In the world of fashion, there are plenty of high-priced and super-hip designer options, but also more than a few hidden, affordable gems. To dress well on a budget, you need to know a few key things. You should cultivate the ability to identify quality clothes (regardless of their price tags), and you should start thinking about where and when you actually do your shopping.
Let's start by talking about what makes clothes "good". There are the materials, of course, and the quality of those materials and the stitching and other work that goes into making them. But perhaps more important than anything else is the fit of the clothing.
When you imagine the poor look of a piece of clothing from a cheap, big box store, you're most likely thinking about the fit. When there's excess material in some spots and not enough in others, clothes just look wrong. On the other hand, a well-fitting garment can flatter your body type - no matter what body type that is - and help you look and feel great.
High-priced clothes tend to fit better than cheap ones for obvious reasons: the pricey brands pay their designers to perfect the shape of their garments, and quality brands are more consistent in how they actually make there clothes, which ensures that they'll fit the same way in the same sizes when you buy those brands. But there's no law that says more affordable brands can't offer great fits. If you take a small step up from the big box stores and look at some affordable fashion brands, you may find that you have a lot of options.
It's important to find out which brands actually fit your body type, of course. An affordable brand may work great for one of your friends but not for you, and that's okay. Try on various options: you can do so easily at the mall, and you can also do so online thanks to modern e-commerce return policies.
You don't have to visit a chain to get a consistent fit. Hip boutiques, both brick-and-mortar and online, will have quality brands on offer. Their employees (again, both in person or via email or online chat) should be able to help you find the right brands and manufacturers for your body type. And, of course, you could always go to a tailor. Far too few of us do, despite the fact that tailored clothes look amazing.
Finding great clothes that fit is one thing. Getting them for the right price is another. But here, too, you have some options. Find that sweet spot between big box store and designer garb - plenty of places will sell you a top that's nicer than the big-box option while still being far cheaper than the designer one. And don't confuse price with quality, because some great fits can be had for far less than you might think.
Try shopping online, and we don't mean e-commerce giants. We're talking about hip online boutiques, which can offer stylish boutique dresses and other garments for less than their brick-and-mortar counterparts because they deal with fewer overhead costs.
When you're shopping, think about upcoming and seasonal sales, and pounce when the price is right. Don't forget to take advantage of return policies to try on clothes and reject bad ones without hurting your financial bottom line.
You don't need to invest in designer clothes to improve your look. Just learn to recognize clothes that flatter your body type, and find those clothes at the right shops at the right times. You'll be able to replace the clothes you hate without emptying your bank account.
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