Cheap Chic

"Whenever or wherever I go, my eyes are always peeled for thrift stores or junky little shops," says Sue Crichton, a recent University of Tennessee graduate.

Crichton and her friend, Greg Crone, also a recent UT graduate, have each been shopping at thrift markets since high school.

"At first, I went out of curiosity," Crone says. "Then I started finding really good buys." He mentions buys like 75 cents to a dollar for cotton, button-down shirts and a dollar or two for pants.

And Crichton stocks her closet regularly with shirts for less than a dollar, wool tweed blazers for less than $2, or winter coats for $4 each.

"I usually go once a week on the way to work," says Crone. "You should hit the stores as frequently as possible to get the good stuff."

And Crichton says the "good stuff" is usually in fine condition. Washing and an occasional mending bring them back to life. "I bought most of these clothes five or six years ago, and they hold up better than my newer things," she adds.

After Crichton and Crone peruse the clothing, they turn to the kitchenware and small furnishings and find the prices just as agreeable as those for the thrift store shirts on their backs.