Fashion on a Budget

To many, being stylish is about spending money. Having the season’s hottest trends is expensive, and looking good means dipping into savings. However, there are many ways to look fashion forward while saving money.

Repurposing clothing is the easiest and most fun way to update a wardrobe. Taking a pair of scissors to an old t-shirt brings life in to a drab piece of clothing. Jeans can be customized (and turned into new party pants) by distressing and adding store-bought patches. Two garments can be cut apart and sewn back together to create a mix-print or colour-blocked look, and panels added to the hem of tops create interest and a one of a kind appearance.

Thrifting can be tough, but feels like a treasure hunt. Unique vintage pieces feel almost abundant at thrift shops, and the very on-trend “mom jeans” are easy to find. Event and everyday pieces can be purchased at very low prices, which makes shopping feel guilt-free.

Another tried and true way to find great clothes is to shop the sales. Many surplus style stores (i.e., Marshall’s, Ross) and saving stores (JCPenney, Kohls) have very low starting price points, and often collaborate with celebrities and designers to produce trendy clothing. While these items are already affordable, getting them on sale days, or near the end of a season can take the price down even further. Signing up for rewards programs can offer an additional bonus discount, and the cute clothes at ridiculously low prices makes the email spam completely worth it.

All in all, it is important to remember that there is no shame in where clothes come from, or how much they cost. Confidence with a dash of comfort is all it takes to pull off a look.