Supercool high-street shopper

Designers Tanya Carlson (left) and Adrian Hailwood

Once it would have been a fashion crime so terrible that the culprit would have been whipped with wet stockings and forced to report to their personal stylist every day until they'd mended their uncool ways.

But now it's become a mark of fashion savvy, a sign that you're up with the trends and also know how to spot a bargain 50 racks away.

Far from being something to be ashamed of, obtaining your fashion items at a discount department store or supermarket - and there they are, just between the baked beans and the cheap chocolates - has become something to boast about.

Although the clothes stocked at our own discount department stores - such as The Warehouse, K-Mart and the Number 1 Shoe Warehouse - are not the designer-inspired outfits that can be found in British supermarkets - it can only be a matter of time, because this trend comes courtesy of the increasingly and surprisingly style-conscious British versions of Foodtown and Woolworths.

In Britain it's possible to chuck a pencil-skirt, handbag, even a pretty glam party dress into your trolley as the kids make a beeline for the sweets.

And it's a popular thing to do. This became clear after the outrageous popularity of one particular dress during the last European summer. French label Chloe made it, pop tart Kylie Minogue wore it, and supermarket Tesco made something for its own shelves that bore more than a passing resemblance - except that Kylie's dress cost her £1400 ($4200) and the Tesco version £45 ($135).

The cunning Tesco version sold out nationwide in two weeks and British Marie Claire magazine named the garment a must-have, then dress of the year.

Word has it that the Tesco dress can still occasionally be bought at online auction for £100, if you're lucky.

No wonder Tesco is the fastest-growing clothing business in Britain. Yes, a supermarket.

In New Zealand, putting together a designer look at discounted prices simply by doing a quick twirl through the changing-rooms at the Warehouse Extra in Sylvia Park - just after you've grabbed a few groceries - isn't that easy.

Our discount department stores are not runway-conscious like their overseas counterparts, but they're certainly trying.

Their buyers operate the same way as those from major fashion chains like Glassons, going overseas several times a year to pick up items or trends they can recreate in New Zealand.

"There's been an increased emphasis on fashion," says Cynthia Church from The Warehouse. "We sell inexpensive basics as well as the latest fashion, but we are now more interested in selling a whole look rather than just one item."

To do this, there will be different ways of displaying garments at The Warehouse - a mannequin will be used to sell "a fashion look", complete with accessories, rather than just having shirts hanging on racks.

K-Mart planning manager Damian Lucia says: "We used to be very basics-driven, even a little bit daggy. Our big challenge now is to break into that trendier sort of market but in a commercial sort of way."

Their latest, from the Girl Express label, is a version of high fashion for teenagers and young women.

"Because the junior customer is where the disposable income is," Lucia says. "We also have to move with the market and the market is all about fast or throwaway fashion, the kinds of things that are so cheap you can wear them once on Saturday night and then leave them in the washing basket forever.

"People dress that way these days. You might have a pair of $300 jeans on but you also know there's no harm in coming to K-Mart and getting a really cheap top.

"And you can bet that anyone who can get a bargain like that will be talking about it."

He's right. Who hasn't envied the colleague who turns up looking fantastic in a top that cost less than $20?

Sure, there are ethical issues to consider. Are we supporting sweatshop labour? Should we buy designer rip-offs? Is fast fashion an environmentally sound proposition?

The answers are: possibly, probably not (especially if they're local designers) and definitely not.

However, although there's already some backlash against fast fashion from consumer sectors and top design houses (in Britain, Monsoon is suing one chain over what they say is a copied bikini), it does seem supermarket clothes are here to stay.

At the very least it's likely that supermarket fashion could radically alter the way shoppers think about clothing purchases in general.

As one British retail researcher says: "They're looking at the low price-tags and asking themselves why they're being asked to pay double or triple for a T-shirt in a designer store."

The supermarkets themselves have been overheard boasting that they're "creating a fashion democracy".

Then you have celebrities such as Kate Moss and Sienna Miller who are not ashamed to tell the nosy fashion media they found their clothes in the bargain basement or supermarket.

