Do you remember when you were younger, maybe in kindergarten or grade school, and there would always be a survey of questions at the beginning of the year? The common questions were “What is your favorite color?” “How many people are in your family?” and “What is your favorite season?” Almost every time, I would be one of the only kids whose answer was winter. Most people said their favorite season was summer because they loved the beach, or fall because the leaves were so pretty at that time of year. Not me, my answer was winter because I love clothing, and you are allowed to wear the most clothing in the winter time. I also love to feel cozy and I think that winter clothing is optimal for that. The only problem with my love of winter fashion, is that I cannot afford to be buying a whole new wardrobe every year. After a few seasons of spending too much money, and a few seasons of refusing to buy anything new, I finally found a balance. Lucky for you, I am here to share my tips and tricks so that you can look your best in this season’s trends without breaking the bank.
Assess Your Options
The first thing you should do is go through your entire closet and get rid of things that you have not worn for years and you do not plan on wearing this season. Even though this decision might come back to haunt you, chances are you will just be creating valuable real estate in your closet. Once you have whittled it down to the best of the best, you can see what types of things are wearable this season and what you should be looking for to pair with what you have.
Shop the Sales
During this time of year, there are so many sales going on that it may seem like this is the only time of year you should ever be shopping again. Some of the best brands, like New York and Company, offer amazing coupons and discounts to help you afford the amazing pieces from their regular collections. I would recommend looking around to see what other sales are happening before deciding where to focus your time.
Buy Second Hand
Shopping at a Goodwill or Salvation Army is not only affordable, but it is charitable as well. If you cannot find what you need at a store like that, there are also some great vintage or consignment stores online, and probably in your very own neighborhood. You would be shocked at how great and current some of their inventory might be.
Organize a Clothing Swap
This option can also double as a holiday party so you are killing two birds with one stone. Get your friends together for wine and finger foods while seeing whose clothes you can swap for your own. You can get ideas online to make this fun, but the idea is that everyone brings a few pieces of clothing that they would like to get rid of, and then there is a free for all on what you can take home.