Want to look great without breaking the bank? Good news. You can look great and save money. Check out our style guide on how to dress fashionably on a budget.
Are you bored with your clothes?
Do you look in the closet every morning and wish you had the funds for a whole new look? We’ve all been there.
It’s hard to learn how to look stylish on a budget, but not impossible. We’ve got a guide for you below.
Make an Inventory
We know, this post is supposed to be about shopping, but stick with us. Are you the person who needed more shirts about three months ago, didn’t realize they had enough and now have no drawer space?
That may be a lived experience. To combat this, you need to notice what you have and what you don’t. If you have only t-shirts, you need two or three nice basic blouses.
If you only have clubbing skirts, two or three work friendly skirts, etc. Only jeans? Buy a pair of color pants.
Knowing what you need keeps you from frivolously spending your budget.
Host a Clothes Swap
A lot of people assume they can’t dress well for cheap because that would mean buying new clothes. They’re wrong.
You know who else probably wants something new in their closet? Your friends! You know who’s clothes are new to them?
Yours!
Invite a group of five or so friends to do a clothing swap. Everyone brings five or more pieces of clothing they never wear and you get to shop their closets – for free.
Just make sure you wash them and there are no holes or loose seams first.
Shop Vintage
There are so many people who don’t like second-hand clothes, but it’s hard to see why. Yes, someone else wore them, but clothes are washable. You’re always going to wash what you get from thrift stores when you get home right away.
They even have high-scale consignment stores, where you can get brand names secondhand. Yes, you may feel like you need a shower after you dig through so many racks, but where else can you find Dooney and Burke purses for $20?
PS – if you want to clean pre-owned leather, use sensitive skin baby wipes.
Online Thrifting
Thread Up is apparently the largest second-hand clothes store online. You send them your clothes and they list them for you, like eBay.
They’ll only take clothes in good condition they think they can sell. The prices are reasonable, but not like Goodwill reasonable.
Other ideas are Mercari or the Real.
Know Where to Thrift
If you go to a goodwill or even a nice secondhand store in rural Kansas. . . you may not find much. Make it a point to do your thrifting in towns with high incomes – or at least towns that have pockets of rich people.
Rich people are known for donating a lot to get money off their taxes. If you can, hit up a second-hand store on vacation in a fancy town. You never know what you’ll find.
How to Dress Fashionably
With those tips in mind, all you need is a few really good basic pieces. If you find something high end for a low price too, that’s great.
Base your outfits around one pattern or accent piece and stick to basics underneath. It’ll look effortless and like you know how to dress fashionably on a budget female.
For more fashion tips, click into our fashion advice here.
