1. Look for Affordable Alternatives to Premium Brands
I get it, you’re staring at that new Chanel clutch, and wishing with all your soul that it would materialize in your hands. Sometimes, we can’t afford what we want. That’s okay; you can find an alternative to that clutch. You can also find other styles and colours to suit you.
2. Get Smart with Your Shoes
Buy shoes that you can use on different occasions. With corporate wear now blending with casual wear to an extent, you can crossover your styles. It’s no longer a mortal fashion sin to wear sneakers with a suit, and you don’t have to worry about the fashion police noticing you wearing shoes with no socks.
3. Build a Shopping Fund and Make Sacrifices
We all need clothing, and it should be a part of our budget. If you can’t afford to include clothing in your monthly expenses right now, then it’s time to find a way to make it happen. Save up all of your spare change in a jar over the month; it’ll surprise you how much you have after a few weeks.
Another way to find more money in your budget is to cut back on your daily and monthly expenses. How many cups of coffee do you buy during the week? How times do you go out for lunch at the drive-thru? If you cut back on unnecessary daily expenses, then you can put the savings toward a new wardrobe at the end of the month.
4. Cost Per Wear Vs. the Price Tag
While we’re discussing ways to dress smart on a budget, it’s essential to understand the disadvantages of cheap clothing. Expensive clothes have a juicy price tag for a reason. The materials in the clothes take more wear and tear than cheaper materials.
Therefore, while you may pay double the price or even triple for good clothing, it lasts far longer. While it’s important to respect your budget when shopping, that doesn’t mean you need to buy cheap stuff. You might buy three shirts for the price of one at a chain retailer.
However, if you buy one expensive shirt, it will probably outlast all three of the others. It’s essential to find a balance between price and quality when buying a new outfit.
5. Try it On
When choosing a new outfit, it’s fun to look at the clothes on the rack and imagine yourself modeling the dress. That’s why change rooms are so important. If you’re in a hurry, don’t buy a garment in a hurry, take the time to try it on instead.
6. Focus on Your Needs First
When you go shopping, it’s easy to lose track of your shopping goal when you see something you like calling your name. You went to the mall to buy a dress, and somehow you came back with another pair of shoes you couldn’t resist buying.
When shopping around, don’t dwell on the items you don’t need. Focus on what you went to the store for, and not the other nice-to-have items that might spark an impulse buying decision. The next time you find yourself pulling out your credit card at the shoe store instead of for that dress you needed, restrain yourself.
7. Look for staples first
The first tip to building your wardrobe is to make sure you have enough basics to serve a variety of different outfits. This means looking for clothes that are neutral, free of complicated patterns and easy to pair with other clothes. These staples should include plain t-shirts with simple necklines in multiple colours (but you’ll want neutral colours like white, beige and black most of all), a pair of form-fitting blue jeans in your favourite cut, simple ballet flat shoes, a decent jacket or blazer in a dark color and a pair of black plants.
8. Get creative with combinations
The best way to keep your outfits fresh is to swap out small pieces or parts. This is why you want staples, and why you should build up a generous collection of accessories such as cardigans, scarves, belts and jewelry that can add flair and a sense of change to your outfits. Changing your blazer to a cardigan and your heels to some sneakers can take an outfit from work-friendly to weekend-outing. Think of outfits as entire combinations, and each item you swap in or out can make a new look.
9. Make Sure Your Clothes Fit Well
You can have some of the most expensive clothes on the market, but if they don’t look like they fit you well, you will not look or feel good.
Getting clothes to fit you just right isn’t always all that easy. You want to make sure your clothes are not too big and/or loose, but not too small and/or tight. The goal of fitting your clothes properly is to both show off your aesthetic strengths and conceal your aesthetic weaknesses.
10. Match Accessories
Once you have your outfit down, it is simply a matter of topping it off with additional accessories. Be it a pair of timeless earrings, a bag in adaptable hues or a multi-purpous scarf. Accessories can accentuate and change any look.
In Closing – You Don’t Need Gucci to Make a Fashion Statement
If you spend some time investigating and implementing the techniques mentioned in this article, you’re bound to find a few that are useful. Becoming a savvy clothes shopper takes some practice, but it’s a skill that will save you a lot of dollars over your life.