24/Savvy Fashion

If you love the thrill of the couture chase on eBay or are looking for ways to earn money from those stylish pieces you no longer wear, RUN, don't walk to StyleRecovery.com, a savvy new site dedicated to buying and selling new or gently used high-end fashion at prices that are gentler on your wallet.

Savvy readers who enjoyed getting their hands dirty with Mark Montano's Big Ass Book of Crafts 1...are you sitting down? We are giving away one copy of the uber-successful follow-up volume along with a craft starter kit created especially for YOU!!!  To enter the contest, follow the instructions at the bottom of our interview with Mr. Montano, in which we get the dish on where our fave crafter gets his savvalicious ideas.

***UPDATE 11/18/11: THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.  Congratulations to our winners MOLLY3 (1st Prize) and HOLLY S (2nd Prize).  Thank you all for participating!!!***

As a walking gal in NYC, my petite feet require fashion and function as I trot from one hot spot to the next. When the shoe market comes around, I work as a shoe model for various companies like Skechers, IMPO, Rampage, Rebels, Kitson, Journey, Enigma, etc. Working for these companies has given me some interesting insight into the shoe market and the female buyer’s mind.

For example, 40% more women bought a simple black ballet flat when it had a herringbone patterned insert, as opposed to a plain black insole, a feature that can’t be seen when actually wearing the shoe. Shoe experts discuss every detail to catch your eye and win your hard earned cashola.

Trading clothes, accessories and shoes amongst friends is a creative way to save money and extend your collective wardrobes, but establishing rules and regs to make sure you all remain friends is another matter.  We sat down with 24/Savvy Founder, Valerie Donati, an arbiter of taste, style, and etiquette (Hi Val!), who happens to own one of the most desirable closets of clothes we've ever laid eyes on.

Always exquisitely attired, Valerie is not so much of a buyer, but rather a curator of clothes, supporting young designers and artisans by acquiring creative, one-of-a-kind pieces.  Which brings us back to lending.  Guess how often friends ask to borrow an item or two?  A lot.  Any time a friend needs to make a big impression—a wedding, interview, date, high school reunion, you name it...Valerie's phone rings.  After years of lending clothes to friends, she's developed a few hard and fast rules for keeping the lending and returning process neat, clean and easy.