Saving Money on Your Wardrobe in 10 Steps

We all want to look our best but few of us have the money to cultivate an extensive, haute couture wardrobe. Fortunately, you won’t need an endless budget to perfect your style. In fact, you’ll be surprised at how much you can save on your wardrobe without missing out on the latest trends or foregoing the pieces you love.

If you’re eager to maintain your shopping habits without blowing your budget, take a look at these top tips and start saving money on your wardrobe now:

1. Work with Your Household Budget

If you don’t include clothes, shoes, and accessories in your standard household budget, it’s easy to get carried away with what you’re spending. While some items, like work shoes, will be essentials, others, like a designer bag, might be classed as a luxury. When you include essential clothing in your household budget and allocate some of your disposable income on luxury or frivolous purchases, you can monitor your outgoings more easily.

Not only does this help you to save money on your wardrobe, but it can also help you to really enjoy the pieces you do choose to buy. When you’re constantly going over your budget or you’re unsure whether you can really afford to spend anything extra this month, any purchases you do make can leave you feeling stressed or frustrated. By incorporating your clothing budget into your household budget, however, you can take control of your money and enjoy indulging yourself.

2. Buy Out of Season

If you love wearing the latest fashion, shopping out of season might seem like the worst idea in the world. However, buying clothes or accessories out of season can be a great way to make your money go further. While you won’t get the latest trends when you’re buying out of season, you can pick up basics and staples.

A soft, cashmere sweater will never go out of style, for example, so why not pick one up when they’re 50% off in the height of summer? Alternatively, you can make a start on your summer wardrobe during the winter, when Tees, vests, and bikinis are drastically reduced.

3. Plan Your Outfits

When you’re shopping without a purpose, it’s easy to buy things because you like the look of them. However, if you don’t have a particular event in mind or you aren’t sure where you’d wear your new jacket, skirt, or pants, you could be wasting your hard-earned cash.

Before you hit the checkout, spend time planning your outfits. Get fashion advice online or from friends and you can create your very own custom look-book. This will give your inspiration when it comes to pairing pieces with one another, but it will also help you to plan your next shopping spree. When you know what you’re looking for, what event you’re shopping for, or what type of outfit you want to create, you’ll be able to select items that you know you’re going to wear frequently.

4. Choose Investment Pieces that Stay in Style

If you’re going to spend a substantial amount of money on one piece of clothing or jewelry, make sure it’s something that will never go out of style. While exploring the latest trends can certainly be fun, you don’t want to invest in an item that will be out of style before you even get it home.
Instead, save your big purchases for items that you’ll wear often, and that will be in style forever. A little black dress, a trench coat, knee-high boots, and even jeans are all items that you’ll see again and again in fashion magazines, so you won’t go far wrong by investing in these pieces. What’s more – they’re pieces you can wear in a variety of environments, so you’ll get great value for money, even if you spend a little more than you intended.

5. Repair Rather Than Replace

If you discard clothes as soon as a hem drops or a button pops off, then you’re going to be spending more than you need to keeping your wardrobe topped up. While you don’t have to embrace sewing or learn to handcraft your own clothes, gaining a few skills will stand you in good stead for cultivating a great wardrobe.

Replacing a button or sewing a hem only takes seconds once you know what you’re doing, so it’s well worth getting some practice in. Once you know how to make repairs, you can even upgrade your wardrobe with minor adjustments or enhancements.

6. Get Clothes Tailored

For repairs that are too complicated for your burgeoning skills, don’t hesitate to find a tailor. Having clothes professionally repaired increases their lifespan and lets you hang on to your favorite pieces for a little longer.
However, you don’t have to wait until something’s broken to seek out a tailor. Getting your clothes modified to fit your unique shape can transform the way you look. While your budget might not stretch to haute couture, a tailor can ensure your clothes fit you perfectly for a fraction of the cost.

7. Buy Vintage Pieces

Buying vintage clothes, shoes and accessories can be a great way to fill your wardrobe with stunning pieces without making a dent in your budget. If you’re willing to scour online marketplaces and visit thrift stores, you’ll be amazed at what you can find.
Older pieces were often made to last, so vintage pieces can literally last you a lifetime if they’re properly maintained. By learning to care for different fabrics and using the right type of storage, your latest bargain could become one of your most valuable assets.

8. Don’t Shop for Deals Unless You Really Want Them

When you see a great deal, it makes sense to snap it up, right? Well, not necessarily.

If you spot a deal on something you were already planning to buy, then it can certainly be a great way to save money. However, if you’re buying something just because it’s on offer, then ask yourself whether you really need or want it. Often, we’re so blinded by the sight of a great deal that we don’t stop to really look at the item. Of course, this inevitably means that your new purchase will spend months hidden at the back of your wardrobe.

If you want to save money, only use deals when you were planning on making a purchase anyway. For items that aren’t likely to get sold out, you can even save your favorite items and wait for a deal or discount to become available.

9. Become a VIP

For companies, data is valuable, which means they’re often willing to reward customers who will part with theirs. By signing up for loyalty cards or VIP schemes, you can save a surprising amount of money on future purchases. A retailer may offer you 5% off your next purchase for completing a quick survey, for example.

Providing you use these incentives to facilitate planned purchases, rather than letting them fuel your spending, they can be a great way to save money on your wardrobe.

10. Earn Money from Your Style

If you love fashion, why not turn your hobby into a money-maker? Being an online influence can be a viable way of generating income, so sharing your own style tips or showcasing your new purchases could be an effective way of funding your growing wardrobe.

Create a Fashion Budget

As well as incorporating your fashion spending into your household budget, it can be a good idea to create a separate fashion budget too. This will allow you to plan what you’re going to spend on clothes, shoes, and accessories and give you the motivation you need to save money where you can.

Photo credits: EVG Culture and Pixabay