How to dress well on a budget

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Do you look at the fashion girlies on social media and around and envy how they always look put together and seem as though they are always wearing the perfect outfits? You might give yourself some explanation as to how this is possible: they make more money, have rich parents, or are influencers who both make more money and are sent free stuff, and you might be right, but those are not hindrances to you being more stylish.

I used to be one of those people who thought that you have to spend a lot of money to look fashionable, but watching people close to me dress so well on a small budget (sometimes on a student’s budget) proved to me that myth was untrue.

There is no denying that you can afford more with more money, but looking well-dressed does not have to depend on having a lot; you can learn better ways to style the pieces you already own and how to get more affordable quality pieces. In this post, I will be sharing some tips for dressing really well regardless of your budget, so keep reading for tips you’ll definitely find helpful.

1. Buy more neutral pieces

The first point on my list is to incorporate more neutral pieces into your wardrobe. This is in no way hindering you from buying bold and colorful items with lots of prints, but having a good amount of neutrals gives you pieces you can dress up in a variety of ways with the colorful pieces as accents.

For instance, a plain white Tee can be paired with a lot of bottoms and accessories without giving off the impression of constant repetition in comparison to a yellow graphic tee. You can still pull the yellow graphic tee off, but you are limited in what you can pair it with and how often you can wear it.

Another advantage of neutrals is that they go together with each other and a lot of other clothing items. You can simply pair them with something different, and you have a whole new outfit. Neutral pieces also tend to look more expensive for the price you pay compared to colorful outfits.

2. Choose quality

Oftentimes, I would get cheap clothing items thinking I was saving money, but in no time, the clothes would start having holes in them (usually “cotton” fabrics), or the jeans would wear out in the crotch area, and I’d have to get a new one. This hindered me from building a wardrobe as the clothes weren’t there to stay, and their lifespan was too short. I had to keep buying new ones to replace the worn-out ones.

Most times, we buy lower-quality clothes because they are a bit cheaper, and getting more items for the price of one quality one seems like a steal. Don’t fall for this trap; you will go through those clothes as you go through toilet paper. Ok, maybe not as fast, but I had to exaggerate a little to emphasize my point. Make an effort to choose more quality fabrics. Sometimes they might even be the cheaper option.

Even if you don’t know how to identify higher-quality items, search on YouTube. There are stylists there who go into detail about seams, color dyes, stretch, etc. I highly recommend learning how to spot more quality items so you can get more for your bucks.

3. Thrift

Unless you personally have a problem with wearing used clothes, thrifting is a great way to find quality and unique clothes for a fraction of the price they would normally go for. And if you prefer clothes that haven’t been worn, you can also find some at thrift stores with their tags on them.

Some people prefer buying second-hand designer outfits because they are a lot cheaper. I think it’s one of the best places you can find good-quality jeans that would last you a long time for a very affordable price. Whatever your preferred items are, you should find something you like in a thrift store near you.

4. Repurpose old outfits

If you have a piece of clothing you like the fabric so much but are over the style, consider altering it a little bit. You can have a new style you love afterward. This tip works well with jeans. You can simply give it a rip here and there to give it a distressed look. You can also change the buttons or sleeves of a blouse to give it a look that fits your current style

5. Take advantage of sales

If there are clothing items that you need in your wardrobe but are on the pricier side, you can wait for when they are on sale to get a discount. Seasonal and holiday sales are usually where you get a really good discount.

So, while you wait for sales to come crawling around, make sure you do a little research on what items you need and where you plan on buying them from to prevent you from shopping impulsively, so make sure you are buying items you were going to get anyway and not random ones.

6. Less is more

Point number six on how to dress well on a budget is that less is more. This article would be incomplete if I didn’t mention the power of simplicity. You can go all out with several layers of clothing if you want to, but more often than not, a simpler outfit does the trick.

You can look elegant and stylish while wearing less. Less color, fewer prints, fewer textures. This makes the little color and textures you add to standout.

7. Resell your outfits

This tip should motivate you to declutter. A lot of times, we have clothes sitting in our closet for a long time that aren’t worn. See if these clothes would be better in a new home. You can donate some of them to charity, and you can sell a few on reseller apps like Poshmark and Depop.

One advantage of this is that you get to free up space in your closet and only keep clothes you actually wear. Another advantage is that you can use the money from the sold clothes to buy more clothing items to fill your wardrobe.

8. Less impulsive shopping

This highly depends on self-control. Following all these tips above but still shopping impulsively would be like taking a step forward and two steps backward. With impulsive shopping, you buy things you don’t need and sometimes wouldn’t wear much, and you most likely would regret your purchase afterward. On top of that, it drains your account.

Do what you have to do to keep your impulsive shopping under control; perhaps you can shop with a friend who can hold you accountable, shop with a card that has a limited amount of cash, etc.

9. Swap with your friends or family

Another really good way to find really nice items is to swap with friends, sisters, or even your Mom. Sometimes we outgrow some clothes; they may not fit our new body or are no longer our current style. The same thing happens with your sisters and friends. You can organize a swap where you go over the things each person is no longer wearing that are still of great quality and try them out to see if you like them.

That can be a new addition to your wardrobe. Your sisters or friends can do the same with your items as well. This is an amazing way to repurpose clothes. Less pollution to the environment as well. Definitely a win!

10. Learn to tailor your own clothes or pay to tailor them

The last point on this list of how to dress well on a budget is to learn to tailor your own clothes. You can get a sewing machine for any budget. There are some mini ones you can find on Amazon for less than $50 that work perfectly fine for adjusting your outfit. Or maybe you already have a sewing machine and don’t need to get one. In that case, all you have to do is learn basic sewing patterns or brush up on old skills if you are already familiar with sewing.

Tailoring your outfits will make a hell of a difference when you shop. You have a lot more options. You can buy thrift items that are a little oversized or a little more vintage and tweak them to your liking. And if you can not be bothered with doing it yourself, find an affordable place that can get it done for you. They would probably look a lot nicer when done by someone with a lot of experience.