dress maybe a cropped pant.  Sign up for emails to get the latest sale offer, typically an extra 30% to 50% off sale items and they have those sales often.

Zara its a fairly well known ecommerse site out of Spain that has broken into American retail by opening stores in cities with a larger market.  Prices are great but the quality can be dicey so read the description and what fabric that it is made of.  They carry a mix of minimalist, classic pieces to hyper trendy but at the price if you only get one year out of it you won't be too upset about it. They gained popularity as off duty models were photographed wearing items they grabbed from this ecommerce.

COS Stores is an H&M company, I absolutely love this ecommerce store.  They rely on cut and fabric to give their pieces that edge you expect from true minimalist fashion. They use technical, unusual fabrics that gives them a modern, futuristic look. They also carry some more trendier pieces in brighter colors than the standard neutrals.  The prices are great and they have massive end of season sales taking up to 70% off. 

James Perse of course I love this line for a more casual lifestyle that not only look great but are also very comfortable. This ecommerce site focuses on clean, earth shades, simple and classic style that will become your go to quickly. They do have great sales but they are strictly end of season sales so don't expect to see any sale items if it is the beginning of a new season. I typically purchase certain items in every color because I know I will love it, especially the tee's and skirts.  You can pick up James Perse at several high end stores like Nordstrom but I still prefer going to their site directly to get a larger selections.  Sign up for emails because you don't want to miss their sale!

Steven Alan is a bit on the pricier side with a good selection of minimalist but a bit more trendy to just trendy.  They carry clothes from Acne Studios to Creatures of Comfort to Marrant they have good sales but even on sale they are bit pricier than the other stores on this list.  If you are looking for a special occasion piece or a signature item you should check them out. Again mixing one trendy, high fashion piece with classic items is more chic than head to toe designer.

YOOX carries mainly luxury lines but don't let that scare you the sales are beyond! You can pick up a great piece from Rick Owens to Thakoon for a fraction of full retail price but like all sales make sure it is not overly trendy and either already over with or  quickly becoming yesterdays fashion.  Rick Owens is one of my favorite designers for minimalist fashion but out of my price range these day so I was thrilled when I found this ecommerce site their sales make it possible for me to pick a few pieces from his line.

The Real Real is a consignment ecommerse store that carries everything from Channel to YSL.  People buy clothes, shoes and accessories that may never get worn or only worn a few times so why not buy used?  If you have an issue with buying something used, get over it!  Parisian women wear used clothes whether bought at a resale shop or passed down from their grandmothers closet and no one will know unless you tell them.  Personally I don't think buying a classic tweed Channel jacket for under 700.00 is anything to be embarrassed about. You can pick up a Prada bag for under 300.00 and other designer pieces as low as 35.00.

Rent The Runway honestly every prom, wedding or other event you need something special this is the only way to go.  Let's face it you never wear it again so it doesn't make any sense to invest too much money.  You can rent a current designer gown for 75.00 to 300.00 for a 4 day rental, they also have longer rental agreements if you will be out of town.  They will send you 2 sizes so no need to worry about it not fitting and the reviews with pictures of other customers really take the fear out renting.  They also rent jewelry and bags to round out your look.

As I get older I realize style is more important than fashion not only does it look more sophisticated but it also reads to other people that you have more substance.  One great black cashmere sweater is better than 5 cheaper sweaters in different colors.  It's about building a great wardrobe by adding high quality items over time instead of settling for less so you can buy more. If you are just starting out in your adult life I strongly recommend you do some research on the 10 piece essential wardrobe and the capsule wardrobe both being very Parisian.