I'm almost done with my degree and I am tired of wearing Converse and hoodies on a regular basis. I want to dress up and look nice... kind of diversify my look a little.
I asked a cousin of mine who always has such nice clothes how she was able to get a completely fashionable wardrobe.
She offered me one great tip: ''buy one article of clothing a week''. This made complete sense to me. I'm a student with a not so generous income.
My previous attitude in regards to shopping was to bulk buy every few months or so (I suppose I thought that was the only possible way to go shopping but it definitely isn't!). The downside of bulk buying is that it forces me to shell out a lot of money at one time, plus I am also missing out on the latest trends because I won't buy anything new until months later (bad... I know -______-). Not to mention that if you go shopping for a few hours, especially on a busy weekend, you get so tired and you just want to go home so you don't try on everything (guilty as charged >___>). When you get home, you vow to never shop again and you don't shop until you absolutely have to.
And who knows, maybe I'll change my taste in clothing along the way? This is another reason why I advocate buying little but a little bit more regularly.
Of course there is nothing wrong with bulk buying and I suppose buying one thing a week can appear more expensive in the long-run but the idea is that I am buying something that I have taken the time to fit (since I am not spending all day shopping, therefore being tired as a result)... plus I'm buying what is in sales or trendy, etc.
Along with my cousin's advice, I'm also doing the following to get my wardrobe to look more fashionable by the week while also saving money along the way:
- Buy discounted articles; check the sales rack, there's always a gem amongst the rocks there!
- Take advantage of student discounts. Showing your ID or NUS card in some shops such as New Look can give you a certain % off clothing and accessories.
- Take advantage of offers such as BOGOF (buy one get one free) or the really cool offer by H&M where you trade in your old clothes for an in-store discount.
- Thrift stores!!! Yes thrift stores! I used to really hate the idea of thrift stores but after visiting COW Vintage in Birmingham a few weeks ago, I'm officially a convert!
- Shop online! You can find deals and alternatives on what you want to buy.
- Buy clothing for the next season (i.e. Winter) when the new season begins (in this case Spring). Winter items will be discounted to make room for the Spring collection, so your winter clothes will be cheaper!
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| I started the 'challenge' with a blazer which was half price at £7 in H&M. Good buy. |
