Make Your Wardrobe the Best it Can Be for as Little Money as Possible

Most every person in the world has unlimited wants but limited resources to use to purchase the goods they want or fulfill their other wants, in economics this is referred to as scarcity. The idea of scarcity is one that is faced by many women and even men when it comes to their wardrobes. For people who like to be fashionable and dressed attractively in all situations the desire to continually update their wardrobes can be an expensive and time consuming venture. Yet, there are several techniques that people can use to improve, rejuvenate or maintain their wardrobe without spending as much money as if they were to just purchase goods of the rake. There are ten techniques discussed in this article to help any person improve their wardrobe, shop till they drop, and change their look while keeping the cost to a minimum.

1) Price per Wear

Some clothing items can be considered investments, while others a person might only wear once or twice. For items that are trendy but that might not be fashionable for long or are only going to be worn to a single event it is important to consider how much the item is actually worth to a person. A good way to calculate if it is worth splurging on a designer item or buying the discount brand knockoff item is the idea of price per wear. For example, a black designer suit jacket might cost $300 so if the jacket is of a classic cut and is of good quality you might wear it up to 2 times a week for work for a year, this would be that you would wear the jacket 104 times so for every time you wear the jacket it only costs you $2.88. This is a good way to look at clothing items in a more practical manner than just by the price on the tag.

2) New to You

There is no shame is shopping at second hand stores, as long as you follow a few simple rules. First, it is important to make sure the items that one purchases at a second hand store are clean, free of holes or damage and fit correctly. Remember that just because someone else owned the garment before and the a person is getting it a great price does not mean that it does not need to look nice and fit properly. Secondly, there are great stores to buy pre-owned designer and high-end clothing labels in many high-end shopping districts in larger cities. Lastly, try all items on before leaving the store, think of a second hand store, no differently than your favorite department store, and shop in just the same way.

3) Quantity vs. Quality

In the world of clothing and fashion most consumers only have a limited amount of funds that they are able and willing to spend on their wardrobe. This idea of scarcity can lead a person to choose to purchase numerous low quality items for their set budget or they could buy just a few high quality items for the same amount. What is a better idea is to have a good balance between high quality classic items and less expensive trendy pieces. Generally, more expensive items of clothing are made of better fabrics and will last and look better longer. Yet, why would someone spend big money on something that might only be fashionable for a particular season? The idea of quantity vs. quality is a common theme related to most consumer products.

4) Trade it Up

A great way for women to revamp, mix up and update their wardrobe for free or practically free is to host a clothing swap meet with their friends. A clothing and accessory swap meet is when a group of friends get together for drinks and snacks, everyone invited to the event brings items out of their closet that they no longer want or that no longer fit. Then, everyone trades their clothing, shoes and accessories with their friends. Additionally, it is not important that everybody at the event are of similar size because shoes, purses and accessories can be worn and traded by women that wear most any size of clothing.

5) Classically Beautiful

Some items are always in style. These items include a great pair of black pumps, a nice black suit jacket, a white collared dress shirt and pearls. By investing in quality classic pieces that never go out of style a person always has something appropriate to wear without having to run out and buy a new outfit for every event that a person attends.

6) Google It

If shopping for a particular article of clothing, look online first. By shopping online before going out a person can save money in a couple of ways. First, they will know which stores have the item they want or a similar item available this will save them time, energy and gas money, since they will not have to drive all over town. Additionally, a person can compare prices at stores before going so that they are better able to get the item or items they would like at the best possible price.

7) Budget, Budget, Budget

A person should never go shopping without either a firm budget on the amount of money they would like and are able to spend on that day or exact goals on the items that they would like to purchase. By having a budget or plan set when a person leaves home they are much less likely to have buyers remorse or to buy things that they do not want or cannot afford.

8) Rent It

There are numerous sites online that allow women to rent designer shoes, purses and accessories rather than purchasing them. These way women can wear their favorite designer brands for a small monthly amount rather than investing in a several hundred or thousand dollar handbag. Simple pay the monthly rent on the item until tired of it, it is out of style or ready for a different look and send it back and get another one.

9) Change it Up

Fashion is an ever-changing world and it might seem almost impossible to keep up with the latest trends. Yet there is always some way to make the clothing that a person already has more hip and trendy without having to purchase a whole new wardrobe. By being creative and crafty a person can change the entire look of an article of clothing. Additionally, if a person has simple classic items in their wardrobe it is easy to follow the latest trends by using accessories.

10) Learn to Sew

A skill that all people should have is to be able to mend their own clothes. Being able to simply replace a popped button, fix a small piece of the seam or to even be able to hem ones on pants can save a person large sums of money and also help maintain their wardrobe in tip-top condition.