It seems as though the “in” thing for celebrities to do these days is to start their own fashion line. Movie stars are designing clothes and clothing designers are creating lower priced lines that sell in common department stores like Target and Kohls. Fashion is quickly becoming something that everyone can afford. But even moderately priced clothing can be too much for those who have families and are working to keep their heads above water. In recent years, these factors have come together to spawn closeout stores that offer new, fashionable clothing at greatly reduced prices. But how do you know which store to go to for great prices and good quality clothing? And how can you save even more over their everyday discounted prices? Marshall’s, Ross, Burlington Coat Factory, and TJ Maxx all offer discounts and great fashions, household goods, lingerie, shoes, and handbags, but which are the best when you’re looking for kid’s clothes or business clothing? Here, I will compare these four clothing discount stores that are in and around the Tampa Bay, Florida area and tell you how to save.
If you’re looking for nice, everyday fashions, nearly any of these four stores will do. Marshall’s, Ross, Burlington Coat Factory, and TJ Maxx all carry fashions from popular designers whose clothing is usually found in upscale department stores. Calvin Klein, DKNY, Liz Claiborne, and Jones New York are just some of the popular brands that are found marked down to fractions of their original cost. But if you’re looking for men’s formal wear, Burlington Coat Factory can’t be beat. When my son started attending high school homecoming dances and proms, I found it was much cheaper to buy him a tux from Burlington Coat Factory for $119.00 than to rent one for each dance he attended throughout the four years he was in high school. The tux I bought was not a well-known brand, so it was one of the least expensive. For those who want a little more style, higher-priced designer tuxedos are available as well. Burlington Coat Factory also carries a very nice line of tuxedo and other formal men’s shirts, cuff links, dress socks, bow ties, and regular men’s ties. Men’s shoes are sometimes hit-or-miss, but most often Burlington Coat Factory is the place to go for those as well.
For men’s regular dress clothes such as polos and dress shirts, Marshall’s and TJ Maxx can’t be beat. They both have an extensive selection of colors and styles. They also have the best selection of dress pants. For suits, Burlington Coat Factory, again, is the best place to look.
For women who have a designer handbag fetish but don’t have the checkbook to support their habit, TJ Maxx and Marshall’s both are worth a look. Though supplies vary, both of these stores generally carry a nice selection of Liz Claiborne, Dooney & Bourke, Tommy Hilfiger, Louis Vuitton, several Italian and Parisian designers, and many others as well. These bags are usually on sale for about half off of the upscale department store’s price. Anyone who loves designer bags should check out these stores; you don’t have to worry about fakes like you would if you bought the bag off the streets or from eBay.
Moms are always looking for great deals on kid’s clothing. Two of my favorite stores to shop for my kids are Ross and Burlington Coat Factory. These stores are a must for back-to-school shopping, and are often the only ones where I need to shop. They both have a great selection of the latest styles and brands – clothes that my kids are more than happy to wear to school.
For women’s professional wear, Marshall’s and Ross both have a great selection of women’s suits at great prices. They have both designer and generic brands of suits that are stylish, colorful, and look great on everyone. They also carry a large selection of dressy separates as well, but you can also add Burlington Coat Factory to the list in this category.
If you’re looking for linens and towels, TJ Maxx and Marshall’s are the places to look. In addition to great designer sheets, towels, and other linens, these stores have a nice selection of decorative things for your bathroom as well. There are usually many styles of these items on clearance sale all the time as they rotate their stock. Check the clearance racks before moving on to the regularly priced items if you really want to save.
Burlington Coat Factory has an unbeatable baby department. They have baby clothes, furniture, car seats, and nearly anything else you can think of that you need for your baby. New moms can even register for baby shower gifts through Burlington Coat Factory’s baby department.
If you’re looking for decorative items for the home, Marshall’s, Ross, Burlington Coat Factory, and TJ Maxx all have a nice selection of items. Most of the items are similar in style to what you would find at Pier 1. Again in this department, there is usually an ongoing clearance section of items that are being rotated.
Ross and TJ Maxx both have a relatively extensive selection of fine jewelry. They have gold, diamonds, sterling silver, gemstones, and even children’s jewelry. You’ll find great discounts on all these items, so gift-giving is a cinch. My son bought his girlfriend a nice 14-karat gold, diamond heart necklace for around $50. She loved it, and had no idea that he didn’t pay full retail price for it.
Closeout department stores such as Marshall’s, Ross, Burlington Coat Factory, and TJ Maxx are great places to shop for those of us on a budget. While most of the items were “last year’s” styles, they are still in style and can provide you with a fresh style to your wardrobe, yet no one will know you didn’t pay full price!
