Do you feel your clothing choices are negatively affected by your lack of budget? Is your wardrobe full of items but nothing that makes you feel classy or that would fit a more formal occasion?
Keeping up with the latest fashion trends can be expensive, and as such, it’s always good to have some classic options in your wardrobe, items that go with every occasion, and as many seasons as possible.
We live in an era of fast fashion, and as well as being environmentally disastrous and morally questionable (when you consider the labor practices of the countries that produce the clothes that inhabit your high street), it’s not a great way to think about fashion as a whole.
We’ve gotten into a trend, no pun intended, of buying clothes for the sake of it or for one-off occasions, and that’s not a sustainable approach both individually and collectively.
There are many ways to make do with a smaller budget when it comes to giving your wardrobe more options. Here are some handy pointers.
Accessorize
Make sure you have a combination of high-quality accessories; in many ways investing in these is more valuable in the long-term than a new outfit. For instance, a good pair of sunglasses can go a long way, and you can pick up a great range of progressive lenses here that also go with a wide variety of frames, which makes them more likely to match a few different ensembles from your current collection.
Similarly, a good selection of jewelry can be used to add that extra bit of elegance to even a mundane or basic outfit. Items that stand out and therefore help to bring out something from your complete look.
Thrift Stores
Look to shop in thrift stores and make a day out of it. Sometimes shopping in these locations is far more effective than going to a nearby mall or clothing outlet. You never quite know what you’ll find, but if you search enough and locate really good second-hand stores, you will come across a perfect item that fits great.
Don’t be afraid to try out what’s in these stores and pick out entire looks and take a friend to judge your selection. There are plenty of interesting clothes to pick up, and when it comes to classic pieces, this is really the best place to go. There’s a story behind all of the clothes available in thrift stores, and there’s no snobbery around finding great ideas in these locations, and of course, it’s great for your bank balance. Just make sure to try these clothes out first before buying.
Have a Spring Clean
Sometimes you’ll find that while you have a massive collection of clothes in your crowded wardrobe, it’s full of items you haven’t worn for an age. This may be holding you back from thinking anew.
Go through what you have and make an honest decision and reduce the clutter, this will help you find the style that you think works best, and you can use this as a basis for what essentials you need to spruce up your closet.
When you’ve brought your wardrobe into a more manageable place, you can then make a list of what you think is needed in order to make the most of what you do have and that you personally like.
Consider Investing in One Designer Item
This may sound almost contradictory, but investing in one pricey item (such as a great designer bag) could help you when it comes to getting that classic wardrobe without breaking your budget.
Designer items, on the whole, last for years, and if you select the right one, you’ll find that it will go with most of your looks and will breathe life into them. In this way, you are increasing the value of the other items just by the association with the expensive item you’ve splashed out on.
Don’t impulse buy this particular item; think about what you want and how it would work with the rest of your clothing options, and then buy it and take good care of it; it will soon pay for itself.
Be Versatile and Know Your Own Personal Style
Have you ever considered what your style is? If not, take a look at what remains in your reduced wardrobe and try to work it out. What colors look good on you, what fashions.
Look to supplement your wardrobe with versatile clothing choices that work well when layered or with various elements of your style. If it helps, you can even map out the looks that work within what you have and then work out what might be missing.
If you look at putting together a classic wardrobe in a methodical way, almost as if it’s a work task, you might be surprised at the results. Often we kind of get into a groove and rut where we wear what we feel comfortable in but occasionally, taking a bit of a risk can provide a reward.
Take Good Care Of Your Clothes
A byproduct of the fast-fashion times we live in is that we don’t take good care of our clothes, as we don’t truly value them. That’s partly because of the number of clothes we buy and the prices we pay. We see them as temporary items because that’s the way we look at them; this again isn’t a long-term plan that benefits anyone.
Look after your clothes and they will look after you. Don’t buy something for the sake of it; doing so will become a costly mistake, and those can add up. Be more mindful about the clothing purchases you make. Ask yourself the simple questions that we don’t ask enough.
Am I going to wear this? Do I really like this top? Why am I buying this?
More often than not, the answers to these questions will be unclear, and that tells you all you need to know about what constitutes an unhealthy approach to shopping for fashion items.
