Divorcees sell clothes from past marriages

NEW YORK (KABC) -- A growing number of divorced women are jumping on a new trend to get over their exes.

They're holding so-called "divorcee sales" with the help of a Beverly Hills entrepreneur, and their loss could be your gain.

Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana and Prada are just some of the fancy clothes hanging in New York City mom Michelle Lewis' closet.

But as stylish as they are, the clothes are a reminder of her past. Now remarried, Lewis wants to put her divorce duds behind her for good.

"When I wear them, I remember the time when they were purchased for me," said Lewis. "Since my life as evolved and moved on, it's just time to let that go."

Many of the pieces were bought for her by her ex-husband. But even though Lewis wants to start fresh, there are pieces she's not sure she can part with.

That's where Jill Alexander comes in.

"It's classic, it's stunning, it's Prada," said Alexander of one of Lewis' pieces. "The size is fantastic. This would sell. But I don't want to push you into something you're not ready to do."

Alexander is the brainchild behind "The Divorcee Sale," a company she founded that helps women purge their closets of the past and make them a little money in the process.

Alexander organizes sales across the country; total luxury at prices that are well below retail. A pair of Christian Louboutin shoes would normally go for around $800. Here they're around half that price.

Shoppers say the fashion finds are amazing.

"It's great to see fashions that you may have missed in past seasons and you really wanted, and here you go," said one shopper.

And for many women, the sale is special for another reason- part of the proceeds from every sale go to charities like the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

"You get through divorce, you get through breast cancer, and you go on to a healthy and beautiful life in glorious fashions," said Breast Cancer Research Foundation President Myra Biblowit.

The latest sale continues all weekend long at the Mondrian Hotel in New York, but there are sales in other cities.

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fashion, shopping, save money / consumer news, ellen leyva

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