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Discount finds, both new and used, used to come wrapped in harrowing shopping experiences. You would have to wade through a sea of rust acrylic sweaters to fish out the one Dolce & Gabbana suit at Century 21 in New York. Fashion insiders still talk in hushed tones about the crazy old man in Milan with the globe's best vintage, which he sold only to those with the secret password. As for thrift shops, it was the brave few who would sift through the grubby racks to find a Dior hidden among stretch slacks.

But cheap chic has gained a whole new lustre, as retailers compete for "opening moderate point" consumers -- that would be most of us in January when all belts are pinchy -- as well as those who can afford not to pinch pennies but who have taken to shopping down (as in downmarket) these days. That said, the new cheap must be fashionable. And if they make it, we will buy it, in droves. Why pay $200 for Juicy Couture ballet flats when the cute and comfy Joe Fresh versions cost $14?

Launched last year by designer Joe Mimran for Loblaws, the adorable and ridiculously affordable Joe Fresh line does for fashion what the President's Choice brand did for food -- and we ate it up. Meanwhile, more and more of us are devoted Winners shoppers, and have been trained to go back to keep tabs on daily deliveries.

Now, the Ontario-based chain Talize (with stores in British Columbia and some Ontario cities; a Mississauga branch opens this spring) is taking the bright, clean Winners concept to the second-hand game.

"We aim to elevate the experience of shopping thrift," is the corporate tag line. The Talize customer is from every walk of life, says Rick Smith, the vice-president of operations. "You'll find BMWs beside an old Chevy."

The mix is about 20-per-cent new and 80-per-cent "nearly new," industry speak for used. This is less often "vintage," the term for decade-specific stylish or trendy garments, than it is a good assortment of "everyday," which is how Talize's merchandise manager, Michelle Black, puts it.

That means, in practice, a pair of Levis 725s for $2 to $3, beside a pair of Miss Sixtys at $15; Sevens, the fancy designer label, would top out about $29 (they cost about $175 new). As the goods are purchased from charities, there are sometimes extraordinary finds, like the Hugo Boss suit with a $1,300 tag still on it that ran out the door at $299.

The stores are indeed bright and clean, done in a blue and orange scheme. About 6,000 new items are added everyday. Nothing is ripped or stained, but the used stuff is not washed before it hits the floor.

Seasoned vintage shoppers such as Tammy Eckenswiller, the fashion editor at Fashion magazine, have noticed a new breed of well-heeled shopper in the aisles of their favourite boutiques. Eckenswiller put herself through college sorting and reselling musty dead-stock, then began her career seeking out the little boutiques where quirky owners curated vintage treasures. "I do most of my vintage hunting on eBay now," she says, "but I'm excited that a new generation will have the thrill of the find."

Zellers, that great purveyor of mass, is also due for a fashion injection. "The whole world of style is changing," says Mark Kinnin, vice-president of total brand management for HBC. "There is a much tighter development cycle, with product being developed, made and approved all offshore. So the consumer gets a much more fashionable product at the lowest price points."

To wit, the Jules and James line at Zellers launched last year with a short trench for $39. "It blew out," Kinnin says. "Previously, the assortment available to customers at that price point was pretty basic. To compete with the larger market, we have to offer much more trendy merchandise for the same price."

Across the mall at Payless, the North American cheapie shoe outlet, they got the same message from consumers. Matt Rubel, the New York-based CEO of the chain, is all about inspiring "fun fashion possibilities for the family." Along with hiring two hip, Manhattan designers to do their own lines for the brand (a device employed by both Target and H&M with great success), they have just redesigned key urban stores, including Toronto's Fairview Mall, as "fashion labs."

The chain has learned to pull and highlight trends out of the mix, and to take the shoes out of the boxes.

Once upon a time, stores felt the need to make bargains look like bargains, in contrast to regular-priced merchandise. This mentality is outdated, Kinnin says. "The new lower-priced lines are meant to sell full price." And these days, that means nary a bin full of acrylic sweaters to be found.