Being fashionable sometimes costs lots of money, but there are several ways to look fashionable without breaking the bank and spending a lot of money. Here are some tips on how to look good on a budget:
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Think Classic
One of the best ways to save money on a fashionable wardrobe is to think long-term. There are certain things that are never going to go out of style: pearls, black tights, a little black dress. Those three things have been in style in one form or another since the beginning of the 20th century.
If they can withstand a hundred years, then they are worth the money. Look for classic, staple-type pieces that are going to last you for decades. Then, if you do spend a little bit more money on them, they will have been worth it.
Sell What You Don’t Need
Make some money back by selling what you don’t need. Take your clothes to consignment shops that offer money or store credit. Then, you can either get new clothes virtually for free or line your wallet a little. Remember that clothes actually have value, especially if you’re fashionable. If the consignment shops don’t take your clothes, you should absolutely donate them to Goodwill. You don’t need clutter to be fashionable!
Dress You And No One Else
This one is hard because we live in a very image-driven culture. But learn to embrace that the body you are dressing is yours and yours only. While sometimes it’s hard not to imagine the models on a fashion show runway wearing your clothes, it’s better to serve you better in the long run to dress yourself and your curves or height or whatever you perceive as a flaw. How does this save you money? For one thing, you’ll learn to put down those trends that you want to impulse buy and hold out for something flattering. You’ll learn what is worth spending money on because it will be about how you look in the clothes and whether or not that value matches a price tag.
Mix And Match
Mix your more fashion-forward, modern, or trendy items with some cheap finds that you love. Think about how you’re a unique person with your own tastes. So yeah, you may want the outfit from the fashion magazine, but what is already in your closet that would go with some more expensive label items? Do you even need to buy the label? Mix brand names with stuff from last season (or from twenty seasons ago).
Go Secondhand
A lot of people that I know are snobby about the thrift shop. They consider it a place where you go to buy things for silly eighties parties and nothing more. Those people also know that I am obsessed with thrifting. The cost benefits are obvious, but there are fashion benefits as well. Believe it or not you can find designer brands tucked away between really bad eighties power suits. Or, if you can sew, you can find a dress that would be so fetch (it did happen) if only the shoulder pads could be removed. This season is all about “frumpterable” so what better place to try that out than at a thrift shop?
Look At It From The Abstract
While flipping through a magazine, look at the trends and outfits from an abstract perspective. If you were drawing it on a stick figure, what would it look like? What are the colors, lines, and proportions when you look at the outfit with your eyes squinty? When you focus just on color or line or concept (like military), you may find that you have some similar stuff in your closet already.
