Tell me your fashion saving secrets and win a $200 Westfield voucher!

Justine Cullen summed it up….mix n’ match was a term used in the 60’s.
It still stands today.
Several items that can be worn to ‘create’ many varied looks !!
This is how you save money AND look great !!

Deborah Thomas- Yep think, think, think. Walk away and come back if you really wnat it, if it’s gone, it was never meant to be! I buy basics at the boxing day and summer/winter sales half yearly. Basics such as jeans, tees and underwear, basic thongs etc never go out of fashion. You will wear them because they are basic so spend your $$$$ when they are dirt cheap. During the year, freshen up with gorgeous accessories, taking you from drab to fab at a fraction of retail $$$$

I think Lyn McGrath’s tip on having a savings goal is the most important tip as we don’t want to break the bank just to look fashionable! Wise words from a fiscally smart lady!

Claudia Navone, SAYS spending more is spending less. Imagine quality clothes, dress it up or down, take you from casual to chic, what a great investment, free of clutter and confusion from endless items of clothes in your wardrobe that serve no purpose. We wear 25% of our wardrobe 80%of the time. What a waste of money, time, energy, better off having fewer items of higher quality.

I think Claudia Navone has the right idea. Spending more is often spending less. I have fashion items/accessories that are up to 20 years old and still look great. Better to buy classic items that cost a bit more but are timeless, like a little black dress, or a ‘Chanel’ style jacket. If you are on a strict budget, you can sometimes fluke an op-shop find, like the classic Jimmy Choo bag I picked up for $10! Go online for good quality accessories, even vintage items. And take good care of your clothes and accessories and they will last for years.

Best advice from Bianca – “Buy things that you absolutely love”. A bargain buy isn’t a bargain if you don’t love it and it ends up at the back of your wardrobe never to see the light of day until your next spring cleaning session and trip to the local Opportunity shop to off load the purchase! Shop around for the same designer looks or the same fashion effect without the label or the hefty price tag. Invest in basic items then dress up with accessories such as shoes, handbags and jewellery for a fresh new look each time. White T-shirts look great under a classy jacket for a sleek, simple, inexpensive yet stylish look.

Claudia Navone hit the nail on the head for me. Spending more is spending less, better quality is superior and does not outdate as cheaper clothes do, they are a fashion investment. To apply these principles is as wise as when we do so with any other products, be it beauty products, electronics, homewares or furniture, you name it. You only get what you pay for.

Bianca’s advise is what I’m going to strive to achieve “Only buy things you REALLY love”. The best tip at the moment is buy next seasons fashions now from places like America and the UK, with the Aussie dollar just powering along it’s never been a better time to buy from overseas and save, save, save.

Deborah Thomas has some great advice that can pull together all the other experts too. I love the cost per wear calculation – expensive clothes can make more financial sense that the cheapies, in the right place and the right time. I love the classics for wearing time and again but occasionally I splurge on the cheapies – they look good for a few wears but the cost per wear is still very reasonable.
I like to take my time to buy the classics but throw around a few skinny dollars for the cheapies to pad out the wardrobe.

I AM ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A BARGAIN, END OF SEASON, POST CHRISTMAS SALES…THEY ARE ALL A GREAT WAY TO SAVE MONEY

Lyne offers the best advise have a savings goal. Looking great need not cost the earth. Buy 2 or 3 interchangerable pieces that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. Compliment them with other items already in your wardrobe.

Have a savings goal and reward yourself with a fashion piece or accessory once your savings goal is met.

Good luck with your savings goal whether it s ifor a Car or that long awaited holiday, you can do it!

Lyn sums it up for me i.e. set yourself a savings goal for those more extravagent fashion items and stay within your budget.
Never having a huge budget for fashion shopping I’ve learnt how to re create “looks” from magazines by shopping around for similar items at stores with lower priced items e.g. Diva,Target,Tree of Life etc. This way if I don’t like a fashion item or fashions change I don’t feel obliged to keep wearing it .Shopping this way is fun and provides a challenge!

it’s about complementing those existing pieces. And not just with more clothes, but with accessories – bags, statement necklaces, and shoes too. Investing in some great pieces will make all the difference.

I like Bianca’s advice the best. It’s hard to actually buy something YOU really love instead of something you THINK you should really love.

Deborah nails it for me! Cost per wear is essential. I’m definately going to buy something I’m going to wear again and again then spend the same money on something I know I’ll only wear once.

