She might be decked in designer labels nowadays, but Sarah Jessica Parker isn't afraid of reflecting on her younger days as an eager thrift store shopper. She couldn't afford the sort of wardrobe she has now when she was just starting out as an actress, but she sure did the best that she could.

Sarah Jessica ParkerSarah Jessica Parker used to be thrifty with fashion

For anyone who wants to be as stylish as the former 'Sex and the City' star, she has some valuable advice for you. That is: go thrift shopping. Everyone knows thrift stores are a great place to pick up bargains, even if some people are put off by the idea of buying clothes that have already been worn in by a stranger.

It never bothered Sarah Jessica Parker though. So desperate was she to emulate the 'street imagery and girls on the subway' that she was surrounded by, that she did what she could afford. 'I was like, 'How can I do that? How can I afford to do that? What's my version of that?' Honestly, thrift stores played such a huge part in my life before Sex and the City', she confessed in an interview with InStyle. 'And, of course, my mom was the biggest influence. She had pretty firm ideas about how we would dress.'

And while she's constantly being seen at such events as the New York City Ballet Gala and the prestigious MET Gala, constantly being given opportunities to showcase her style with priceless designer garments, she confesses that she generally doesn't shop all that often.

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'I dress based on what I have', she says. 'I'm not a huge shopper, but I love beautiful things. To be able to borrow them is ridiculously fortunate, and I enjoy every second of that. I have a pretty standard wardrobe, though I've got wonderful shoes. That's more so the case now. I genuinely don't know what people think of me or want from me.'

Sarah's own venture into the fashion industry has included the Steve and Barry's fashion line 'Bitten' launched in 2007, and the Nordstrom footwear line SJP Collection which came out in 2014. She also has a successful perfume collection, starting with her first fragrance 'Lovely'.