By Erica and Karen

We love consignment stores. Though many people with whom we worked must have thought we spent our entire paycheck on clothes, the truth is that we spent many Sunday afternoons at searching for treasures in unlikely places. We didn't talk about them much when we were working, and there really weren't too many at the beginning. There are many more now, and we now know that consignment stores are the secret sources of pleasure for well-dressed women of all professions and budgets. 

You would be amazed at the clothes, bags and even shoes that are consigned. Hint: Our favorite fashionista regularly delivers her most fantastic barely worn rejects to a shop in DC. Some are brand new, with the original labels and prices still on. No longer fit? Never did? Change of heart past the return date? Others have the patina of the gently worn by women who take great care with their clothes but have the discipline or the need to purge before moving on. Still others are brand new designer clothes left-over from a current or past season. One never knows what one will find. The treasure hunt is at least half the fun.

Some of our favorites are:

• Roundabout. Whether in Connecticut (Westport, Greenwich) or NYC (Madison Avenue/84th and 72nd Street are favorites but we hear downtown is pretty fabulous too)

• Michael’s

• Collette

• INA