7 Money Saving Tips For The Fashion Lover
From a young age my mom always instilled in us to take pride in the way we looked. We didn’t have a lot but we did have clothing for different occasions. We had school clothes, church clothes and play clothes. I also remember sitting on her bed and watching her get ready for church and accessorizing her outfits. Honestly, to this day, I still sit on her bed while she picks out her outfits when I go to her house, only now I give my opinion. It’s no surprise that I take pride in my outfits and love putting outfits together and accessorizing! This is why I find so much joy sharing my personal everyday style with my followers on my Instagram.
One question I am often asked (half jokingly), is where are you getting all this money from when you share different outfits and new clothing? That’s a great question, as I am not given endless pieces or products from clothing companies and nor do I have a bottomless bank account (although I woldnt’t say no to either of those things).
The answer is simple. I shop smart.
Today I’m going to share my shopping savings tips that any fashion lover can use!
Shop the sales. I don’t spend my time in high end stores because frankly, I can’t afford them at this point in my life. I spend my time browsing stores like Zara, ASOS, VICI, H&M, Old Navy and Hudson Bay just to name a few. Some of these stores have great sales almost weekly, and if they don’t their price points are usually quite reasonable. Before I purchase anything I always look for sales. If there are no sales and I don’t want to pay full price for an item I flex my patient muscle and hold off until there is a sale.
Shop in the off season. At the end of every season almost every store has major sales to make room for the next seasons clothing coming in. This is where I shine. I buy a lot of summer pieces at the end of summer and tuck them away until the following year. Same goes for winter coats, sweaters and boots. I tend to stick to classic/basic pieces ensuring that they will be in style the following year. Yes, stock is limited but there are always hidden gems out there, you just have to look!
Shop the dupes. Sometimes this takes a bit of work to find, but there are always stores that carry high end look-a-like products for significantly less money. If you’re loving high end fashion I can almost guarantee that somewhere out there there is a similar or identical product for a fraction of the price - shop smart!
Use what’s already in your closet. If you look closely at my Instagram or LikeToKnow.it page there are a lot of repeat pieces, but I tend to change up the look and style. For example, you’ll see a lot of jeans on repeat, but I change up the entire look with different tops, layers, shoes, bags and accessories depending on my mood and the season. Spending a lot money isn’t always necessary when trying to achieve a different look. Before shopping, first look in your closet and try to make new outfits with what you have and then fill in whatever it is you’re missing.
Invest in classic pieces. In general my style is pretty classic and simple. When I shop I try to stick to buying pieces that I know I will wear year after year, and season after season, staple pieces in my closet that will not go out of style anytime soon. Yes, I’ll purchase the occasional trendy item, but I won’t spend a lot of money on it. Jeans, coats and more recently long cardigans are pieces I invest in without spending too much money. From time to time I may pay a little bit more for them but only if I know I will wear them for years. (Hint: I recently fell in love with ZARA jeans. Comfort, style and prices ranging from $50-$100 is a huge win!).
Limit certain seasonal shopping. I live in Canada, the weather three quarters of the year is cool/freezing and the other quarter is hot. I don’t spend a lot of money on my summer clothing because I will only wear it for 8-12 weeks of the year. I invest in a few pairs of shorts and tank tops and some sun dresses and that’s pretty much it - very minimalistic. I really limit my summer wardrobe and invest in pieces that I know I will wear those other three quarters of the year - like cozy knits!
Don’t buy it if you don’t have the cash. This is my biggest tip on saving money while shopping. If you don’t have the cash in your bank account don’t buy it. Don’t use credit, don’t go into overdraft. I love shopping. I love fashion and sharing my personal style - but not enough to go into debt over it. If you find yourself unable to afford something new, like I said earlier, check your closet and try making new outfits from existing clothing and accessories in your closet!
Loving fashion and wanting to invest in classic clothing doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money - you just have to learn to be smart about it!
What are some of your tips?
