For this issue of Frugal Fashionista, we’ve partnered with Kristen Soltis, director of policy research for the Winston Group by day and frontwoman of the local rock band the Frustrations by night.

We’ve caught several of Soltis’s shows and know that her signature red dress spices up the stage, but we also noticed that she was wearing the same thing to every one of her gigs. And hey, half the fun of getting dressed up is putting together a unique outfit to suit your mood.

Washington’s Hard Rock Cafe played host to the third-annual Oscar Night DC, a benefit for Red Cross of the National Capital Area and DC’s only official Oscar event on Sunday evening.

Despite some boldface names among them—Channel 7 entertainment reporter Arch Campbell, mistress of ceremonies Pamela Brown, and presenting sponsor and MicroStrategy CEO Michael J. Saylor—few guests got into the true Oscar spirit.

Perhaps it was the venue—the unlikely rock-and-roll themed (and decidedly more Grammy-party-appropriate) Hard Rock Cafe—or the fact that it was a blustery Sunday evening, but only around 60 percent of the women wore gowns, and several men looked underdressed in suits.

What: “Girlfriends Night Out” Betsey Johnson fashion show.

Where: Posh Restaurant & Supper Club.

When: Wednesday, February 18, 8 PM.

Who: One Wednesday every month, Posh invites “all the single ladies” to come in for dinner and drink specials in an event called Girlfriends Night Out. Sure, there were some couples there, but the crowd was mostly foursomes of Sex and the City look-alikes. Last night, in honor of Fashion Week, Posh teamed up with the Georgetown Betsey Johnson store for a fashion show of its own.

Want to hear some good news about the economy for a change? At least one industry seems to be booming in the midst of economic apocalypse: consignment shops. “I’m recession-proof,” says Inga Guen, owner of Inga’s Once Is Not Enough.

Guen says in the past six to eight months, her consignment shop in DC’s Foxhall Village, which deals exclusively in high-end labels, has seen a dramatic increase in consignors—many of whom are first-timers—looking to sell their clothing, jewelry, accessories, and more for cash. The result? A store brimming with once-rare designer goods at a fraction of the price.

Birkin bags, the waiting-list-only handbags manufactured by Hermès, used to come into Guen’s shop about once a month. Now, she says, it’s once a week. Guen sells the bags for as little as $3,000—less than half of what they cost new.

And that’s not all. “I have so much Chanel right now that you wouldn’t believe,” says Guen. Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, and Gucci labels have also become regulars. Secondhand Manolo Blahnik shoes, which sell new for $600 to $800, can be had for $150 a pair.

Megan Gay, 34
Manager/merchandising, Junction Vintage. She also bartends and does work for her brother’s company, Geese Police, in Reston. The company trains border collies to control Canada geese on client properties (Flight 1549, anyone?!).

What she’s wearing: Nine West boots (“from a ridiculous sale in New York for $25”), eBay tights ($3), a dress “probably from the juniors department at Marshalls or T.J. Maxx,” earrings from a street vendor in Mexico ($3), and her grandmother’s silver-plated bracelet.

You seem like a master bargain shopper.
“Except for my handbags, probably every single thing in my closet is $40 or less.”

What are some good vintage resources online?
“I love vintagefashionguild.com. I go there before I go on eBay. And their label directory is awesome—you can find out when a garment was produced based on the label. Like the rings on a tree.”

Think the downward-spiraling economy means that you need to put your pampering on pause? Think again, because in February and March, we here at Washingtonian.com have rounded up more than 20 deals at the area’s top spas and cosmetics spots. Check out the Deals section here, plus enjoy the exclusive online outlets featured below to tide you over until the March ones come out!

Related Links:

• More Exclusive Reader Deals
• Spa Reviews Database
• Best Bargains
• Best Places to Buy Jeans