10 Easy Ways To Save Money On Clothes
Clothes are a forbidden area of discussion especially for ladies, and today I write about 10 simple ways we can spend less on clothes, without looking less stylish. Gentlemen, don’t look away just yet, these tips could prove useful for the sister, girlfriend, wife, or even for you.
How many outfits do we need to be happy? 5 outfits? 10? 2 closet-fuls? The answer is as subjective as it is emotional, and this post isn’t about dictating how much is enough, but about cultivating spending habits that lead to less wastage, and more saving. If you have additional tips or suggestions, I’d love to read them so please leave a comment below.
1. Shop Out Of Season: Always buy seasonal outfits after the season has passed, and you will be able to get great clothes at a reasonable price. An example of this is shopping for warm clothes (sweaters, trenchcoats, boots etc) during hot weather. Most of us, myself included tend to shop for these items when the cold weather starts, which means we pay a premium for them. However, if you went shopping for a trench coat in September for example, you’re likely to get a great deal, because most stores will be clearing old stock, to bring in sunny-weather clothes. Weather patterns are fairly predictable, a little planning will save you some money.
2. Reposition Old Clothes: Be creative and a bit fashion adventurous, and convert your old clothes into alternative items of clothing. For example, jeans cut-offs were in fashion a couple of months back, and most ladies bought a pair or two. It would have however cost them nothing to make cut offs out of a pair of old jeans. One can also make skirts out of old dresses, short skirts out of longer skirts, beach shorts out of jeans etc. If DIY isn’t your favourite hobby, consider enlisting the services of a reasonably priced tailor to make interesting pieces out of old clothes.
3. Own Classic Outfits: I’d like you to do a little experiment for me. If your Mom was born in the 50s and 60s, look through her album, then on a random day, sit outside a shopping mall, and study what’s fashionable today. Do the platform heels, afros and super mini skirts resemble your moms from the 1970s? Well, that tells us something: fashion is cyclical. Fashion is also fickle, in that what’s fashionable today will not be in a couple of months. Instead of revamping your wadrobe every 6 months to be fashion relevant, it’s advisable to spend on classics that stand the test of time. For example, I wore a dress to church this Sunday, which I bought back in 2008, and I’m willing to bet it will be as fashionable 5 years from now. Fashion blogs give lots of advice on buying classics, learn from them.
4. Buy The Basics From Generic Brands: By basics I mean common items like white tee shirts, socks, black trousers, skirts etc. Other than to the very critical eye, it’s very hard to differentiate a designer white tee shirt, from a generic white tee shirt. Save yourself some money by buying the basics cheap, then pairing them up in an outfit with pricier, unique pieces.
5. Second hand / thrift stores: This is unacceptable to a select few, but for the rest of us frugal lot, we save a lot by buying second hand clothes. All you need is to develop a quick eye for quality, and get to the market early enough for the best selection. Alternatively, spot a store that stocks second hand clothes and you could get good deals especially if you’re good at bargaining.
6.Invest in good shoes and a bag: The fashion experts say that good shoes and a bag make an outfit, and it’s never the reverse. Splurge on a few pairs of great shoes and classic handbags, and you never have to worry about not having 5 closet-fuls of clothes.
7. Sell what you no longer need: You can sell clothes you no longer need to your friends, or even second hand dealers. This will generate a little money, which you can use to buy new clothes (or even save).
8. Watch how you wash: Most of us spend so much money on clothes because of poor washing methods, which lead to deterioration of the fabric or even damage. A garment that’s for “dry clean only” will last longer if you don’t dunk it in water. Washing whites seperately, and rinsing them properly ensures you will not need to bleach them, and as a result they last longer.
9. Make a list: Most of us are impulse clothes shoppers. We plan and maybe save for clothes, but go into the shops / market without a clear idea what outfits we’d like to add to our collection. Make a plan beforehand, with a specific list of items you’d like to buy, colours and target price you’d want to pay for them. If you don’t get them, resist the urge to buy aimlessly, and keep window shopping.
10. Buy clothes that fit NOW! Resist the urge to buy smaller size clothes because you plan to start dieting and will soon fit into them. That rarely happens, and the clothes end up lying idle in the closet for years. Buy outfits that fit now, if you lose weight, you can always have them resized.
Here’s to embracing frugality in clothing choices.
