By: Aqua Blutopia NYC
Dressing
fashionably does not necessarily mean spending a fortune. By learning a little
fashion shopping know-how, you'll be able to come up with a terrific wardrobe
at budget saving prices. By taking advantage of what you already have,
considering on-line auctions and consignment stores, rent or borrowing clothes
for a special occasion. You can come up with incredible outfits at incredibly
low prices. Once you've spent some time looking through fashion magazines to
determine what "look" you want to achieve through your clothing
choices, take advantage of the following steps to shop for fashionable clothes
on a budget. Dressing Fashionable on a non-expensive budget is possible; this article offers some advice and tips that can help:
Advice & Tips:
Know your budget and
stick to it. Decide on how much money you are willing to spend without breaking
the bank. When budgeting your money, set aside portions that you would use for
your basic needs like food, shelter and other bills to pay. Yes, clothing is
also a necessity, but if you can hold off on buying a new dress until you have
saved enough money, you will not feel guilty about it.
1)
Take advantage of clothes you already have in
your closet. For example, if you have a great skirt but nothing to go with it,
a whole new outfit is an unnecessary expense when all it will take is a new
jacket or blouse. A plain dress that you are tired of wearing might be perked
up by a fabulous new scarf. Make a list of the fashion pieces you need before
you head out to shop. In addition, you might carry along a shopping bag filled
with anything that needs to be matched.
2)
Use accessories to give your outfit a fresh
look. Buy a couple of nice belts and scarves that you can use as accessories
that can change the look of your outfit. People would think you are wearing a
different outfit even if what you added is only a scarf or a belt. Wear a
necklace or a choker; put a brooch that you can pin on your V-neckline dress. Other accessories you can use to update your
outfit: handbags, hats, hair pins, gloves, corsages and jewelries.
3)
Avoid
high-end stores as much as possible. Never get tempted to buy a brand name that
would cost as much as your paycheck. You can window shop and check out the
latest trends, then go to a lower-end department store that carry clothing that
maybe similar in fashion but cheaper in price. You can put together an outfit
for a fraction of what it would cost to buy at a high-end store.
4) Make
your computer your shopping companion. Consider online auction sites for all of
your clothing needs. Hundreds of bargains are available every day. Look for
sellers with a solid record of positive feedback. Comparison shop for online
bargains using sites such as that listed in the sources below. For buying
shoes, you can't beat some of the online sources for great prices on footwear,
especially those that allow you free postage---both for your order and for
items that need to be returned.
5)
Try wearing vintage clothes. Rummage through
your parents' and your grandparents' closets; you'll never know what treasure
may be hiding in them. There are also discount and thrift shops that sell
vintage clothes. Fashion comes around after every few years or decades. A 60's
style mini dress has gone back and forth several times through the years.
Imagine Audrey Hepburn at the beginning of the movie "Breakfast at
Tiffany's" wearing a black classic dress. That dress had been copied by designers
several times and it doesn't go out of style. Some vintage clothes become such
a classic that you would want to hang on to them a lot longer as they do
several more rounds throughout the years. Your next generation would appreciate
you for doing so.
6)
Borrow or rent clothes. There is nothing wrong
about borrowing or renting clothes if it can save you a lot of money if you are
going to a party and you need to dress up, try borrowing or renting clothes.
Chances are, you may not need to wear similar clothes again, and so investing
your hard earned money on these clothes is something you would want to avoid.
Borrow a dress that you would wear for an office formal dinner from your
parents, siblings, relatives and friends since they would not be at the same
party as you are. . If you are going to
attend a wedding or any formal gathering where you need to wear a very nice
outfit, borrowing or renting it is not a bad idea. Chances are, you'll never
wear that same outfit again, and so it would give you the look for very little
money compared to buying one.
7) Take
advantage of the incredible buys at consignment shops. These stores are full of
nearly new items that women have turned over to the store to sell, giving the
sellers a percentage of the profit. This is a particularly good source for
dressy clothes, as the women who bring clothes in have often purchased a
special occasion dress that they would not want to wear again. And you might
consider bringing in some of your own clothes to be put up on consignment; in
this case you might be given a discount or "trade-in" for an item you
would like to purchase.
8) Wait
for a sale. If you are eyeing a very nice dress that just came out and the
price is somewhat hard to stomach, wait for it to go on sale. Department stores
are known to slash prices on almost a weekly basis. Wait until your item goes
on sale before you buy it. Never buy full price if you know that department
store will put it on sale a month later. You would feel bad afterwards knowing
you could have gotten it at a much lower price. Trends stay a lot longer than
that so don't worry, your favorite dress will not go out of style right away.
a.
When going to a department store, check out the
clearance racks first. There are items being discontinued that are priced
between 50-75% lower than the original price. You may be able to pick up a
couple of good ones and still have money left over for a new pair of shoes and
some accessories.
b.
Buy at the end of the season. Look for sales,
especially at large department stores, where the season's merchandise is hugely
discounted. In addition to the 75 percent off , Sometimes these stores eventually
offer coupons for an additional percentage off--for as much as an additional 40
percent--in the local newspaper during the days of the sale. A $100 dress,
under such circumstances, would sell for $15.
9)
Don't wait to find a special occasion dress at
the last minute. Buy a couple of dressy outfits whenever you see them at
bargain prices; they'll be waiting in your closet for you when you need them.
10)
Always check all clothes you buy at bargain
prices for flaws before you pay for them---they may not be returnable.
Must Follow Tip:
Buy quality not quantity. Instead of
buying a dozen cheap dresses, save your money on a couple or more really nice
ones that are made of quality materials. Oftentimes, people think if they buy
cheaper clothes they are saving money. Though it may seem at first glance,
since your money bought more pieces, it does not always mean that you are
saving a lot. There are clothes that get worn out after only being used a
couple times.
Cheap clothing materials sometimes
shrink when you wash, so you would end up buying new clothes again if you see
they do not fit you anymore. Buying quality over quantity will save you more
money in the long run since they tend to last longer.
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