I just discovered a new site called File on Style, which offers some decent discounts on Australian designer fashion.

The e-boutique has some older styles from brands such as Piper Lane, Hussy, Bless’ed are the Meek and Natasha Gan.

I’m desperately short of knitwear and warm clothes as we head into another winter, so I’m leaning towards this Sweet Sensations cardigan from Piper Lane.

It’s marked down to $84 and would be perfect for layering right through until spring.

By Caroline Warnes

Local shopping site Eight Thirteen is having a decent clearance sale, with savings of up to 70% on Australian designer labels such as Hussy, Natasha Gan and Bless’ed are the Meek.

But wait, there’s more: use the code SUMMERLOVE at the checkout and you’ll get an extra 30% off your purchase - even if it’s already on sale.

Some of these prices are very, very cheap and it mainly seems to be for the pieces from older collections, but if you don’t mind that, you should find a bargain.

I lingered for a while over the Bless’ed are the Meek bound corset top, which would only cost $24.50 (plus shipping) if you use the discount code. That’s very heavily reduced from its original $100 retail price.

Then I reminded myself that I don’t really need another short-sleeved top going into autumn so I managed to talk myself out of it.

By Caroline Warnes

This one is coming a little bit late for New Year’s Eve parties, but you should keep it in mind if you have any events coming up in the new year.

A few of us here in the Lasoo office recently discovered online designer dress hire site Dressed Up, which lets you hire party dresses from some of Australia’s top designers for a fraction of their retail price.

I know I said in the past that hiring designer bags and shoes has a little bit of the bogans about it, I think hiring designer dresses for an event makes perfect economic sense. When I buy a special dress for an event, I always tend to wear it only a few times before it outlives its usefulness - whether I’ve paid $500 or $50 for it. Bags and shoes on the other hand are meant to be used on a weekly if not daily basis, so hiring them does NOT make sense. It’s the old cost-per-wear ratio.

Anyhow, Dressed Up has dresses from the likes of Wayne Cooper, Nicola Finetti, Camilla, Illionaire, Manning Cartell, Natasha Gan and more. The frock is delivered to you in a cute little package, you get to keep it for a week then you send it back in the supplied satchel.

Plus you can buy some of the “gently worn” hire dresses once they’re retired from the site’s rotation. If you’re lucky you’ll find something that’s never been worn at all, but is still reduced to clear. I’ve been eyeing off this Camilla Riviera dress and plan to buy it if it drops in price any further.

By Caroline Warnes

I discovered a new website called My Clothes Horse this morning and I am blown away.

It sells end-of-line clothing and accessories from some of Australia’s top designers, including Wayne Cooper, Natasha Gan, Ginger & Smart, Fleur Wood, Charlie Brown… the list goes on. It’s basically like one big factory sale, but with all designers included at once and without having to trek out to some industrial area to visit it.

Honestly, there are some amazing bargains here. Pictured here is the Ginger & Smart long cardi in grey, down to $129 from $310 (great for the cool autumn weather).

But, if you can possibly think ahead to warmer weather way down the track and want to snap up a real bargain for then, some of the summer tops are right down to around the $50 mark, like this cami from Fleur Wood which is down to $54 from $159.

Plus, I read on Missy Confidential that if you email the site, you will receive a $20 store credit.

By Caroline Warnes