Welcome to Tell Us Tuesday! This Tuesday we’re talking fashion, in honor of the successful wrap-up to our Frugal Fashionistas contest.
So tell us: What are your best frugal fashion tips? How do you look like a million bucks while only spending a dime?
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{ 19 comments }
I find that by buying a few pieces that mix and match well together, I actually have more outfits for less money than if I buy pants or shirts that only go with one other item.
Then, I add accessories to change those outfits. Accessories usually cost less and can drastically change how the outfit looks.
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Confidence…….! Wear whatever you have got on as though you were on the catwalk and people will think you are right on the button….
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Good maintenence. I buy a small quantity of high quality clothes then try my best to take good care of those items. I be sure to wash things in cold water and hang to dry. I always wipe down my leather shoes, etc.
Plan ahead. Example: a clearance rack in the dead of winter may contain articles of clothing that are suited to spring/summer. The top I’m wearing today was $5 in December but it has 3/4 length sleeves. I just took the tag off of it last week.
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I would fall into the FAIRLY frugal category in this area. I will spend more on shoes and pants because they’ll last me years. But I’ll also shop off-season and look online for coupons for favorite stores. I supplement with items from the thrift shop – but no junk – only things I actually feel good in. My wardrobe is simple – keep it fairly classic with some fun accessories. Trying to keep up with trends would be a budget killer. If I’m looking for something special (like a fair-trade bag) I’ll be patient and wait until I find something unique that I love. Sometimes, these little details make me feel great and more “me”. I subscribe to the “less is more” philosophy, I suppose.
I shop carefully at thrift stores…it’s amazing the nice (and sometimes new) clothes you can find.
Also, anything “plain” can be dressed up immensely by some nice-looking jewelry!
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I finally learned my lesson and now only buy an item of clothing/accesory if I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I don’t buy things that are just “ok” because I don’t end up wearing them, which is a huge guilt-inducer AND waste of money! I also don’t go to malls unless I actually need something, which helps avoid those impulse purchases (“ooh nice sweater!”)… which in turn leaves me with more money to buy things that I actually want/need.
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Check out the asos.com outlet section, where you can get really cheap premium denim jeans. A few weeks back I got a pair of Ernest Sewn dark indigo skinnies for £35! Brands can change frequently, so keep checking, but they brands such as Radcliffe, Serfontaine, 18th Amendment etc You can’t go wrong with jeans, they go with heels and flats, can be dressed up or down and with a plain vest, just add a nice necklace or scarf and you will always look stylish!
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Shopping off-season is the best advice. Always look for pieces that will last any trends that may come along, like a nice pair of black, blue or brown pants, a little black dress, a solid color cardigan, etc. These tips have saved me tons and friends always ask me where I got my duds. When I tell them that I got that cardigan to winters ago for 5 bucks, their jaws drop.
When you want to try out a trend of a season, shop lower priced stores for them. Payless shoesource or Wal-Mart are great stores when you want to try out a new shoe or bag trend, but don’t want to spend 200 bucks
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I splurge on a few good quality clothes – seriously, I cannot live without cashmere cardigans. As to other clothes, I sew them myself. Making my own clothes significantly reduced my spending & the compliments I get on them are definitely priceless.
Another tip is “accessorize, accessorize, accessorize!!!” Accessories make so much difference to plain-looking clothes. I am always on the look out for vintage-looking accessories (I can never tell if they are truly vintage or not) at thrift shops or flea markets.
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I have a lot of black basics that I dress up with the season’s colors – so today I’m in some trendy black jeans from Urban Outfitters, a black sweater from Banana Republic, a black vest from Gap and a bright hot orange tank underneath from Victoria’s Secret.
I wear the black items quite often, but change it up with shirts and accessories to make it seem like different outfits. Layering different basics together creates new looks. I also love scarves – so in right now, and they cover up your old clothing to make a completely new outfit!
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My husband and I live in black t-shirts and jeans outside of work, and for work, I generally go with Ann Taylor Loft clearance. My latest score was two pairs of cords for $4.88 each.
That said, most of the black t-shirts are band shirts. Those are usually gifts to one another, since bands think that charging $30 for a t-shirt is appropriate these days, and finding them online/on eBay generally means that none of the cash is actually going to the band.
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I find that if you stay fit and keep close to the gym, you can make most things look good! It’s an inexpensive and healthy way to keep in style! 🙂
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I agree with shopping sales and thrift shops – buying off season – and having a basic wardrobe. To that I would add that I am always on the hunt for deals on accessories and jewelry – I bought a silver belt made from spoons at a craft faire – and am wearing a key I bought at an antique store + a ball chain from somewhere. I also do my own simple alterations, such as shortening pants/skirts/dresses – and I have been known to replace buttons with better ones. With good basics, you can update a look with trendy accessories which tip a hat to fashion. From time to time I have also made simple pieces of clothing and done some knitting. (The yarn was a thrift shop find.) I also buy gala clothes when I come upon a good deal rather than waiting to the last minute and having to pay full price! By the way, Payless shoes are perfectly fine for a gala, as you won’t wear them more than a few times, at best…& no one will really notice…
My wife and I are both thrift store junkies. We donate and buy in equal parts. My wife loves to mix and match pieces from different eras. We both love vintage and new and mixing the 2 is great fun. It’s also insurance for the environment buying used which is also important to us. And, it leads to MAJOR savings for the wallet.
Jerry
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I’m such a fan of Goodwill. My sister and I go to the Goodwill in the nicest neighborhood (because the items donated there are sold in the same location), and find tons of “name” label clothes that are gently worn, or sometimes even still have tags on them. I’m a fairly common size so I have no problem finding mall-store-brand jeans (usually about $5 each) and sweaters that are still current-looking (costing even less). My favorite things to get at Goodwill are vintage dresses, because no one else is wearing something like it; shoes, even though some people can’t get over the ick factor I’ve found good condition labels and then wore them into the ground; and purses ($3! I can afford to get several!).
ONLY buy something if you need AND love it. Don’t buy something just because its ridiculously cheap.
As a hardcore clearance rack junkie this can be difficult. I can get a sense of faux urgency when I see something 75% off,$2, and ‘I’ll put it on in the car’. I’m getting better but the fact is, I’m drowning in $2 buys that don’t fit me great.
Get rid of one before you buy one. “need” a new tshirt? toss a few goodwill’s way before buying anymore. Quality over quantity. I really only need 3 pairs of jeans. Ebay for pricier items. Last month I bought a pair of $70 levi’s off ebay with tags for $17.99 including shipping.
A little off the subject perhaps, but a plea for you to consider the ethics of purchasing things like designer clothes. Do try and think about, for example, the things your item is manufactured from, the conditions of the employees where they're manufactured and the ethics of retailers. And endeavour to share rather than throwing away. Thanks!!!!
One great source in my neighborhood is the church rummage sale. The churches in my town have rummage sales every fall and spring. If you plan it out, it is possible to hit every one of them. I get amazing buys at these sales. Shop early for the best selection. Or, if you really want to get the most bang for your buck, go at the end when they charge $5 for whatever you can fit into a grocery bag. My best rummage sale score was a Burberry trench coat for 50 cents! Plus, all proceeds go to charity.