Dressing Best for Less

With fall just around the corner it’s time to clean out the summer favorites and start thinking about warm, cozy sweaters and boots instead of sandals. While it is difficult to say goodbye to the golden glory of hot summer days, it will be good to breathe in the moist crisp clean air again.

Everywhere you look on television or the Internet everyone is giving advice on how to dress to look your best. Just yesterday on my lunch break I flipped through the channels to find a bit of entertainment while I enjoyed my sandwich. I stopped the remote as it landed on the Rachel Ray Show when I saw that she was planning to show ladies how to put together an entire outfit for fifty dollars. She called it the “Head to Toe Ambush Makeovers.”

I thought that dressing yourself entirely for a mere fifty dollars seemed impossible and I was anxious to see what kind of tips her experts might offer. They approached ladies on the street that was casually dressed while attending to their daily errands. Upon acceptance, they were escorted onto a waiting, fully equipped RV where expert hair stylists and makeup artists proceeded to update their look. This seemed a little unfair because the cost of a cut and color alone will tax any woman’s budget and I am certain that fifty dollars would not even cover the cost of this let alone a professional makeup application Of course the cost of these services was not included in the head to toe expenditures.

Near the end of the show they paraded their ladies across the stage dutifully displaying a before and after photo to show how much better they now appeared. Everyone gasped and applauded and it did appear that the ladies felt more confident, special and beautiful. (A good day of pampering always makes us feel more beautiful doesn’t it?)

Two of the ladies were in casual dresses and the expert explained that it was less expensive to purchase one piece than separates. The third woman was dressed in separates due to the fact that one part of her body was much larger than the other part. I felt these were good points but I was not feeling very impressed with their outfits. It is one thing to dress for less, and other thing when your clothing and accessories look, well, let me just say it…. cheap.

The ladies wore little jewelry, a simple pair of not very attractive earrings, with a small clutch comprised of man made materials, and heels that also looked as if they were of man made materials and quite uncomfortable.

To be fair, the ladies did look nicer than when they were discovered on the street and asked if they would participate in the makeover. But, the mother of three young children who was out doing her errands while her children were in school would unlikely have had the time to do her hair and makeup in this fashion, or wear a short pink dress with heels and an evening clutch to accomplish her errands for the day!

I’m sure that there are many well put together women who would never leave the house in jeans and tennis shoes while throwing their hair in a pony tail, but there are many who would find it to be impractical any other way.

The clothing they chose did look nice enough, but I did not think that it was particularly flattering and did not compliment the ladies figures. Their shoes and purses looked cheap and their jewelry was unappealing and did not successfully compliment their attire.

The television host excitedly shared the totality of the cost of their attire, and I suppose the fact that they were able to accomplish it at all in a time when retail costs are high compared to incomes should be applauded, but it left me feeling that they left out good, practical advice when it comes to dressing well for less.

I would suggest to the ladies that they don’t buy into hype and marketing. A brand name, one that you would have heard of, is one that has spent vast amounts of money on advertising, and you will be paying more for anything thing you buy from them to help them to pay for that. Know that just because a product displays a popular, recognizable name or logo does not mean that it is a quality product. My first tip for saving money is buy quality items, but resist paying more for hype.

Shop near the end of the season, prices will be lower then as the stores make way for the new season’s merchandise. Invest in basic pieces, in basic colors, in classic designs. This makes it easier to mix and match, and can really stretch your wardrobe.

If you always want to look like a million bucks, spend the majority of your budget on four important items: Shoes, Handbag, Jewelry and a good watch. These are items that you wear or use everyday and will scream your ability to choose quality to the world. What good is it to wear a fabulous dress then pair it with plastic shoes and cheap jewelry?

When selecting your shoes, be happy with one or two high quality shoes instead of owning many different shoes. I know this is difficult because us ladies really love shoes and boots. But if you shop at the end of season, you can pick up a quality pair of shoes boots or sandals for less, and your feet will thank you later. Always select leather over man made materials. Not only do they look great, they will feel great and last for a long time with a moderate amount of care.

Purchase a great handbag, the best you can afford. For tips on this visit my website QuirkyGirlz.com and read “How To Handbags” under important links. http://www.quirkygirlz.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=page&id=15&zenid=4b63a1583bdb43f6418612beaec535f9
You will want to consider the amount of things you prefer to carry with you and how you best like to organize it when you are considering a purchase. Select a color that best goes with your general choice of attire. For a handbag that you can carry all year choose black or a neutral color. If you are a lady that has a favorite color and wear a lot of it, choose a bag that will coordinate best with your favorite color choices if you prefer to add a little more pizazz. Be sure to consider the weight of your bag. I once purchased a beautiful Italian Leather bag. I was excited about the craftsmanship, durability of the leather, and I wanted a large bag that would easily hold all of my personal items. But the weight of that bag, ouch! After a day of shopping the neck and shoulder pain was unbearable. I tried removing any extra things from the bag, but it was the handbag itself that was just too heavy. So beware, choose a bag that is lightweight enough that it will always be comfortable to carry.

When selecting a watch, choose the best you can afford. Fashion watches can often look cheap and they seldom work for long. While it is acceptable to mix metal colors in your jewelry it is best to purchase a watch with a metal color you already wear often. I have discovered that I prefer to purchase a watch that is both silver and gold, that way it always looks great. A metal-banded watch will always look more prestigious over leather or plastic. That being said, a leather band would be a second choice, certainly over a plastic one.

When it comes to jewelry, it is a great choice to choose handmade because you can get a designer look with quality stones for less. It is also possible to own a one-of-a-kind piece so that your accessories are uniquely yours, not mass marketed so that you look just like everyone else. While Rachel Ray’s makeover subject’s earrings only cost $1.80 they looked cheap and did nothing to highlight their face. A beautiful statement necklace would have done great things for their outfits as well. Again, choose the best jewelry that you can afford, selecting natural stones because they never go out of style. Stay away from resin or plastic jewelry and leave it for the children and teens.

I hope my tips have been helpful and you are able to successfully dress for less. Now it’s your turn, what tips do you have on dressing for less?

Until next time,
QuirkyGirl