The fact that they now boast about this when once they might have cringed suggests that they're better than some tragic Ivana Trump-style victim, dripping designer names from peroxide top to stiletto bottom. It means they are open-minded leaders of style who, besides being smart, sexy and savvy, can create their own blindingly original style.

TIPS AND TRICKS

* Plainer shapes are always a good bet. Look out for inexpensive versions of things such as long-sleeved shirts, vests, turtlenecks and simple skirts that you can team up with more expensive, designer items.

* Soft shapes are always going to look better than more structured outfits. If you want exquisite tailoring - say, a classic jacket or suit - think about heading upmarket, especially if you plan to keep the garment for a while. Whereas a soft, pretty draped dress or Victorian-style blouse that's only going to last a season will look lovely whether it's from St Lukes or Italy.

* Black is always an excellent colour choice when shopping for bargains. Somehow it always looks sleeker and slicker, even if the fabric and manufacture are not quite so flash.

* Natural fabrics such as cotton or merino often look more expensive than they are, especially if in simpler shapes and styles.

* It might seem strange, but don't forget to check out the children's section. The clothes in larger sizes - for 12-year-olds and up - often fit women who wear sizes eight to 12. That's especially true of boys' clothes.

* Same goes for the men's sections. The cut of a plain old Bonds T-shirt or mesh singlet rivals that of the designer versions.

* When it comes to shoes, your best bets are either relatively plain or over-the-top tacky glamour. For instance, "relatively plain" might include plain pumps with a slight platform. And "over-the-top" might be something like an all-over-sequin ballet flat, or mad towering heels with beads. Designer imitations that are too intricate - that Gucci heel with a zip up the back of the heel - cannot be copied well and will just look slovenly.

CONFESSIONS OF THE DISCOUNT SHOPPER

Even the most fashionable people in the country have been known to bag-up a bargain - and, no, they're not ashamed to admit it.

Karlya Smith, freelance stylist who works for magazines and film:

I was hooked on the little boys' singlets at Farmers. I had a 14-year-old boy's singlet in every colour - grey marl, green, red, all of them. I liked the fit and cut - it's a nice, snug fit - and they're cheaper than women's ones. They do eventually shrink. I would have kept buying them but they seem to have stopped making the size 14 ones.

Tanya Carlson, designer of the Carlson label:

Shoes from the Number 1 Shoe Warehouse - they're geisha-style shoes and imitations of some European designer brand. They only cost $19.95 and since I bought them at the beginning of the year I've been wearing them non-stop to any event that required a fancy dress. In the past we've used shoes from the Number 1 Shoe Warehouse for shows mainly because of the economics of buying 20 pairs, all size 10, for the models.

Adrian Hailwood, designer of the Hailwood label:

There were these really good black men's sandals at The Warehouse a couple of years ago. They were like a slide with two straps crossing and some white top-stitching. They cost around $12.

Dayne Johnston, menswear designer at Zambesi:

A really plain, hooded sweatshirt at The Warehouse, on sale for $2.97. I liked it because it wasn't branded and it was just really simple. It was a bit disappointing because eventually it started to pill. But it was satisfying getting something that cheap.You've got to wonder how anyone could make something for that price.

Ana Macdonald, Viva fashion editor:

Fine Merino poloneck skivvy-type tops at The Warehouse for $27.95. I'm sure you can buy better quality ones but these look like the more expensive versions that retail at over $100. Farmers are also really good at the moment for fashion accessories like slouchy denim bags and pompom scarves.

Mala Brajkovic, designer

I always find a couple of pairs of casual shoes at The Warehouse. Last summer there were these denim-looking shoes with a velcro tab across the front and some little slip-ons with striped elastic across the front. They were both really cute.

Sara Voon, secreen industry wardrobe designer

I mainly buy clothing at discount department stores when I need cheap versions of expensive garments for a job. Number 1 Shoe Warehouse is really good. Ballet flats and pumps are best value right now.