Save or Splurge: how to save money on clothes

Building and maintaining a wardrobe is expensive. I’ve always considered it an investment myself, but this doesn’t mean every item needs to cost a fortune! On the contrary, through years of shopping mistakes and successes, I learned what items are most effective to save money on. I created a simple, two-part guideline for myself. Part 1:  Save money on items that won’t visually impact my outfit. Part 2:  Spend less on items I wear less frequently and have a shorter closet lifespan. Here are my top 5 picks to spend less on…

Camisoles
Camisoles are a closet essential, but you don’t have to spend more than a few dollars on these. A beautiful and expensive camisole likely isn’t going to look any different under that slightly sheer blouse than a Forever 21 cami. I even like to wear camisoles under opaque button-up blouses just in case a button, or two or three, accidentally slips. (Side note—I learned that lesson the hard way.) I almost exclusively purchase the Classic Cotton-Blend Cami for $1.90 from Forever 21, of which I own at least ten. Especially if you’re $7 from that free shipping minimum, it never hurts to buy a few extra!

Very Trendy Items
Some trends stick around for a while, but those that are probably going out in a season or two don’t need your extra money. This is when you start thinking about closet lifespan, meaning how long you will use the item. Costume jewelry often falls in this category. Remember those Dior tribal earrings everyone had to have for a season? You don’t see them so much anymore. Conversely, I would argue that over-the-knee boots are a trend with staying power, so I’m okay spending more on them.

Colors You Wear Infrequently
I think almost everyone has a color palette they wear more frequently. For me, I most heavily wear white, black, camel, red, blush and blues. To optimize your spending, I recommend purchasing your less frequently worn colors at lower price points. So if I see a cute but pricey yellow sweater by Helmut Lang, I will instead select a less expensive option from a retailer like Topshop or Asos.

Socks
95% of the time no one is going to see your socks. Personally, I am almost never wearing matching socks and no one knows the difference. In every day life it doesn’t matter what is hiding deep inside your boots. I’m currently loving the Kate Spade socks that say, “baby its cold outside,” not to mention the matching sweater, but its $10 per pair. And prices on name brand designer socks just go up from there. Instead I can get my cute sock fix at Forever 21 for as low as $1 a pair. I’ve currently got my eye on fuzzy cat socks for my next order!

Holiday Specific Items
That cute Halloween t-shirt or festively-ugly Christmas sweater won’t get pulled out of your closet very often. My cousin was just showing me a Christmas-themed beanie she wants. As cute as they are, I know from experience that I’m usually lucky to get more than a wear or two out of a holiday specific item. So I am all for getting in the spirit of each and every holiday opportunity, but I will be doing it on the cheap.

Do you have any tips on how to save money on clothes? Share any of your thoughts below!

Love you, Mandy