Dress Smart: Looking Great on a Budget
You're a working mother or a full time student and feel you have to sacrifice your looks to pay your never ending bills. Wrong! Believe it or not, there are ways to dress well without spending a fortune. Vered Deleeuw from Money Ning has compiled a few tips and tricks for looking fabulous on a budget. Read on to learn more!
Wait For Sales
If you do not absolutlely need an item of clothing and you’re willing to wait a few weeks, all items eventually go on sale. By wating, their is a high possiblity that you could get the same item at a much lower price than the original price. Popular sizes are not always around later, so if there are a limited number in your size and the item of clothing is needed for an interview you have coming, waiting for a sale will not be the best strategy for you. Keep this in mind though: don't buy something just because it's on sale! Always try clothing on that you think you might like and really look at the fit. If you can't imagine wearing the item any time in the future or there is something about it that you are not truly in love with, don't buy it! Even if it's on sale, if you think it will only take up space in your closet, it's not worth buying.
Shop Online
I have grown very fond of online shopping for a number of reasons. The possibilites are endless online because you can shop thousands of retailers all at once and if you have a particular item of clothing in mind you can usually find exactly what you are looking for and in the color you are looking for. Plus, online retailers can sell items for less because they don't need to pay for a physical building or pay sales associates; best of all, these savings are passed on to the customers! If you are worried about the idea of not being able to try on what you're purchasing before you buy it, most online retailers have you covered! Major online retailers will often provide sizing charts to help you determine the best size to purchase. Also, customers have an option to leave feedback and the feedback is really helpful when determining true fit. Furthermore, major online retailers will allow you to return an item and they often pay for the return shipping!
Shop Off-Price Retailers
Vered Deleeuw provides insight on off-price retailers such as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls:
"Off-price retailers specialize in buying surplus designer clothes at a bargain. They then transfer the savings to you. It’s not unheard of to be able to get the same item that sells for $200 at a department store for half that price at an off-price retailer, during the same time – many of these items are not last-season clothes. The main issue with shopping off-price retailers is time – you will need to go through lots of lower-quality items to snag that one, fab top at half price."
Maintain Your Staple Items
Sometimes, there are items that are just necessary to have in your closet. These items, often known as staples, should not be left to buy later. There will come a time when these items will be absolutley necessary, so it's best to have them available in your closet. Here are 10 staple items you should invest your hard earned money in:
Black pants
Crisp white dress shirt
Black pumps
Sophisticated day dress
Black suit
Black evening dress
Dressy jacket
Evening clutch
Wrap or scarf
Metallic strappy sandals
Shop Your Own Closet
Many of us have items in the back of our closet that we have forgotten about. Going shopping in your own closet can be a lot of fun, and you may find a few items that would add color and interest to your wardrobe. While you’re at it, make sure to get rid of anything that you haven’t worn in a while and anything that does not fit you anymore. An airy, uncluttered closet makes getting dressed a lot easier.
Use a Seamstress
If you haven't sought out a seamstress in your community, you are defintely missing out on some wonderful opportunities. If you are able to find a talented seamstress, you may be able to to have dresses or clothing made for you for a fraction of how much they would have cost at a store. These days, seamstresses are harder to come by, but if you can find one that would be willing to make you garments, go for it. You won’t just save money – you will also get clothes that are tailored exactly to your figure.
Wear Black
Black clothing is simple yet ellegant. It's easy to wear black and quite frankly, you can never go wrong with black. The Huffington Post has some wonderful reasons why black is the only color worth wearing:
It means never worrying about matching
It camouflages any stains
It can be layered endlessly
It flatters every skin tone
It can make anyone look mature
It allows you to go wild with accessories
It works for every season
It's figure flattering
It helps you blend in
It masks whether your clothes are expensive or cheap
It lets you experiement with crazy fabrics
It always looks kind of dressed up
It never goes out of style
Dressing well on a budget is obviously not as easy as dressing well on an unlimited budget, but it can be done with a little thought and planning. Happy shopping!
Thanks for listening!
~Kayla