What's in Store

If you could only purchase one new item for spring, buy a dress. Women can look put together in a snap by donning a dress for any occasion, whether it be for work, a night out, or an outing with the kids. Designers are serving up dresses in a wide variety of fabrics and cuts to suit any event. Flowing, billowy trapeze and high-waisted styles flatter most body types and can easily become a new outfit by layering on a light coat or cropped jacket and going from heels to flats. Look for more budget-friendly labels from the top designers, such as Michael by Michael Kors, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Charles by Charles David. They are often priced close to 30 percent less than their signature labels, and are quality designs in the same spirit as the flagship line. In fact, top designers have created more accessible lines at discount retailers such as Isaac Mizrahi and Proenza Schouler both of whom design lines for Target. Another trick to find great deals for spring trends is to comparison shop at sites like Shopping.com that list millions of products from thousands of online stores. Some of these stores (such as SmartBargains, BlueFly, eLuxury, FashionChateau and ShopBop) have quality apparel, accessory and jewelry items in all shapes and styles for a fraction of the prices you’ll see from designer labels.

Check out the Navy Charmeuse Dot Print Dress by As U Wish. It’s available on Shopping.com from the merchant SmartBargains for only $29.99 and can be an absolute staple for your spring wardrobe. eBay is also a great place to find designer apparel, shoes and accessories.