If you're on a budget but refuse to forego quality designer clothes, consignment shops can be your best friend. New to consignment shopping? Janet Falkenthal, owner of the Fashion Exchange, shares tips for a successful consignment shopping experience and ways you can save September 12 to 19 during the grand opening celebration of her Danbury store and 25th anniversary of her Newtown shop.

Located in unique boutique settings where Falkenthal lends her style expertise to shoppers, her stores feature sportswear, work attire and evening wear for women sizes 0 to 1X from top labels like Gucci, Coach, Prada and Ferragamo to Ralph Lauren, Ellen Tracy and Donna Karan. The Fashion Exchange also sells new accessories, purses, hats, scarves, belts, shoes and a costume jewelry collection that Falkenthal buys from designers in New York.

"A consignment shop can offer designer styles at bargain prices, often 50 to 75 percent less than retail," said Janet Falkenthal, owner of the Fashion Exchange. "The idea that consignment equals 'second hand' or 'thrift shop' isn't always the case. Upscale consignment shopping is about the thrill of the hunt. You come for black pants and leave with treasures like a Chanel dress, Prada shoes and an Anne Klein jacket - all in perfect condition and in your size! You paid 75 percent less than at the mall. That's the thrill."

Follow Falkenthal's guidelines for a successful and, more importantly, fun consignment shopping experience:

• If you are searching for work attire, start from the bottom up. First, choose a skirt or pants that fit well, then search for jackets, sweaters and blouses that match.
• Accessorize to complete or change the look. Most consignment shops have great inexpensive scarves, belts, purses, earrings, necklaces and more to enhance an outfit. You can get completely different looks by only changing the scarf, adding a belt and jewelry.
• When you are only going to wear a dress once - for a black tie affair like a wedding - consider consignment. You will find evening wear that has maybe been worn once, and for a great price! Afterward, you can re-sell. "People have dropped off $1,500 gowns at our store that they wore one time, which we sold for a fraction of the cost," said Falkenthal.
• Think of your visit as an adventure. Take time to go through everything. You never know what treasures await you.
• Bring in items from home that need updating. You can create a whole new look for your favorite dress or suit by trying it on at the consignment store with a variety of tops, jackets and accessories. Falkenthal encourages customers to bring items from home so they can see how they look with new pieces.

From September 12 to 19, in celebration of Falkenthal's stores, shoppers get these great deals (on top of the already-great deals they can find!):

• A free gift to the first 25 customers in each Fashion Exchange store on September 12
• Daily drawings in each store for a $25 Fashion Exchange gift certificate
• 50 percent off all jewelry on September 12
• A free gift September 14 to 18 when you spend $50
• Falkenthal also encourages customers to bring in one item of clothing (in season and in style) to donate to Dress for Success. The Fashion Exchange will bring the collected clothing from the week to their local chapter.

Stop by. You may view consignment differently afterward - and walk away with a gorgeous find! The Newtown shop is located at 109 South Main St. The new Danbury location is at 40½ Padanaram Rd.

For more info: Call (203) 270-0354 (Newtown) or (203) 791-9002 (Danbury), or visit thefashionexchangeconsignment.com.

By Rebecca Giantonio

Rebecca Giantonio is an aspiring PR maven and author. While working in the beauty business in New York, she learned that style isn’t bought – it’s created. When not writing, she’s flipping through fashion magazines, testing the latest beauty products or scouring stores for inspiration on ways she can evolve her inner stylista. Rebecca is the "Hartford Woman (no relation to HWO) Style Examiner on Examiner.com - you can read all of her articles there. Articles used on HWO are with the specific consent of Rebecca Giantonio.