• Bio

Brynn McKenry

Brynn McKenry is the host of a syndicated radio show called The Brynn Project designed to help inspire people to feel good from the inside out. Brynn believes that while fashion and beauty are typically what we see on the outside, style also comes from the way we carry ourselves. While trends can vary from person to person, Brynn is constantly looking for new ways to enhance a look.

You probably read the title and were intrigued, but several
thoughts probably popped in your head. 
Were these some of them?:

• “In
  order to keep up with all the latest trends, I need to get to the stores
  right after they hit the runway.”
• “The
  designer brands are better quality”
• “How
  can that be?  All of the good
  clothes are so pricy.”
• “I
  just saw [insert favorite celebrity] wearing it and have to have it”

Well, believe it or not you can wear the same trends as your
favorite celebrity, get the looks from the runway, and go for those designer
brands without spending your whole paycheck in one shopping spree.

Alright, are you looking at the computer screen even more
confused now?

I stand by that statement. 
The reason why is because of consignment shopping.  No, I’m not talking about those stores that
take just any old thing you want to get rid of, but there are many stores out
there that will buy your old clothes and in choosing their stock they base what
they buy off of if it’s:

• Stylish
• Only a
  couple years old
• Not
  over worn or too well loved
• Properly
  laundered

Yes, I will admit I work for one of these stores which is
why I’m not using the names of any of these types of stores.  I can also tell you that if you give yourself
time shopping around one of these consignment or resale boutiques you will come
up with some high-end deal.  I’ve bought
brands like BCBG Max Azria, Lilly Pulitzer, and Alice + Olivia for less that
$20 bucks each.

So yes, the designer brands might be better quality than
some of the cheaper store brands we go to as a fall back, but that doesn’t mean
that you have to spend full price on these items either.

As far as the current trends are concerned, that’s another
focus these stores pride in when they are searching through your old
clothes.  They may not take those old
tracksuits that you loved bumming around the house in, but they are searching
for the hottest trends like skinny jeans, rompers, and even ways to color
block.

By consignment stores’ fashion guidelines alone, you can
guarantee that you’re paying at least 70% less than the original price for
high-end, high quality clothing.

Also, some of these stores will carry designer purses.  Now, are you looking questionably at the
computer screen again?  My thoughts are
that you’re asking “how do you know that they are real and not fake”.

Here’s how I know. 
There is special training and certain aspects to look for when it comes
to deciphering a real designer purse vs. a fake one (maybe those rules will
show up in a later post).  The pressure
is on the employees of each of these consignment and resale shops even more,
because for a person to sell a fake/knock-off designer purse to a commercial
venue it is around a $7,000 fine for both the store and the person who sold the
fake.

Does that make you feel better when you walk into a
consignment shop and see a discounted Coach or Prada bag?

So, don’t write off the consignment and resale shops because
they are taking in clothes that were technically preowned, because they make
sure it is the best of the best and the most stylish and trendy to sell to you.

HAPPY SHOPPING!