Multiple women struggle to be fashionable without spending extreme amounts of money. Fashion is a way for someone to express themselves through their style. However, it is almost impossible to be stylish without following the latest trends. Read more for some tips and tricks for fashion on a budget.

1. Invest in Neutrals 

I can not stress this enough, buy neutrals!! In order to be stylish, it’s extremely important to have a good base of neutrals in your wardrobe. Here is a list of items that should always be available in your wardrobe. 

• Black blazer
• White shirt
• White, black, nude t shirt / tank tops  
• Nude coat
• Black coat
• Black dress
• Black, white hoodie
• Black, white joggers
• Black jeans 

Fashion indeed is full of colors and different patterns, however neutrals are not as monotonous or repetitive, it’s a main component of an outfit. Once you have a neutral base, you can then add a pop of color, or  matchy accessories. Neutrals are mainly nude, white, black, gray, and camel. 

2. Don’t focus too much on latest trends

They are all called trends for a reason, they are temporary not permanent. It would be a total waste of money to spend a lot on trends that will disappear after a couple of months. Budgets vary from different people, therefore if you really like a trending item, the best thing to do is spend a small amount by not getting it from designer brands. 

Some people use the latest trends to base their style, as they struggle and trends inspire them. Therefore, if you are one of those people, I would advise you to organize a fixed budget that will cover your shopping expenses in terms of the latest trends every couple of months. 

The question one should ask themselves before investing in a trendy item is: Will I wear it in a couple of years or will it be at the back of my wardrobe full of dust? The answer would be yes if you are a person that does not rely on trends, you have your own fashion identity and already have a precise style. However if the answer is no, then you should not be spending all your money on the latest trends. 

3. Keep up with sales online & offline

Nothing beats online sales, we have all heard about the crazy sales online steeping as low as 99p. Offline sales are mostly seasonal sales such as summer sales or winter sales, however online, there are many year round sales at unexpected times that end quickly. 

You should also keep up with seasonal sales for certain high end brands where you can get an item from your wishlist at a low price. The main online sales are on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, and Easter. 

4. Invest on timeless designer items 

Investing in classic designer pieces is a smart idea, I mean you will be spending some good money on designer items, however they are timeless. They are always trendy, do not go out of fashion, and can always be worn to complete outfits. Personally, I believe that it is totally worth it to save up during the year to buy a designer item that will last long. 

Many designer websites have made available on their homepage a section for the classics category, staples that go with any outfit. 

5. Vintage, thrift, second-hand  

Another great idea to save up yet be fashionable, is to shop at vintage stores, thrift shops, and second hand pieces. Thrift shops offer stylish clothing, and to be honest, thrift shopping is definitely trendy at the moment, and provides a fun experience. 

Thrift shops also allow the shopper to get items that he or she couldn’t get before, the clothes are usually great quality and should look great after a quick wash. 

On the other hand, vintage clothing automatically means stylish, old pieces that are timeless, and become trendy after a couple of years. We have all witnessed the comeback of mom jeans, baguette bags, etc.. 

Second-hand or pre owned goods are also a great way for saving up on designer items. If you really want that Gucci bag or those channel sliders, you can easily get them for half price through pre-owned shops or online websites. On a personal note, my favorite pre-owned app to use is Vestiaire Collective, a very famous website/app that offers thousands of designer items for everyone’s tastes. 

6. Closet clean outs 

Don’t you think that selling some of your own clothes that you don’t particularly wear would help you save up? I do! 

That is why I would advise you to filter out your wardrobe, take out that dusty sweater you don’t wear from the back of your wardrobe and sell them on an online marketplace. My favorite apps to use are Depop & Vinted. 

Closet clean outs are so important in order to keep up with fashion, getting rid of the pieces that are never worn would allow you to earn money and therefore save up to buy new trendy items. 

7. No impulsive purchases 

Impulsive behavior leads to regret, guilt, and most probably you being broke! Shopping should be a fun experience not an experience that leads to impulsive behavior. 

If your wardrobe has everything and you don’t need anything new, there is no need to buy something that is first of all not worth it, and secondly a complete waste of money. This kind of behavior leads the person to not respect their budget by buying items they don’t necessarily need, and having a closet full of nothing homogenous to complete outfits. 

8. Plan your shopping sprees 

Planning your shopping sprees allows you to organize yourself, know when you will be spending money on clothes, how much money you will be spending, what you will be buying more or less. 

Another great way to organize yourself regarding shopping, is to make a wish list of items you need/want, according to certain categories such as clothing, accessories, shoes. This would allow you to not impulsively buy items you don’t necessarily need. 

9. Alternatives for trends 

A great way to keep up with the latest fashion trends is to shop at stores such as ZARA, PRIMARK, ASOS that are always up to date with fashion trends. These stores always offer the same trendy items that you see in designer brands yet at a lower price, therefore you get to participate in the trend, be stylish, without exceeding your budget. 

10. Websites that offer sales 

There are many websites that offer sales, such as: 

• Lyst 
• Asos
• Shein 
• Theoutnet 

Lyst and Theoutnet have designer items that are sometimes on sale up to 70%. Asos is an online marketplace that groups many brands, different styles that also sometimes has sales. Shein on the other hand, is the cheapest one of all, with so many sales throughout the website in different categories. Of course the quality differs from website to another, from brand to another, however everything depends on the shopper’s tastes and preferences. 

11. Rule of three 

The rule of three is one of my favorite tricks to save up while shopping. Basically, you go to a store and you really love a white shirt. The smart thing to do is to think about 3 ways you can wear that shirt, with 3 different outfits. This simply helps you save up by buying one shirt that can be worn three ways or even more if you are creative enough! 

Now imagine doing this with all of the items you buy, you would actually save up so much and end up with so many fashionable outfits! Also, if you think of it, imagine buying pants that you know you will wear only once or twice in your life, is it really worth it? Not in my opinion, especially if they are expensive and will lead me to exceeding my budget! 

12. Don’t underestimate accessories 

Accessories are so important when building an outfit, they are not the base of the outfit, but they are definitely complementary. Accessories allow you to spice up the outfit by adding either jewelry, glasses, bag, scarf, hat, etc.. 

Imagine yourself on a turquoise beach, having dinner by the sea during sunset time, golden tan, and wearing gold earrings with a white dress! Wouldn’t it elevate the outfit by making you look classy yet exotic? It can add up so much to a fit, for example, you can wear a simple all white or all black outfit but enhance it by adding a pop of color with a stylish bag or cool sunglasses. 

Accessories catch people’s eyes and make your outfit look 10 times more stylish. Accessories can be bought from any store according to one’s budget running from 3 pounds to 150 pounds or more.