For many style savvy women, clothes have to be fun, creative and practical. They also have to be unique, unlike what anyone else is wearing.
The final criteria may be the most challenging: They have to fit within a limited budget.
Unlike famous fashionistas such as Paris Hilton, many fashion-conscious women don’t have a family fortune to fund high-end shopping habits.
How do you look swell on a budget?
Do you choose one or two hot fashion items to update your look every season? Do you take a vow to hit nothing but sales? Do you give up food for fashion? Or do you combine cheap vintage with the new?
It takes time, careful thought and a certain lightness of spirit to pull it off. But it can be done.
Kansas City musician Kristen May has a plan. She tracks Target for basics, such as a recently purchased cropped Louella jacket or a black strapless dress she wears with orange vintage pumps. Then she hits thrift and vintage stores to give her wardrobe an edge.
Finds may be big beads for her black dress, vintage dresses in the fashionable ’50s and ’60s style, vintage boots or, one of her favorites, high-waist corduroy pants she pairs with sneakers. She also shops boutiques she finds on the road.
“You can do anything on a budget,” May said.
Her advice? “Don’t overthink it. Have fun.”
More words of wisdom come from Kathryn Finney, a New York personal shopper who runs budgetfashionista.com.
She said, look deep within yourself and take stock of your life and what you need. She tops her tip list with, “Buy only what you love, and love what you buy.”
If an item is only $5 but you never wear it, it’s no bargain.
She said to try on everything when shopping, even at thrift stores. And focus on value, not price. If pants cost $100 but you’re going to wear the pants twice a week year-round, the cost per wearing drops and the value rises.
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In a fickle fashion world, do not spend the rent money on looks that are likely to go out of style fast or have a short shelf life. The white hobo handbags, for instance, are high on the have-to-have list for trend trackers this summer.
But as Finney notes, you won’t want to use them past September, and by next spring something else will be the big thing. Look for the bag at discount stores or online at eBay.
Finney, author of “How to be a Budget Fashionista: The Ultimate Guide to Looking Fabulous,” said to focus on quality. Shop everywhere, she said, including retailers such as T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and, yes, eBay. Marshalls is a sponsor of her book, by the way.
One question budget-minded consumers face is how to stay within a price boundary. Finney eschews monthly allowances or setting aside an income percentage every month. But she suggests buying a gift card for a certain amount, and when the amount is used, make that your limit. Spend no more.
Another option is to consider instant trendy updates that fit within your lifestyle and budget. Buy one or two great things, combine them with your current wardrobe and feel confident you’re looking chic.