Pricey-Looking Accessories For Less
You don't have to spend top-dollar to get fashion accessories that look top-of-the-line.
On "The Early Show" Thursday, consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen hosted a mini-fashion show with some models wearing or carrying shoes, purses and necklaces from chic retailers, and others with strikingly similar-looking accessories bought at resale shops or from resale Web sites. Co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez had trouble telling the difference and, in some cases, expressed a preference for the less expensive items!
Koeppen also offered a word of advice to anyone regularly using second-hand shops: Get to know the workers there, so they'll alert you in advance when new offerings are coming in.
The products Koeppen used to make her point:
Shoes
The style: colors. Bright colors are it this season.
Retail holiday shoes: Badgley Mischka, $200
Resale holiday shoes: eBay, $55
Purses
The style: lots of hardware, metallic. Layers.
Retail holiday purse: Coach, $248
Resale holiday purse: eBay, $100
Necklaces
The style: pearls -- layers and layers of everything.
Retail holiday necklace: Club Monaco, $190
Resale holiday necklace: Good Will: Screaming Mimi's, $75
"The Early Show" thanks J Crew for dresses worn by the models, Club Monaco for various accessories, and Coach for donating purses.