Back to school: Look cool for cheap
Hey you! Don't be a dork!
The biggest mistake when getting ready for school, be it first grade or grad school, is looking like you tried too hard. Back-to-school style should be effortless and, in a recession, it should be cheap. Here are a few Deal Diva tips and sales.
• Don't fear "used." Consignment shops offer gently worn items in styles that don't look like Grandma's knitting. Find name brands like Gap, Express, Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch and Bebe for a slice of the original price at Plato's Closet (Carrollwood, South Tampa, Palm Harbor, Largo, Brandon), and Off the Rack (Largo). While you're there, trade in your old, clean clothes for cash.
• Thrift stores are full of cool stuff, and you can even call some of it "vintage.'' Instead of paying $30 at the mall for a chintzy, distressed T-shirt that looks like it was born in the '80s, pick up the real thing at the Salvation Army or Goodwill (please, PLEASE, just wash first - your teacher will thank you). A new Goodwill superstore just opened at 3365 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg. When people ask where it's from, tell them — you'll sound hip and ironic.
• Check off-price retailers such as TJ Maxx and Ross for school staples. You can find new backpacks and sneakers for half the price of what you find at the mall. You'll also spot fun stuff, like ceramic roosters and hot cocoa mix. A fun day for the whole fam!
• Tax free week is DOA this year, but you wouldn't know it at JCPenney. Get a discount equal to the sales tax through Monday.
• Need uniform pieces for the mini-people? Sears is knocking 40 percent off Dockers khakis and white polos for kids through Aug. 15.
• At Payless, certain shoe styles are 40 percent off through Aug. 18. Train your eye to scour Payless shelves for discount tags sticking off boxes. In Florida, we can wear summer clearance stuff all year. And for $7, who cares if neon tangerine wedges go with only one outfit?
• Now at American Eagle, get up to $15 off jeans. Some already appear well-worn, so you get the look without the laundry duty of hardcore thrift shopping.
~ Deal Diva Stephanie
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Katie Sanders foolishly spurned pretty dresses and shoes as a child, tossing new clothes over her shoulder at birthday parties with a totally rude "no, thank you." Her drab days of monocolor outfits are over now, and she certainly knows better than to turn down free stuff. Her wardrobe mixes classic with quirk. Think blazers with statement necklaces, and lots of patterned ballet flats. She can be reached at 850) 224-7263 or 
Kameel Stanley has never encountered a thrift store she didn’t like. Her mother taught her that the true value of clothes isn’t how much they cost, but how many outfits one can create from them. Having grown up in Michigan, she was delighted to learn upon moving to Florida that she almost never needed to wear socks or boots again. There’s a lot of turnover in her closet, and she’s obsessed with dresses, necklaces and wedge heels. She can be reached at (727) 893-8643 or 
A disciple of the little black dress classics school, Letitia Stein stretches her budget by looking for styles with staying power. She lives for 80 percent off shoes at DSW, floral sundresses and bohemian chic tops. She confesses to being a bit of a snob when it comes to handbags and jewelry. She can be reached at (813) 226-3400 or 
From camo pants and construction boots to sundresses, sweaters and sling backs, Keyonna Summers knows how to make all of it rock -- at rock bottom prices. A Detroit native, Keyonna delves into her urban roots to find fashion pairings that give a nod to street fashion while maintaining the class of the modern, professional woman. She believes in searching for affordable clothes that look expensive and can easily be dressed up or down. You won't find plaid shirts or fleece jackets in her closet; the only hiking Keyonna does is to the bargain basement. She can be reached at (727) 445-4153 or 
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