Love knowing the latest fashion trends and either following them or subverting everyone’s expectations? Been dying to upgrade your wardrobe due to a lifestyle change or just because you felt like doing so? While creating new outfit combinations and discovering new styles you can play around with is thrilling, costs can get a little too high for anyone’s liking.
You don’t have to be living an opulent way of life to be fashionable and if anyone says otherwise, you can always prove them wrong. Here are four ways you can dress sharp without breaking the bank.
Take A Good Look At Your Closet
When you’re upgrading your wardrobe on a budget, the very first thing you have to do is to take stock of what you already have. Give yourself some time to pull out your clothes and reorganize them in a way that you understand. Check them out, try them on, and ask yourself if you will really use them. By doing this, you can easily list down all the items that are currently missing from your wardrobe and maybe even discover favourites that may have been tucked away at the very bottom or back of your dresser.
Check your current clothes based on the following set of questions:
Can I Still Wear This? Hoarding clothes is bad for both you and the environment. If they’re uncomfortable or if you can’t think of any occasion to wear them, consider purging these items from your wardrobe. Keep track of what you toss out so that you avoid repeating the same purchase mistakes.
Does This Still Fit Me? Check if your clothes fit you comfortably. You can make a little more room for a few more pieces when they don’t. As much as possible, if your clothes still fit you, keep them and wear them.
Does This Need Repairing? Consider making repairs for pieces with minor damages such as a missing button, small holes, and torn seams. If the article of clothing in question is beyond repair, it’s time to let go.
Can I Upgrade This Myself? If you have some creativity in you, do the upgrading yourself and DIY your clothes. Customize and make your pieces uniquely your own.
Donate the clothes that you can’t or don’t want to use or you can have a fun, little clothing swap party with your friends so that everyone can revamp their wardrobes on a budget. Once you’ve done all of this and you are confident with your decisions, it is then that you can fill in the gaps and do some necessary shopping.
Go For The Layered Look
If you’re fashion-forward yet budget-savvy, one thing to consider is to reinvent your style by adding layers. This one allows you to create different outfit combinations that are perfect for any kind of weather or season.
Skirts over dresses, dresses over cute tops, sweaters over button-downs, layered shirts over turtlenecks—the possibilities of what you can pair and layer are endless. Use what you currently have and be creative with it.
If you’re not used to this style, however, start with something more manageable such as neutral or solid colours. Once you start feeling more and more comfortable, go bolder by mixing and matching patterned pieces.
Shop Smarter, Not Harder
There’s nothing wrong with shopping for new pieces of clothing every now and then. However, it would be kinder to your wallet if you buy new things with a goal in mind. Here are five tips for a smarter way to shop:
Create a List
Wherever you’re about to shop, go in with a list. This will be easier once you’ve discovered what items you still don’t own. Make sure to stick with this list. Keep it with you at all times so that you can see if you’re still on track and on budget. With this list, you can also have a general idea of the new outfits you can create with the new items you’ll be adding to your collection.
Upgrade With The Staples
The key to getting your money’s worth when shopping for clothes is to pick pieces that you’ll wear a lot. That’s where versatile staples come in. Think of staple pieces as blank canvases that you can keep enhancing with other articles of clothing. These include neutral-coloured skirts, jeans, leggings, and basic tops.
Buy Clothes That Compliment Yours
Avoid buying statement pieces that you can’t match with anything that you already own. Doing this will only tempt you to buy an entirely new outfit. When shopping on a budget, think of what you already have in your closet and find items that will match with them.
Buy at Vintage or Thrift Stores
Check out your local vintage or thrift stores and you might just discover pre-loved items that are still in great condition. Grab that list we talked about earlier with you and use it as your reference while you shop. Usually, the best categories of clothing in vintage or thrift stores are knitwear, denim, accessories, and outerwear.
Shop Once A Season Only
If you tend to buy pieces all throughout the year, there’s a higher chance that you wouldn’t be able to stick to your budget. Create a list and focus on what you need to have per season. For warmer months, go for short-sleeved pieces, and for colder times of the year, opt for sweaters. If you need more outfits for work, focus on business attire only or you can also think of the different events you’ll be having per season.
Accessorize
The easiest way to add a little more of you into your outfits is to add the right accessories to your wardrobe. Whether you want something bold and daring or something more demure yet elegant, accessories instantly upgrade your style.
Mixing accessories into your existing clothing options helps you create even more unique combinations, helping you save a bit of money throughout the entire process.
From bags, shoes, and hats, to jewellery of every kind, accessorizing is the best route to go for when you’re on a budget and you don’t need to do a complete overhaul of your wardrobe just yet.
There are certainly times when we’re all a little tight on money. When it comes to fashion, however, you’ll never run out of strategies and ideas to upgrade your wardrobe without breaking the bank. It all just needs a little dedication and creativity.
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