Clothes Mentor West Chester #FashionFriday

Today I'm linking up with Fashion Friday. Check out all the posts for more Fall Fashion inspiration!

I used to have many excuses as to why I couldn't (or wouldn't) update my wardrobe.

"I don't know enough about what's 'in' right now!"
"I need to lose the baby weight!"
"It's EXPENSIVE! I can't afford it!"

Thanks to the schooling I received last year by my favorite fashion-forward bloggy friends, I have enough of an "education" to safely shop without embarrassing myself. I've worked hard along my Journey to Healthified, and feel more confident (and proud) in my own skin. 

But my money situation?

This has so not changed. 

Luckily, I'm on a mission to find good style on a budget. I'm trying to work with the pieces already in my closet while carefully scouting a few frugally-priced (but trendy) items to add some new life to the exisiting collection.

The last two weeks I shared about Artifact Boutique, a super cute and hip boutique in downtown West Chester. Their stock is updated weekly, and nothing in the store if over $60. A great way to find a few pieces for your wardrobe without breaking the bank!

This week, I'm going to share with you another AMAZING shop that is my new love. Why? Because not only can you save money there, but you can MAKE money there as well!

Intrigued?

Meet Clothes Mentor, "an upscale resale store that offers cash-on-the-sport for gently used items." This is not your typical consignment shop.  Clothes Mentor specializes in high-end brands (they will not buy or sell anything that is more than 2 years old), and you cany that at a fraction of their original costs.

Think Plato's Closet, but for non-tweens the size of your pinkie finger.


I had a chance to browse the store during a media event they held a few weeks ago. I wasn't able to stay long, so I came back the next day to spend a little more time peeking around the store. I was amazed by a few things:

How HUGE the store was. 

So. Many. Clothes.

How CUTE the clothes were.

SO CUTE, right?

It wasn't like there were one or two things I thought were "nice." There were racks full of clothes I wanted to buy and had difficulty narrowing down my purchase options. Check out the AWESOME outfits I was able to piece together for under $40!

How ATTENTIVE the employees were

The main focus of all Clothes Mentor associates is YOU. They learn your name, they constantly check in on you, they work with you to find the right fit and style for you. It felt like a personal styling session that I got for free. True Story.

They were prepared for KIDS.

The perfect little distraction

It is rare I get to go shopping without the kiddos. When I went back the next day, I had Bug with me. And I was so so so happy to find that there was a cute little kids table all set up with toys and books right near the dressing rooms. During the few moments I was checking the clothes out, associates were kindly interacting with my daughter. I didn't feel bad for having her, and they treated her (and me) with respect. Instead of disdain, as many stores do to moms nowadays.

The OWNER is a MOM.

Perhaps this is why the store is kid-friendly. I had a chance to meet, Chris, the owner of this particular location of Clothes Mentor. She is a long-time resident of the area, and often has her daughter in tow. I love supporting local businesses, but supporting local business moms is even better!

How BUSY it was.

I walked in 15 minutes after Clothes Mentor opened, and the floor was already buzzing with customers. I was very surprised to find that many people shopping on a Friday morning. And throughout my visit, more kept coming!

I couldn't even handle this dress. LOVED IT.

The PRICES.

You cannot beat the prices. The clothes are as close to as-new condition as possible (some with tags on!), all with notable brand names. And the prices were truly a fraction of the store cost.

I actually walked away with 4 items (quite unexpectedly) to add to my wardrobe. I'll share my new outfits with you next week (so check back!) and you'll be amazed at how much I spent!

Can we say "ACCESSORIES?"

Another great aspect about Clothes Mentor that I want to touch on:

Retail Therapy Parties.

This is a shopping GNO that you can plan for you and your girlfriends. There is no fee to do this, and your party would have full access to the store to shop and chat. They have a conference room in the back, so and they allow you to bring food and drink so that you can shop. Then rest. Then shop some more.Then sneak a little snack. Then shop, Then...

Well...you get the idea.

Check back NEXT Friday to see the Fall Fashion outfits I found at Clothes Mentor. I promise you'll be inspired to shop and add to your wardrobe - without feeling bad because it's all frugal!



Until then, you connect with Clothes Mentor West Chester:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram


Not local to me? Not a problem!  Clothes Mentor has locations scattered around the country. See if there is a location near you!

How do you shop frugally for clothes?

Disclosure: I was invited to a media event and in my swag bag was a gift certificate. There was no other compensation and it was my choice to write this review.  I fell in love with the store - all opinions are my own!