Simple Shopping Tips To Stay On-Trend Without Breaking The Bank

It’s no secret that many of us are tightening our belts and trying to save at the moment. With living costs rising, it’s more important than ever to shop around, watch the pennies and try to make every pound stretch further. If you love fashion, it is possible to stay on-trend without breaking the bank. In this handy guide, we’ll outline some savvy shopping tips to help you look and feel amazing on a budget. 

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Embracing sustainable shopping

More and more of us are looking for ways to shop sustainably. A 2019 survey showed that almost 80% of us want to adopt more eco-friendly ways of living. Changing the way we shop and consume products is a great place to start. Shopping sustainably is not just beneficial for the environment. It can also be hugely cost-effective. 

There are lots of ways to be more sustainable when updating your wardrobe or freshening up your look. As well as looking for eco-conscious brands and opting for clothing made from natural materials, it’s also a brilliant idea to embrace recycling and customising clothes, swapping with friends and family members, buying second-hand and vintage clothes and prioritising quality over quantity. Every time you add an item to your basket, or consider buying something in a shop, ask yourself if you’re going to wear it and whether you really want it. So many of us are guilty of buying things because it’s convenient and quick and ending up with drawers or rails full of items with their tags intact. Organise a swap shop with friends and exchange clothes, raid charity shops for hidden vintage gems and make the most of pieces you already have. If you’re creative, you can use your talents to create bespoke garments or jazz up or repair items that have seen better days. 

Fashion trends seem to be cyclical, so it’s worth hanging onto pieces you love that might have fallen out of the must-have lists. There’s a good chance that in five, ten or even twenty years, they’ll be bang on-trend again. 

Creating a capsule wardrobe

One of the best ways to cut the cost of looking fashionable is to create a capsule wardrobe. The aim is to utilise a select number of pieces and mix and match items to produce an array of different looks. Invest in essentials and basics and start building your wardrobe. Think about your style and the types of clothes you like to wear. If you’re putting looks together for work, for example, and you like to wear trousers, you can mix and match cigarette pants, wide-leg trousers or tailored suit trousers with blouses, camis and jackets, fitted shirts and slim-fit tees and blazers for a slightly more casual look. For a casual wardrobe, team jeans, throw-on midi skirts and cotton or jersey dresses with oversized shirts, tees and vests, cardigans or sweaters. 

To refresh your capsule wardrobe, add a few statement pieces every season. This will enable you to cater to the conditions and experiment with new trends. Shop here for warm puffers, trendy jackets and tailored coats for cooler climes, or embrace patterns, prints and brights for summer with a couple of statement-making dresses, skirts or tops. Keep an eye on trends and pick and choose looks and pieces you love. You don’t have to recreate catwalk outfits or tick off every trend on the list to be stylish. Create ensembles that celebrate your style and make you feel confident. 

When you’re shopping for pieces for your capsule wardrobe, always focus on versatility and wearability when adding basics. If you’ve got a selection of plain, well-fitted camis, t-shirts, shirts, jumpers and blouses, you can put looks together quickly and easily simply by pairing them with trousers, jeans, skirts, shorts or dresses. 

Accessorising

Accessorising is an easy and affordable way to revamp any outfit. If you’re eager to inject some energy into your summer wardrobe, or you’re bored of wearing the same things every autumn, now is the time to use accessories to update your wardrobe without spending a fortune. Adding accessories can change your look in an instant and enable you to dress your favourite outfits up or down. Take an embellished collar necklace as an example. Adding this single piece will take you from day to night, elevating even the most understated little black dress, shift dress, blouse and trouser combination or jumpsuit. 

When you buy jewellery or sunglasses, hats, belts, bags or shoes, think about how you can use accessories to complement classic outfits and make different looks unique. You could lift a basic maxi dress with a clutch bag and a pair of wedges for a cool, summer outfit or dress a tailored suit down with a pair of trousers and oversized sunglasses, for example. 

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Taking advantage of discounts and deals

Brands and retailers often run promotions to encourage consumers to snap up bargains and proceed to the checkout with those items they’ve had on a wishlist for weeks. If you’re looking for new clothes and accessories, or you’re on the hunt for shoes, make sure you take advantage of discounts and deals. Sign up for discount websites to receive information about sales and offer codes and follow your favourite brands and stores on social media. Many companies offer introductory savings when you sign up to a newsletter and it’s also common to get a discount on your next purchase if you’re a new customer or you recommend a friend. 

Unless you’re in a hurry to buy clothes, or something you’ve wanted for ages has come back into stock and there are limited supplies, it’s wise to wait for a code to arrive in your inbox. Save items you like and then make your purchase when you have a voucher to use or a discount code to add at the checkout. Try to avoid buying items that you don’t want or need just because they’re in the sale or there’s a price drop.

If you shop at the same stores regularly, research loyalty programmes and make sure you’re benefiting from rewards. 

Looking for designer dupes

High street brands and online fashion businesses are heavily influenced by catwalk trends and celebrity and influencer style. If you see pieces you adore, but they have a designer price tag, take a look on the high street and browse online. Look for designer dupes available at a fraction of the price or buy vintage branded clothing. 

Shopping around

If you’re on a mission to save money, it’s advantageous to get used to shopping around. Whether you’re buying branded trainers or you’re searching for a new bag, you can use the Internet to compare prices, access deals and save money. All you need to do is enter an item code or words or phrases related to the specific item and browse the search results. You’ll find a list of links and adverts. You can compare savings and find the best value offers. When you shop online, take care to check security certificates and read reviews. Only shop with reputable, recognised brands. If the site doesn’t have a padlock in the top corner, exit and choose a different retailer. 

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Many of us love fashion and we like to look and feel good. At the moment, living costs are high and most people are feeling the squeeze. The good news is that you don’t have to break the bank to stay on-trend. There are several ways to freshen up your wardrobe without blowing your budget. Create a capsule wardrobe, embrace sustainable shopping and accessorise to design new looks from old pieces. Shop around for the best prices, look for designer dupes and take advantage of flash sales, discount codes and special offers.