While everybody loves looking their best in the clothes they wear, whether they are headed to lunch with friends, an important meeting, or a night out on the town, it can be hard to feel like you are able to get the kinds of clothes that you really want on a budget that makes sense for you.
There is no doubt that some pricey pieces are worth having to wear over and over again, but overall you don’t want to be spending a large amount of your income on clothes! So what are you supposed to do? Luckily, there are some tried and true rules that you can utilize in order to dress to the nines at all times without having to shell out huge amounts of cash.
Let us at TheHandsome.com break down the top tips for dressing fashionably on any budget.
1. Think about what kind of fashion you really want
This can be the first step to identifying your budget-friendly wardrobe. In order to know what you are going to be looking for, you have to know what you want to look like! Consider looking at recent lines at upscale stores and then searching for replicas at more affordable brick and mortar and online options.
Often, purchasing replicas or look-a-likes on online stores will render fantastic results for you as you will be able to find great clothes for a fraction of the price. The only thing to make sure here is that you know how these clothes fit you and to make sure that these online markets have a great return policy. You don’t want to get stuck with clothes that don’t fit that you cannot return!
It is also a great idea to look at some of the everyday outfits that your favorite celebrities wear. Be careful, though, this can end up being somewhat debilitating if you depend on celebrity fitspo too much. Afterall, chances are good that they not only have a much deeper pocketbook than you do, but they also likely have someone whose sole job is finding wonderful outfits for them to sport when they are trotting around the streets of Los Angeles or New York City.
2. Take stock of what you already own
This is another great way to create wonderful fashion on a budget. Simply take advantage of the beautiful pieces you already own! What’s cheaper than that? Here are some valuable questions for you to ask when you are taking stock of your clothes:
- Do you have a lot of clothes of one color, but not the other?
- What t-shirts have you been holding on to that you can finally admit you never wear?
- How variable are your pairs of shoes?
- Do you have some great pants that are either too tight or too loose?
This will not only help you clear out your closet and make it more orderly, it will also alert you to the pieces that you really need to focus on getting. It might also open your eyes to some great items that you have simply forgotten about! This is known as the rare win-win-win.
3. Shop the classics
One great way to expand your closet at a great price is to focus your search on adding some classic wardrobe items that you can mix, max and re-wear without them ever feeling tired or out of date.
Classics never go out of style and that is the epitome of budget-friendly shopping.
For example, if you are a woman, you definitely want to make sure that you own a beautiful and slimming black dress. With that, you can mix and match lots of different statement pieces of in-fashion items so that you are always looking up to date with the latest trends.
For a man, you are always going to want a pair of great-fitting and professional slacks to go along with a button-down that works with the style of the day.
Another classic item you will definitely want to add is at least two pairs of beautifully fitting and slimming jeans. Keep in mind that darker jeans usually are more slimming while lighter-colored jeans tend to be more casual.
Often, it is important to remember that the simpler the better. Shirts that are a solid, darker color are going to look great no matter how old they are, while graphic tees are often going to look pretty stale after the first couple times you wear them. The same can be said about bold patterns. Patterns can be a risky move unless you find something that you really think represents you and what you want to wear!
4. Set a spending goal
If you are a total fashionista who simply loves to buy new clothes, there is a really easy way to continue buying new stuff on your budget. So, what’s the secret? Are you ready? Just make a spending budget!
That’s right, break down how much money, per month, you are able to comfortably spend on clothes. Is it $200? Great! $100? Also great! $25? That’s great too! Just make sure that it’s an amount that you can comfortably afford. From there, you will know that you can either get a new item this month or save up your monthly budget for a few months in order to spend big. Rejecting instant gratification is an important part of being a happy and successful adult. It is also a major ingredient to building out a beautiful and well thought out wardrobe.
Conclusion
In the end, your budget is what you make it. If you pay close attention to what you are buying and why you are buying it, you will start to feel much more ownership in your wardrobe. That alone will improve your confidence and sense of self while wearing your clothes.
It might seem hard to start creating great fashion sense on a budget, but you can take your very first step right now! Trust us, when you have the wardrobe of your dreams, you’ll thank us.
