5 TIPS TO SHOP AND LOOK FASHIONABLE ON A BUDGET

Hello lovely readers, I hope you all are getting ready for the weekend, as the weekend draws closer, and the grand festive period is around the corner, shopping and spending is on everyone’s mind. So I got an e-mail from someone who wants to shop early for Xmas before the rush, she sent me her list and budget, off course the budget was inversely proportional to her list. I scheduled a meeting with her and here are the shopping tips we put together which made her get her shopping right. To look fashionable on a budget, here are tips to follow

Fashion is about dressing according to what is fashionable, Style is more about being you - in memory of OSCAR DE LA RENTA

 

MAKE A BUDGET- making a budget involves you making a list, to make a list, you need to know what you already have, what you should discard, what you need, what you can’t afford and most importantly what you don’t need. Raid and clean up your wardrobe for you to find out (you don’t need to raid every time you want to shop, just once in a while), in making a list, think carefully about what item would suit your lifestyle and how much money you want to spend, remember not to exceed your budget ( a pen and paper is needed or a spread sheet like an excel software which we now have on our smart phones . Take note of the difference between NEEDS and WANTS.

 

IGNORE TRENDS, GO FOR QUALITY TIMELESS CLASSICS - As hard as this may sound to trend lovers, it is a very necessary step to looking fashionable on a budget.  To achieve this, you have to learn to “create your own style” define your own style by knowing what works for you, to know what works for you, check your wardrobe for the fashion item and colour you have the most. Trend is something that is very popular for a while and then goes quickly out of style, that it is trending doesn’t mean it suits you. Avoid Trends unless you genuinely like them,  Fill your wardrobe with Timeless pieces that can serve you in anytime, season and can’t go out of style, wardrobe essentials such as sweat shirt, oxford shoes, polo, tie, sun glasses and THE BASIC FASHION MUST HAVE. In going for Timeless pieces, I would rather QUALITY over QUANTITY (Quality can be sometimes expensive, but trust me it is real investment that will last for many years to come)

 BUY ONLY WHAT LOOKS GOOD ON YOU AND WHAT YOU NEED- To achieve this, you need to decongest your wardrobe by giving out items you have over grown or items you don’t need, discard old worn out items, don’t buy something because someone else has it, don’t buy things to impress anyone, buy things because you need them and you feel comfortable in them. You need to know your body type, your complexion, what colours suits your skin tone, what compliments or flatters your body type, pay attention to prints, fabric type and stripes. For example: a plus size person should avoid tops with horizontal stripes, as it makes them look bigger. A short person who wants to appear tall can purchase tops with vertical stripes, someone with a triangular body shape should avoid a pencil skirt or skinny jeans, if you are very dark skinned and feel the need to wear black, please add a pop of colour to your accessories or shoes.

BE CREATIVE- To be creative, you need to be versatile, you need to update your look a bit each season by Revamping, Restyling, accessorizing, altering, mixing and matching your clothing.  You can go through fashion magazines, fashion websites, download fashion apps or employ the services of a stylist (you can send me a mail if you need styling tips). HERE is one of my styling tips on how to wear one cloth in different ways, for different occasions and different seasons. Accessories such as belts and jewelries are a great must have.

THRIFTING / ONLINE SHOPPING- If you must shop online which is fast and convenient for me, you need to check out for online retail stores with friendly return policy, check out for bargains, coupon codes,  promos. Here in Nigeria, we hardly get thrift stores, thrift stores are stores where fairly used clothes are sold. Stores such as PEP store and Mr. Price here in Nigeria where you can get stuffs that aren’t too pricy. There are other places where you can get fairly used items, if you must get fairly used items, you have to check the label for washing, ironing tips and also wash thoroughly. NB: when you need something, referring to your list and it isn’t on sale; make do with what you have until what you need is marked down.

 

I said 5 tips, but this last tip is optional, as it raised arguments between me, my friends and my clients. I like to advice extravagant spenders to leave their ATM cards at home, so as to avoid the thought of withdrawing extra cash, thereby not sticking to the list. The argument is that they need extra cash as miscellaneous if hypothetically they get into trouble.  So if you are a student with pocket money or a working class on a budget yet want to look fashionable and stylish, follow these tips above, be disciplined about it and thank me later.