The Budget Fashionista

Going to college is the perfect time to become a new person, but you shouldn’t have to experience some life changing event to become the stylista you’ve always dreamed of. With these three simple tips, you can become the person you’ve always wanted to be without breaking the bank.

Step 1—THROW AWAY FRUMPY THINGS!!! Whether they are sweat pants, tshirts friends got you while on vacation, or just items that have lost their shape or color over time, DUMP THEM. If they don’t make you look cute, then you shouldn’t own them. My theory has always been that if I don’t own ugly things, then no matter how sick or bloated or unattractive or lazy I am feeling, my wardrobe will always perk me up. If you look good, you’ll feel good, even if you are just running to the Dunkin’ Donuts on the corner.

Step 2—DETERMINE YOUR OWN PERSONAL STYLE. Reading Fashion Blogs and Magazines is endlessly helpful in directing you to where to find what you love, but if you aren’t sure what it is you love, it can result in an uncoordinated closet mess. Pick a few style icons and look at pictures of them through the years. Keep a notebook or collage looks or items that you liked. This way you will have a strong sense of the silhouette you want to wear so that when you find the perfect skirt marked down at the Prada store, you won’t have to hesitate buying it! (Also, don’t be afraid to ask people on the subway or walking down the street where they got something—even in NY people like to be reminded that they have fabulous taste.)

Step 3—COMMIT TO BUYING 2–3 FABULOUS ITEMS EVERY SEASON. Building a wardrobe is like building a skyscraper: it takes time, planning, and, sometimes most of all, luck. If you try to run out and revamp your entire wardrobe in a weekend, not only will you spend the next 5 years swimming in credit card debt, but you’ll find a season later that half of the stuff is dated, and the other half is unwearable for the temperature change. Limiting yourself to only a couple items assures that you have to really love an item to buy it, which means that you’ll never buy something that you can’t wear in 2 months because you only liked that it was so very NOW.

great tips and I agree, don’t wait for a life changing event, although if one just happened, it’s another good excuse to spiff up. ;-)

Better yet, make this your life-changing event: go through your closet, get rid of anything that doesn’t fit you and flatter you perfectly, shop for a few replacements, and enjoy the feeling that comes with looking fabulous all the time. Sounds like a life-changer to me.

Thanks for the excellent tips, Miss E.

Since you are so knowledgeable.

How do I start building a wardrobe? What are the basics I need?

Thanks!

Hey mama2lexi!

Picking basics (ie your trademark every day items) still requires determining your own personal style. For me, I couldn’t live without the perfect black pencil skirt—I can dress that skirt up for a night out with a fly retro blouse and heels, dress it down for work with a simple button up and fabulous belt, or dress it way down with a basic fitted white tee and cute flats for a day of browsing museums, walking around central park, or window shopping. Basics should be versatile, durable, and if not cheap, then certainly affordable. Especially when buying basics, make sure that the cost is in direct proportion to durability—the more expensive an item, the longer it should survive being beautifully wearable and washable. You should break the bank on those Jimmy Choos, not on the stockings you wear with them.

I find that Target and H & M are great places to find affordable but stylish basics. If you wear and wash a lot, these items often don’t last more than a year, but it kind of balances out since you get so much wear out of them (and, if your basics are cotton, you can spend $2 on a bottle of Rit dye and get some extra life out of them). In addition to a black pencil skirt, I couldn’t live without basic black tanks. I go to target and buy them about once a year. They are around $6 and are lightweight, so they are great for both the summer and the winter, plus they are simple and ignorable so that I can wear funky skirts, cardigans, brooches, or other stand out items without making my outfit too busy.

Basics should be machine-wash friendly (avoid synthetic blends as much as possible—the more a basic is made from cotton, the better), have a form flattering shape, and, perhaps most importantly, be comfortable. Whenever you’re shopping, remember that basics exist so that you always have something to wear with that amazing skirt/blouse/pair of heels that you find randomly at a sample sale. If an item is too busy on it’s own (take, for instance, a shirt with an image or brand on it), you will have trouble using it as a basic.

Hope this advice helps!

Miss E

Thanks again Miss E

Once again your information is on point.

:)

Here is a list of basics that I feel should be in every woman’s wardrobe. As you edit your wardrobe to get rid of the frumpy stuff, check to see if you have these basics, and if you don’t, make a shopping list. Here goes:

1) the right underwear for your body type- two bras, several pairs of panties, 3-4 pairs of hose.
2) 1 basic suit (skirt and jacket) in a neutral color (black is best, but any neutral will do). If the suit comes with pants as well, so much the better.
3) 1-2 skirts, neutral colored.
4) 2-3 fitted button-down shirts- one white, the others your choice.
5) the perfect LBD (little black dress) or LBST (little black skirt and top).
6) the basic shoes- one pair of black pumps or slingbacks, one pair of flats or loafers, and one pair of open-toe flat or low shoes.
7) basic outerwear- one trench coat, one winter coat (if your climate calls for it), and one pair of low-heeled black boots.

There’s more, but these get top priority if you’re on a budget. Many of these things are inexpensive and easy to find.