The WoW Style

2019 is here, so what better time to think about updating your wardrobe?You might still be in the depths of winter, but before you know it, spring and then summer will be on your doorstep. You might think that after the expense of Christmas, there’s not a lot left for a set of new clothes, but you’d be surprised what you can find if you’re on a tight budget. Use the following 7 tips to freshen up your wardrobe without breaking the bank.

1.Look Closely at What You’ve Already Got

Before you start worrying about spending any money,you should assess the outfits you’ve already got in your wardrobe. How much of the clothing you’ve got lurking in your wardrobe have you actually worn in the last 12 months? There are a few essentials every well-stocked wardrobe should contain including:

• A little black dress
• Crisp white blouse
• Black dress pants
• Skirt (knee-length)
• Pair of jeans
• T-shirt (one solid color)
• Sweater (one solid color)
• Smart jacket
• Shoes – one pair of heels, a pair of boots, smart and casual flats
• All-purpose handbag

If you can tick all these items off the list,then your wardrobe has a good selection of foundation items. With these you can mix and match, creating a wide variety of outfits for all kinds of occasions. You might decide you don’t need to spend anything at all.

What about the items that have been hidden away and forgotten?Take this opportunity to look at these more objectively. At the very least, give them a good wash and freshen up before you send them to the consignment store. If there are a selection of items you really can’t see yourself wearing every again then, by all means, add them to your donate pile.

2.Hit the Stores for the End-of-Season Sales

There are good and bad times to spend money clothes shopping, and the best time of all is when stores are holding their end-of-season sales. Sign up for a stores mailing list and you’ll get advanced warning of sales and clearances coming up. As a general rule of thumb, however, spring sales tend to start in March with final clearances in April. Summer sales usually start in July and end in August with clearances. September and October are the months for the fall saleswhile you can expect winter sales to begin once Thanksgiving is out of the way.

If you’re concernedyour bank balance might not be up to much at these critical times, you could always apply for one of the many income based loans available. That way you won’thave to worry about dipping into your savings or missing out on the best bargains.

3.Spend Money on Accessories

One great way to update your wardrobe without spending too much cash is to concentrate your efforts on extending your range and variety of accessories. The right ones have the power to lift the dullest of outfits. Someaccessories you’ve already got can easily be refreshed and reinvented.

If you’ve got a long necklace you’ve not worn for a while, then why not double it up to make a chunkier one?Add a pretty ribbon and you’ve got a completely new look.

Did you realize it is possible to give your bags a completely new look? If you’ve got a bag repair store in your neighborhood, pay it a visit and see about getting the handle changed. For the price of a couple of coffees, you’ve got a completely new handbag.

4.Shop Somewhere New

We’re all guilty of doing it, shopping at the same two or three stores when buying clothes.

Unfortunately, this means you’re not really going to find something different. Are there a few stores on the high street you wouldn’t dream of entering? Go on, it’s 2019, why not do something completely out of your comfort zone? You might be surprised. Visit one of the many online fashion sites such as this one and see what catches your eye. Spend some time at the top online fashion stores and expand your fashion horizons.

5.Do Your Clothes Shopping at Consignment Stores

Do you feel compelled to buy new every time you want a new outfit? There are a wealth of other ways to buy clothes,and one of them is your local consignment store. Everything you look at is going to be washed and clean, and you might even come across something that’s brand new and never been worn before. Just because the store sells second-hand clothes, doesn’t mean they are going to be items of clothing that have been worn to death. You might have some outfits you could take there yourself and get some money back to help you make more wardrobe updates.

6.Have Some Items Altered

Quite often something as simple as a slight alteration can freshen up a tired outfit. Consider taking up the hem of one of your longer skirts or adding a dart to make it more shapely. Add some decorative detailing or change the neckline, swap the buttons for something shinier, or change a skater skirt to a straight skirt. If you haven’t got the needlework skills to do it,yourself there might be a friend who could do it for you.

7.Hold a Clothingor Accessories Swapping Party

This is a fun idea if you’ve got a few friends who are in the same frame of mind and are of a similar size. Invite your friends to bring along some of the outfits they’re bored with and they might want to swap with some of yours. As well as clothes, include accessories.

Being able to say you’ve got your ideal wardrobe is going to take longer than a few days to organize. It’s also something that you’re going to have to go back and reassess from time to time as your own tastes and trends change. If you’ve got the basics,then only having to add a few additional details makes life much easier.