Have you ever found yourself staring at your closet full of clothes and think that you have absolutely nothing to wear at work tomorrow? You are certainly not alone. Buying clothes is an expensive pastime and a necessary evil. Still, owning a wardrobe you will love while sticking to a budget you can afford is never an easy task.
And while in the perfect world, shopping would be a fun adventure for all, real-time stats say that Americans spend nearly $2,000 per year on clothing, cutting a nice portion of their paychecks for clothes, shoes, and accessories. So, how can you trim the bill and still manage to look amazing and trendy?
We understand that it’s downright essential to feel good about the way you dress, but that doesn’t mean that you should blow your budget to stay fashionable and trendy. And acknowledging how to spend less on apparel is a fantastic way to reduce your household spending.
In order to find the right answers, we’ve turned our attention to industry experts who were kind enough to speak with our editors and offer some profound tips and tricks. Here are the four tips you should know upfront, in order to keep up with your fashion expenditures while still getting the looks you love.
1. Embrace Online Shopping With Online Catalogues
Online shopping offers an excess of options, bursting with newly arrived pieces on an everyday basis. Plus, there are many online stores and platforms that sell items exclusively online and cannot be found in physical stores. Online shopping is always easy, fun, time-efficient, and you can always find discounted items, save money, and buy top-quality clothing at the same time.
Speaking of online shopping, online stores, and money-saving techniques to shop for clothes and fashion accessories, don’t forget to browse and seriously consider online shopping catalogues. Catalogues, like our editor’s favorite Catalogues247.co.uk, have become extremely popular in recent years and for a good reason. If you’re trying to lower your fashion expenditures for the upcoming period, try online catalogues where you’ll be able to find a large variety of fashion products, favorable prices, fair return policies, free delivery, various credit options, and the ability to shop from the comfort of your living room.
2. Shop Your Clothing Out Of Season
The law of supply and demand affects prices, and that comprises the cost of clothing as well. The best time to shop for clothes is when they’re out of season, so demand is low, and so are the prices. Shopping for clothes before you actually need them is a great way to keep up with your fashion expenditures, but the process requires you to plan ahead of time.
Smart shoppers check the clearance racks at their favorite stores for off-season shopping, like winter clothes that haven’t sold by the following spring. This way, they can find sales and deep discounts on the outwear they’ll wear the next time the weather is cold. Here’s how to shop out of season:
- Shop for the future rather than the present moment. In May, winter jackets are cheaper than those sold in December, and swimsuits are always priced down in December and January.
- Always shop directly after a particular season ends. Department stores frequently have clearance sales on coats and sweaters in early spring or have priced down tank tops and shorts at the beginning of fall.
- Plan ahead. When fixing your wardrobe, pay close attention to what items you lack for the upcoming season. Add them to your shopping wishlist and see if you can buy the items out of season.
3. Take Better Care Of Your Clothes
Clothes will last longer if you take better care of them. Small upkeep tricks can help your clothing stay in top shape for more extended periods. Here’s how you can take better care of your wardrobe:
- Wash your clothes less. Even though this sounds like an obnoxious option for many people, sturdy clothes like sweaters and jeans can be aired out and re-worn numerous times before a smell is noticeable. Repeated washings can result in clothes wearing down quicker, so you might want to drop heavier textiles out of the washing cycle for a few weeks.
- Hand washes your delicate items like high-quality sweaters or bras, as hand washing is easier on them than a machine washer and dryer. Additionally, make sure to read the washing instruction labels before you take care of them, as many items are marked explicitly as “hand wash only”.
- Canvas storage containers and vacuum storage bags can keep your clothes safer, cleaner, and less susceptible to damage.
4. Buy Clothes For The Life You Live
Clothing brands are great at convincing people that changing their lives is as effortless as changing their outfits. Those white linen shorts and nautical t-shirts will have you lounging on a yacht if you just purchase them. A $450 cashmere pullover will lead to cozy nights in front of the fire with your dream significant other. Sorry to disappoint, but the chances of those scenarios happening are really slim.
If you want to spend less on clothing and apparel, industry insiders suggest that everyone should shop for the life they are currently living. If you spend a lot of money on clothing for the fantasy version of your life, you are risking to end up owning a lot of clothes in your wardrobe and practically nothing to wear.
Once you give up on aspirational shopping, your fashion expenditures will undoubtedly plummet. Strive to fill up your wardrobe with fashion pieces that you’ll actually wear, not because you want to be the kind of person who does.
Final Words
We are all guilty of contributing to the big apparel and fashion market. Our four smart tips are common sense on their own, but when they line up together to form a coherent apparel strategy, they tend to reinforce each other and lower your fashion expenditures. Use them wisely and trim your fashion expenses now.
