Style and our bank balances don’t always go
hand in hand, in fact more often than not, they are polar opposites. Many of us
believe we simply cannot get the perfect ‘look’ according to our ever
tightening budgets. Some of us save for months to get the latest pair of heels,
some of us use our credit cards to by the perfect dress and some of us simply
stare at the magazines and wish we had the cash to buy those jeans. Don’t
despair, you can achieve the perfect style, whatever your budget, but first you
have to be honest with yourself about your financial situation.
Get up close and personal with your
credit
Before you head out to grab the latest,
straight off the catwalk jacket, you need to know where you are up to with your
current credit and whether you need to make some changes to your budget. The
first step to take is to get yourself a free credit report which will help you
to see in black and white what your credit history looks like. If you want to
get started and view your credit report, you can check it out here.
Once you have this information, you can
begin to look at your regular incoming and outgoing cash flow. You will notice
the patterns of how you spend your money and find areas where you can cut back
on spending. For example, if you are craving the latest Mulberry handbag, but
you are spending £5 - £10 on lunch every day, why not take your own food and
save that money each day? Simply put, if you save a little and often, you will
soon have the cash to revamp your style, without compromising your credit
history.
Don't be afraid to shop the sales
Ok, so I know that many of us love nothing
more than to queue up for hours outside the stores for the sales to start, but
there are also many of us that still don’t want to wait out for the sales for
only last season's trends. But, why not? The majority of trends come back
around season after season, so why not get creative and mix and match your
wardrobe from seasons past?
The best way to get the most out of the
sales is to look for these key pieces, you know, the ones that were very
expensive and are timeless. Some of the best sales pieces to grab are pencil skirts,
blazers and those obligatory stilettos - none of which will ever go out of
fashion.
Get creative and have some fun
It may be that you don’t have the money to
head straight to French Connection for that rose printed dress; it may be
beautiful but your funds simply won’t stretch that far. Now is the time to get
a little creative - and you don’t have to be an artist or designer to make your
own version. If it is the print you love, then head off to buy a cheap white
dress and recreate the print yourself. You could use fabric paints, a screen
printing kit and even involve your friends so that they can have a go as well.
If you don’t mind your print not being as polished as the originals, then this
is a great way to experiment and have fun.
If you are not a fan of making your own,
then why not get creative with where you shop. Cosmopolitan
Magazine repeatedly provides online and offline tactics for staying on
fashion while on a budget. You may have spotted an amazing skirt in Armani that
is at an unobtainable price, but you will most likely find one similar on the
high street for a fraction of the price. Shop around and use the internet as
well. Many stores are stocking different pieces in their online versions than
they are offline. Hunt for those bargains and you will be pleasantly surprised
by the results.
By appeasing both your wallet and wardrobe,
you'll be pleasantly surprised with how far your money and imagination can take
you.
I often revamp clothes in my feeble attempt to keep up with fashion. I also have the classics in my wardrobe, so I mix and match with those a lot as well.
ReplyDeleteI have been known to copy a dress and make my own, often with hilarious results, my sewing machine skills are pretty bad lol
I do rather like the idea of buying a plain dress / top and copying a pattern using fabric paints... Must try that :D