How to Dress Well on a Tight Budget

It is very important that we dress well and look presentable everyday. Even if we wouldn't like it to be that way, first impressions are quite frequently the last impressions. Take a very simple example. You go to a cafe to meet a guy for the first time. The first thing you notice when you set your eyes on him is what he is wearing. What is he wearing? Is he properly dressed? Are the clothes in vogue? Are they well coordinated? It is the same case when we go on an interview. Guys should wear neatly polished shoes, ironed pants and prim shirts. Girls should see to it that their footwear and bag are well coordinated and goes with the outfit. The files, folders we carry, and the papers within them, should not have dog-ears.

This might be quite a daunting aspect for those of you who have a tight budget. How can you possibly afford to spend all your money on just one dress or one bag, or one pair of jeans? Well, here is the good news - you don't have to. One can look equally well-dressed by having to dish out a lot less money, and I am here to tell you how to do that. Find out how to dress well on a tight budget as you read on...

6 Sassy Tips!

Quite contrary to the popular belief, dressing well on a tight budget is absolutely possible. All it needs is a little bit of planning, and the correct information. Here are 6 sassy tips on how to dress well on a tight budget.

1] Store Brands
Store brands offer a range of clothing apparel and at much cheaper rates than high fashion brands. You would be saving a lot of money if you go in for such brands. Store brands usually offer something I like to call practical and affordable fashion. The styling of the clothes is pretty good. Most importantly, they are good on the pocket. Alfani (store brand of Macy's), NOBO i.e. No Boundaries (store brand of Walmart) are some such examples. Good quality fashion at affordable prices is what you will find at such stores.

Tip: Take a market survey and find out which are the best store brands available around your place. Pay a visit to as many as you can before you start picking stuff - you do not want to spend money on something you half liked only to discover something else in a different store that you like much more! Remember, you are on a tight budget.

2] Discounts and Sales
Make the most of discounts and sales when different stores and brands come up with them. The 'Sale' period is when you can get a really good bargain on the high fashion brands. However, chances are that even with discount, some brands may exceed your budget. The best thing to do at such times is to be prepared. Save up some cash so that you can spend it on such sales.

Tip: Keep a tab on the different high fashion brands around your place and when they have sales. A good way to do that would be to subscribe to (or lend from the local library) some good fashion magazines. Usually big brands announce their sales in magazines or in the newspapers. Keep your eyes open!

3] Modify
Who said just because clothes are old you have to dish them out? With a little bit of creativity (and a little bit of help from a fashion designer friend, if you have one) you can revamp your old clothes and make them look brand new! You can even buy plain clothes and modify them to suit your taste. Flea markets would be a good place to look at for knick-knacks to modify your clothes - beads, strings, scarves, anything. Here is one idea: you can take an old shirt and stitch hoops on the sides. Hang a beaded belt in it, and you have a chic new shirt!

Tip: Study different clothes crafted by fashion designers and try to understand their styles. Try to think of suitable replacements and adapt the same style in your own clothes. It will also serve to boost your creativity. Begin with a plain dress and jazz it up with sequins. An old pair of jeans can be cut to give you cropped pants or capris. Think MAD!

4] Fast Fashion
One of the biggest advantages of fast fashion brands is that they are affordable. They do not compromise on the style and fashion in any way in their bid to be affordable. So fast fashion could be a good go-between for dressing well on a tight budget. Zara is one of the leading fast fashion brands. If you take a look at their catalog or even take a tour of their website, you will be amazed at the different styles and fabrics they offer, at prices that make your wallet smile! Give it a thought.

Tip: Fast fashion sells like hot pancakes! So make sure to visit the store regularly so that you get the best pick on all different kinds of apparel. It would be a good idea to take a look at the websites of different fast fashion brands to have a cost-comparative account with you.

5] Capsule Wardrobe
The ultimate solution to dressing well on a tight budget would be to maintain a capsule wardrobe. This wardrobe has all the essential types of apparels, but in such colors and patterns that they can be very easily and efficiently mixed and matched with each other so that you get a new look every time. The best thing about a capsule wardrobe is that it cures shopaholism! You would be surprised at the number of different looks you can work up with only a set number of different clothes - try it! It is amazing.

Tip: Work out the different kinds of clothes that you like to wear, the clothes you wear the most, etc. before you go shopping for your capsule wardrobe. The capsule wardrobe of a teenager, a college student, a businesswoman, a working mom and a housewife would all be different. So plan and execute.

6] Design Your Own
This would be the best kind of tip I could ever give you if you are interested in fashion designing or are already a student of fashion designing. There can be nothing as cheap and as creatively satisfying as designing your own clothes. You get your own raw material. You design your own clothes. You wear them. You flaunt them! Your dressing style and wardrobe would hence be very unique, and it would have a characteristic flavor, as it would consist of designs all coming out of your own head. What's more, if your family and friends like what you wear, you could soon start your own store or something, right from your own backyard! Designing clothes could hence turn from a hobby to a source of income.

Tip: If you are not a professional fashion designer or a student of fashion designing, take the time to read up a few good books about the basics of tailoring. Learn the different techniques, the tips and tricks of the trade. When you begin with your first garment, make sure you do not splurge on the material. Begin with simple inexpensive stuff, gain the confidence and then move on to more ambitious projects.

Dressing well on a tight budget is not as difficult as it may seem. You need some time to plan things, some more time to make appropriate surveys, and then some time to actually go and shop. The best part is you need very little cash! One final tip I would like to give is - whatever you do, never buy fake clothes! People may not give a second thought to your store brand clothes probably, but wear a 'Lee Pooper' jeans, or carry a 'GUGGI' bag, and people are going to rolls their eyes and mock you! Never do it. Hope the above tips will help you look stylish, smart and sexy without emptying your bank account! Have fun!
By Mrunal Belvalkar
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