My greatest fashion saving tips though is to never pay retail – get to know the shop keepers at anywhere you shop regularly – they will let you know of upcoming discounts, maybe even offer them early too! Internet shop owners also sometimes offer a permanent discount to you if you shop with them regularly, or free shipping for your patronage. And always, always, always sign up to the newsletters of your favorite brands to find out about instore and warehouse sales.

I always find having a dedicated savings for purchases account an essential – that way I budget every week for the big purchases, avoid credit card debt and don’t make a rash descision.

And, always buy quality items. Quality items, in particular designers (even great Australian ones) have resale value – so not only will they last and last, you can make a return on them when you sell them. Dollars back in your pocket are definately a fashion saving! But always keep in mind – Fashion Designers can make mistakes too – so just because it’s a brand name doesn’t mean that it will necessarily remain classic and sought after. Be selective.

And of course, make friends with a great dry cleaner and seamstress – nothing makes your clothes last like efficient and gentle care!

Keep it simple:

1. Cost per wear … makes sense … but you only can calculate that figure later (and who would do his???)? (Haha … this concept must come from a banker … poor wife :-).
2. Spending more is spending less … mhhh … ok ok … fully disagree! (you can get very nice fashion for not much money).
3. SAVE! SAVE! SAVE! ebay.com !!! Not .com.au !!! You get more for your $$$ (of course .com.au and op shops have also great deals). Does it need to be brand new???
4. Very simple: Don’t be a fashion victim … have your own style!
5. And of course: When you can’t afford it don’t buy it …

I like what Justine said buy what you really need and save the rest of your money.

My tip is to only buy what i need and what I know I can mix and match. I usually think whether the item I am buying can be worn more than once and with different pieces of clothing, if so then I will buy it.

There is no point in buying something that you can only wear once and thats it. You have to be able to get lots of wear out of it, to make it well worth your money.

I also plan for what I am going to buy, if I know I need something then I will go out and buy it or wait for a sale and then buy it.

I am in favour of the KAK approach – I’d rather 1 amazing piece than 3 cheapo trend pieces.

My tip is to spend money on good shoes. Good shoes can transform any outfit. I work in a corporate environment, and the same suit can look entirely different with a different pair of shoes meaning I save on the clothes that might be a little more boring, and get to look at pretty sculpture on my feet all day long.

There are some great tips in this blog!

Here’s how I shop/get the best out of my budget, and I’m on a pretty tight budget so I need to make sure I make the best decisions. I’ve been living this way for almost 20 years and attribute my fashion philosophy to my dearly departed grandmother. She was the height of sensible.

There are a few high quality items: winter coat, handbag, boots, gloves, swimsuit etc. I try to keep my wardrobe small (actually, I think this is my best advice, it’s a very ‘French’ way of living). So I try to only have one great, winter coat, 3 handbags, one great pair of gloves etc. If I find another pair of gloves that I absolutely love and simply must have then I need to consider donating the old pair to charity or reselling them online. So I’m constantly weighing up whether the new pair is worthy enough to kick out the old pair etc. This keeps me from rebuying things that I don’t really need.

My underwear is excellent (not bragging, just practical). Purely because a well-fitting bra or some suck-in panties can be the difference between looking absolutely perfectly put together, and ruining an outfit entirely. And there’s no point in spending your hardearned cash on something nice if you walk around slouching – postures ladies!

If I’m thinking of buying something expensive I put it on hold and sleep on it. If I still know I want it the next day I’m more confident that it’s something I’ll love for a long time.

With seasonal fashions, fads etc, I buy a few items to add to my outfits and update them. I never religeously follow ONE trend, I always dress for my own personality and body shape. So with fad items I look in high street stores, or second hand shops, even online if delivery is free or cheap. And I keep an eye out for vouchers, discount deals, online clubs where you get special offers – but am careful not to buy something ‘simply because it’s on sale’.

It’s cheaper to update the clothes you have with accessories than to follow every fad. It’s better to buy a necklace and a scarf that won’t break the bank than to try to buy everything and watch as the fad fades into obscurity.

My friends are great resources. In our town there are often swap meets, which is a wonderful way of recycling something you’ve grown tired of and finding something else to update your look with. And my three best friends and I are the same shoe-size and nearly all the same dress-size so we often find something else in each other’s wardrobe we can borrow for a while.

