The average American spends $1,833 per year on apparel alone as established by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That amounts to roughly a little over $150 to spend on clothes on a monthly basis. This can seem quite a lot for those who don’t often think about how much they spend and have an active desire to keep up with fashion trends. What a lot of people may not realize is that amount is already pretty substantial. So when you do not have a limitless pool of funds, how do you build a trendy and money-saving wardrobe?
It all starts with budgeting
Fashion trends are commonly dictated by designers, influencers, critics, and magazine editors and are usually based on the social and cultural changes, norms and ideals of a time and the direction in which these go. Because of its strong appeal, trendy fashion can come with a pretty hefty price tag – especially when you’re looking at big brands and very popular labels. For example, a designer suit can cost up to several thousands of US dollars or of euros. This is why, the first step to establishing what clothes you will buy is to establish your funding or budget for clothes. Knowing what you have to work with helps widen or narrow your options. In fashion, it is usually known between what budgets various shops or brands are, so knowing your budget will help you narrow down (or why now, widen) your search scope.
Keep an eye out for trends
Once you’ve got the budget sorted out, it’s time to pay close attention to the trends as they occur. The best places to look are in trustworthy fashion magazines and publications, but often, looking around will also give you a good idea of what’s “in”. It also pays to keep an eye out for your favorite influencers. Trends are not the best thing to shop for when you are on a limited budget, as this way, it’s very likely that your clothes will look dated pretty soon, but they can matter if you want to look modern and youthful. As a good example, you can think of how the length of men’s pants has changed in the 2000s wavy pants with lots of pleating at the bottom became extinct only to make room for the newer, more fitted models. In this case, we can talk about a wide trend, as this new approach to pants became the norm. Shorter pants which make your socks visible were also in style for a while, and even though that trend has faded out, the style still looks good.
In short, if you want to look “trendy”, you should follow trends, if you don’t have enough money to update your wardrobe every season or so, you should simply follow wider trends to make sure you won’t look outdated and as if you have just stepped out of a time machine.
Know all the shops
Given that fashion isn’t free, it helps to find out if there are any places, kiosks, or stores that offer more affordable pieces. You can try brands like Uniqlo that have comfortable and trendy pieces on a regular basis. You can check out online stores that offer discounted high fashion clothing for significantly less. Many common and affordable brands like Zara, for example, offer clothes that can look very good and designer-like, but have a rather affordable price tag. However, these special styles are not common in most of their stores, but can sometimes be ordered online. At other times, popular brands collaborate with big labels to offer their customers an experience where they can get “designer clothes” at a small price – H&M recently had such a collaboration with Moschino.
Go classic
If you are confused or can’t decide what to get, you can always fall back on classic wardrobe pieces to keep you trendy no matter what. You can go for pieces like jeans, a white dress shirt, a solid color tie, and the ever classic plain white shirt. There are tons of classic fashion pieces that add an effortless and timeless charm. A sports jacket or blazer can style up your outfits can give you an effortless and stylish vibe. Moreover, wearing accessories is also a great way to add personality to your looks, so investing in something that expresses who you are, such as a cool pair of cufflinks or a nice pair of shoes is always a good investment.
Additional information
When you are shopping for clothes, it is always important to think of the cost/wear ratio. This basically means that if you spend a certain amount on a piece, but wear it frequently, it is actually a better deal that buying something cheap that you only get to wear two or three times, which makes the cost/wear ratio bigger.
Being trendy in your apparel does not require a second mortgage on your home. All it takes is to know your limits, the trends, affordable sources, and classic wardrobe pieces. In the end, putting your own spin on trends ultimately creates a wardrobe that looks more personal and chic.
Fraquoh and Franchomme
Further reading:
Fashion and money: How much should you spend on clothes: The cost/wear ratio explained
The health benefits of shopping for clothes
Dream brands: Which one’s yours?
What items you should avoid buying from a thrift store
The 5 categories of clothes you should have in your wardrobe
A guide to creating a lasting and money-saving wardrobe
How to make order in your wardrobe
How to create a versatile wardrobe
12 items a man should have in a basic wardrobe
P.S. We want to hear from you! How much do you spend on clothes each year? What do you primarily buy? What shops or brands do you buy from? Share your feedback, questions or thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!