I don’t know about you, but my budget doesn’t always allow me to buy the latest, most expensive, fashionable clothing. It’s hard enough paying my ever increasing bills on time, never mind investing in a new wardrobe each season! However, I got thinking that there must be a way to look stylish on a budget. With a little determination and a lot of research, I managed to come up with a few ways to look stylish without spending a fortune including finding cheap shoes and making the most of what I already have.
1. Plan ahead
The best way to save money on fashionable clothing is to invest in end of season sales. Every single fashion store holds an end of season sale, with the two main ones being at the end of winter and the end of summer. As you won’t need the clothing for another six months or so, stores often sell their stock at ridiculously low prices. By investing today, you’ll have stylish new clothes ready for next year.
2. Turn old items into new ones
According to personal stylist Joanna Skarin, most women only wear around 20% of the clothes in their wardrobe. This leaves a massive 80% unaccounted for. If you find there are a lot of items of clothing you don’t wear, why not tweak them a little? You can customise old clothes to make them into new ones. Adding accessories and making a few alterations helps you to enhance your style at an affordable cost.
3. Shop around
There are regular sales, as well as discounted items available in most fashion stores. For example, you should easily be able to find discount shoes. Sales aren’t just held at the end of the season so it makes sense to look around to see what current offers are available.
4. Flea markets can be your new best friend
While it’s important to invest in a few, high quality pieces, the majority of your wardrobe can be made up from bargains you can find at flea markets. Take your time to look through everything at your local flea market and you’ll easily find at least one item of clothing to suit your individual style.
5. Swap with your friends
If you really don’t have any money to spend at all, why not swap with your friends? Get together for a girly night and dig out everything you don’t wear. Get your friends to bring their unwanted items of clothing and see if you can make a swap. You won’t have to pay a dime and you may just find some really cool new items for your wardrobe.
If you’re struggling to find your style, take a look online for inspiration. While following the latest trends may seem important, what you mainly have to focus on is finding your own individual style. Look for inspiration on the type of clothes that suit your body shape too. Dressing to suit your figure will ensure you have the best possible style to fit you. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to update your wardrobe and keep up with the latest styles.
Debbie Fletcher is an enthusiastic, experienced writer who has written for a range of difference magazines and news publications. Follow her here: @Debbie_Fletch18
Photo credit: zilverbat. / Foter / CC BY-NC
Planning ahead is definitely a great idea. I got two coats for 75% off and have worn them during several winters!
My daughter gets together with friends every so often to do an exchange of clothes. She gets all kinds of designer duds that way. 🙂
Great tips to get a stylish look on a budget
End of season sales are definitely the way to go!
I like to hit stores like TJ Maxx and Ross to find great deals on fashion. And I agree with end of season sales.
Swapping with friends is a great way to update the closet without spending a dime! Great tips!
I recently started working on updating my totally outdated wardrobe (I still have belly shirts, ahhh!)
I absolutely agree… you can always look stylish on a very tight budget even. Just use a little ingenuity. 🙂 Great ideas!
You know I get some of the CUTEST clothes from Goodwill and the consignment stores. And since I am saving so much I am able to get more for my money.
I always scour the clearance racks. I also love going to consignment stores, Salvation Army, yard sales, and flea markets. 🙂
Those are great ideas. I know what I like when I see it, but don’t often see it. LOL I should check the consignment and Goodwill stores more often.
I proudly shop the clearance rack in every store I walk into – it’s rare that I will buy any piece of clothing for full price.
I definitely need to get more creative with my wardrobe and shopping – too often I don’t plan and end up with a bunch of things I like on their own that don’t play nicely with each other or that I pay way too much for and don’t love.
Planning ahead and shopping end of season sales is a great idea.
Those are all great tips! I do the plan ahead one with my kids’ clothes & buy for future seasons but I’ve never done that for my own, that’s a smart idea!
These are great tips. I used to do this all the time when I was younger. I used to go through my closet and trade with friends.
Thrift shops are my very best friend, I can almost always score what I am looking for at a deep discount over brand new prices.
These are great ideas! I love shopping at thrift shops and like the idea of having a clothing swap with friends.
I really wish I could find stuff at thrift shops like some people I see on Instagram find. They seem to find really cute stuff.
I shop at my local outlet store as I’m never one to have to have the “newest” fashions but my wardrobe is getting very stale.
I think swapping clothes is a great idea. To you it may seem new and to them it could seem old.. its a win win!!!
I hadn’t thought about swapping clothes with my friends … hmmm. That’s an idea!
Great tips! People really need to stop thinking to look good you have to spend a million bucks.
My sister and I often share/borrow clothes from one another. I also love picking up new pieces from the clearance racks, like the cute jean jacket I got today for just $12!