For some people, shopping is more like a weekly sport than it is an essential activity. For others, they would rather be doing almost anything else. However, we all need to wear clothes, and knowing how to look good while not breaking the bank is a skill we all would benefit from.
Below are some top tips for getting the fashion wardrobe you are looking for without overspending. These tips will help you maximise what you have already got and guide you towards making the right decision on where to buy the shoes, going out dresses and bags you are looking for, for work or a summer holiday.
What type of clothes do you want?
A key question you need to ask yourself is what type of clothes do a really want? This may sound a straightforward question; however, studies show that most people don’t actually buy what they really want. We all have a budget we have available to spend on clothes and making the right decision about how to spend it is one of the most common mistakes. If you had £100 to spend each week, would you spend it on ten cheaper tops or one expensive top? Most people spend it on the cheaper options, but really would prefer the more expensive top, but impulse shopping makes them purchase the lower value items. Resisting impulse buying is a great way to stop this and making thoughtfully considered purchases of items you really want is how you make a start.
Review what you have
It’s a universal thing that everyone is guilty of and that is accumulating more and more things and holding on to them despite never wearing them. To fix that you will need to take some time to go through what you have and make calls on whether it is needed or not. Before making a start, however, decide how you want your wardrobe to look and how you see your style now.
• Do you have too many black tops?
• What shoes do you need?
• Are there items you will never wear as they need to be ironed?
• Do you have too many long going out dresses, but not enough short?
By answering these types of questions, you are narrowing down how you want your final wardrobe to look. Now with that vision in mind, you can start going through what you have made calls about what fits that vision and what doesn’t.
Design Your Dream Wardrobe
Now your wardrobe is cleared out of the clutter, you should now write down how your dream wardrobe should look. Do you want a small closet full of nice designer items which fit well and look nice, or maybe you want a larger collection of branded items which are cheaper but give more flexibility on choice?
Fashion on a Budget
The worst thing about creating the dream wardrobe is limiting how much you can spend, yet we must. Set a spending limit each week or month that you can live with. This allows you to plan your purchases while still staying within the financial restraints of your budget. Thankfully, there are plenty of great bargains out there ready to be snapped up. Just take a look at IKRUSH’s dresses which are all beautifully designed and can be purchased for as little as £9.99 if you manage to bag one of their on sale items!
Sell or Bin
You have now made decisions about what you are keeping and what you no longer need. Take that pile of unwanted clothes and shoes and think about what is best to do with it. If you have nice clothes which you don’t require any more, you can choose to sell them to make some money. There is plenty of places to sell your clothes online, eBay is always a good place to start, but you now have marketplaces on social media sites which offer a way of selling to friends and people you may know locally. This extra cash can be put to good use and be used to purchase a pair shoes you have been wanting or maybe you have your eye on a new going out dress. The rest of the clothes you cannot sell, donating them is an option.
Shop Online Sparingly
Online shopping has its many advantages, including the occasional fantastic discount deal. Despite this choosing to shop instore instead of online can dramatically reduce the amount you spend. Online shopping comes with hidden costs. It might appear cheaper when you add the item to your basket, but by the time you pay for delivery, try it on, realise it doesn’t fit and pay for it to be returned you have wasted money and energy that could have been put to better use elsewhere.
Plan when Shopping
Before shopping make a list of items you need and plan on where you will buy them. If you need vests, tank tops or tights, cheaper value stores might be the place to go. For items that might be on trend or for a special occasion, looking in designer shops in the clearance or sale racks might just be where you find the bargain item you are looking for.