Many of my favourite items of clothes are vintage or second hand. When purchasing items like these I pay attention to the small details: stitching, buttons, fabric quality. If something is damaged – can it be repaired? Is it worth it? Is it clean? Does it fit well? Do I need to change the buttons on it? There’s no point buying vintage simply because it’s vintage. I have to love it, it has to be fairly priced and it needs to be in excellent quality. It also has to be unique and stylish.

I’m also a pretty good seemstress. My sewing corner is wonderful, I’m able to alter or repair or maintain many of my clothes to a very high standard of quality. One of the best things I do is maintain the clothes I already have. Altering something to make it fit you perfectly is awesome, people will always notice it. You’ll keep it forever. As good as I am I’ll sometimes take something to my mother, who is a pro.

I have a great collection of different coloured polishes, waterproof spray, soft cloths, brushes etc to keep my leather goods (shoes, handbags) in tip-top condition. I regularly take care of these items.

At home I take the time to hand-wash certain items, making my favourites last longer and look better. I definitely separate my whites and colours, I don’t tumble dry. I follow the care instructions. Yes I do. And I iron and even starch (!) many favourites too. I use a lint brush, or a roller on many items regularly.

My wardrobe is organised too, the hangers are good quality wooden hangers. Some of them are padded in the shoulders – to keep the shape of my coats and jackets and structured dresses. My clothes are clean and folded correctly, I’m a bit of a stickler.

I also have a brilliant drycleaner who is reasonably priced and very, very good at what she does. Develop a good relationship with your drycleaner! She gets a Christmas card and homemade jam from me every year. It pays off.

In the off-season I store some special items. I use non-acidic tissue paper, plastic seal bags, large plastic boxes (labelled) and herbal sachets. SOMETIMES I’ll pop a couple of mothballs in, depending on how long they’ll be in storage. Better safe than sorry.

Also, as always, I keep my eye on my budget. I keep an eye on the running total over the year. I’m pretty strict with myself (but it’s easy, I use my diary which has a budget section) to make sure I’m not losing track of how much money I spend on clothes and accessories in reality.

Anywho… that’s about it really. x

I was an extremely impulse shopper before. I buy whenever I feel like it without thinking much and regret it later. Not just fashion, everything else.

But nowadays, I kinda changed. I realized that buying timeless clothings are the way to go. Like basics, for a guy, plain tees, polos, and a great pair of jeans goes a long way.

Just get a summer (black/blue/ beige or any color) blazer, a plain black vest (with hints of tartan pattern), a suit and you can have a million change of looks.

A few shirts in white, black, soft pink, and blue, goes miles for formal. Just buy more ties, which is cheaper than buying fancy shirts can help you a lot.

Well, not that I oppose fancier fashion, you can buy them, occasionally. But think properly (which I do now), how long can you wear them for and how much are you paying.

If you get a top that can only be worn for a season and it goes out of style for $100, it is not worth it. Get something that can at least last a few seasons.

And of course, not only the style but think quality. $150 jacket that will wash out and tear in two months or a $300 jacket that can last 3 years.

And accessorizing helps and works wonders. A change of rings, necklaces and belts will change your look all together.

So my key advice is, ACCESSORIES, QUALITY and TIMELESSNESS.

So, think carefully when you come across, a beautiful studded jacket, how long can that last?

That is how I save money, simple clothing that lasts long and matched with the right accessories. it can never go wrong for guys.

Plain color pieces is the key for a mature and confident look. Black tees with jeans and a nice pair of shoes can go from casual to smart casual (just add a blazer).

PS: Seriously, no one will take you seriously if you wear a tee with a skull on it when you meet someone new, professionally or socially.

That is my two cents. =)

i liked Deborah’s advice the best – taking the time to think about what you want.
my financial situation has changed since having my second child and being on maternity leave again. i have less shopping time (which certainly helps me spend less) but i have also been thinking through my purchases carefully and have been making better decisions. having less money to spend has actually helped pull my wardrobe together as i consider each purchase and make sure it will work (in more than one way) with what i already have. my wardrobe is in better shape than it has been in years.

Agree with Deborah – you can never be disappointed if you buy things that you plan to buy and kinow that you will continue to wear again and again. Then money doesn’t really factor into things – it’s all about cost per wear in my opinion. That doesn’t mean I spend a lot on clothing (i wish!), but I would rather buy one beautiful leath bag than ten fakes, or one lovely jacket than a few on trend ones that I will wear once! Shopping this way means that I am learning what I love wearing and developing my own style to maximise the wear that I get out of what i do choose to purchase. Bring on tha $200 voucher! =)