During my recent trip to Austin to shop with several new and longtime clients, I noticed one common factor on everyone’s mind: budget. More than ever, it seems that we are all needing to be careful about what we’re spending, and clothing purchases that used to feel easy and spontaneous are now much more considered and measured. I myself have only invested in one pair of pants in recent memory, something that pains me as my waistline is intolerant towards 70% of my bottoms wardrobe, but is necessary as my pants budget is going straight into my crumbling adobe house fund. This fact has challenged me to get more creative with my existing wardrobe, to really hone in on what matters when I do invest in a new piece, and how to find the pieces I want at the best price.
Since a lot of us are in the same cost-saving boat, I thought I would share some of the strategies I’ve employed on my frugal-minded journey, plus what has helped my clients get clear on what to save on vs. invest in when it comes to their wardrobes over the past year.
Data Collection
The first step to curing a case of the wants is to bask in what you already do have. I channeled my pants frustration into a total closet sort, where I was able to rediscover some long-forgotten gems and really get a handle on what I own to begin with. For many of my clients, they admit to only wearing 40% of their wardrobes regularly, and it’s important to understand exactly why before you go out and buy something else you might not wear. I realized that while I felt a decline in pants-wearability what I really was looking at when I could see my entire wardrobe laid out before me, was a deep reliance on pants to the point that I no longer thought about skirts or dresses as an alternative. I needed to rearrange my closet so that I could actually see the clothes I owned, so instead of just looking at the little cubby of disgraced pants and calling it a day, I hung my pants alongside my skirts and dresses so I could see the reality of my options. When your waistline fluctuates sometimes there’s nothing better than the right dress to make your cares melt away, and I tempered my urge to buy more pants by getting a little more creative with what I already had.
Closet Play
Speaking of creativity, remember back last decade when everyone was talking about the concept of the 30 for 30 and capsule wardrobes? Well, these strategies were super helpful in resurrecting the closets of hundreds of people who wanted to stop impulse shopping, and today it seems most of us have paired back our wardrobes but maybe just to make things more simple, not to necessarily be more creative. If you’re bored of the same 3 pairs of pants and 2 tops, it makes sense to try to mix things up and see if there are any combos you haven’t tried yet. I set aside some time to play in my closet once I rediscovered the pieces that had been hidden and I tried to make outfits I’ve never worn before. Try wearing your cardigan fully buttoned up as a top, try putting a dressy blazer over a more casual underlayer, try layering a dress or a skirt over pants, try those neglected boots on with EVERY SINGLE OUTFIT. It might take less time to discover a new fit than it would to shop for new clothes, and it’s pretty satisfying to invest zero dollars in a new outfit.
While you’re engaging in some closet play, you may start to notice where there could be some gaps to filled. These gaps could be simple and straightforward, like oh wow I really don’t have any boots that fit up under my pants, or I don’t have any sweaters without holes, or the gaps could be more contextual, like I don’t have anything cute to wear on a date or out for semi-dressy social events. Don’t ignore these pangs of need, but make a list instead. Get REALLY specific. My desire list for pants went something like “pants that can be dressed up for going out or for work, not plain black and not jeans, mid-rise, comfortable waist, in a fabric like corduroy or with a versatile print to add something new to my closet but still be wearable.” You might list “tops for dates that can be worn in the winter with jeans and boots, show off my figure without being too fussy, able to be layered over AND worn on it’s own, colors within the winter family.”
Lists like these are how I make shopping lists for my clients before we shop in order to make the experience more effective and efficient. The more focused I am, the better luck I have selecting the store and finding the most viable options. Cuz when was the last time you went to a store to just generally “shop for tops” without having an idea of what kind of top you were looking for? How did it go?
Shopping Mindfully
Once you arrive here, at clarity of closet selection and focused inspiration, you might have already saved money by realizing you don’t need a million new things, but a few specific ones, and you can more easily find the least expensive version of that thing. If you’re not confident online shopping at this point (an easy way to view all your options at once) you can shop in person, but with a whole new mindset and approach. I will oftentimes do in-person shopping research where I will try a piece on at the store and if I like it, I let it simmer. I think about it when I get home, while I am looking at the rest of my closet and mentally integrate the potential piece with my existing pieces. I will remember the brand, the size, and I will seek it out online, especially to see if it’s available on any resale sites, my favorites being the RealReal, Poshmark, Noihsaf Bazaar, DePop, ebay, and etsy. There’s nothing more thrilling than finding exactly what you want for like $200 less than you thought it would cost. The trick with online shopping is to stay focused on your list so you don’t add anything extra that you don’t actually need. Sometimes you won’t be able to find that exact item, and if you wait, it might turn up later, or you might actually lose interest and find you don’t even need it to begin with! So many ways to save your money 💰
One more thing…
I’ve been putting together curated shopping boards for pieces I love within a specific category, and sharing them with my paid subscribers, so if that sounds like something you could use, I would love to invite you to become a paid sub for only $5/month. While the volume of my posts has suffered a decline due to my business budget not allowing for a marketing assistant (😩 ), I still intend to make the ones I do send out count, and making it easier for you to shop mindfully is a big piece of that. Here are some examples of my past boards featuring soft-waisted pants and boots for winter, some pieces may still be available AND at a discount as it is that time of year! Plus, you’ll get my 80+ page Ethical Shopping Guide to help you in your shopping journey.
I’d love to invite you to share what’s on your shopping list this season, and if you’ve made any budget-related changes. I am also here to help with my styling services which are also a mindful investment in that you’re supporting a very small business and I have been known to help my clients save lots of money on pieces they will actually wear, get clear on your authentic personal style, make the most of what’s in your closet, and save you tons of time an effort in the process.
Schedule a Free Style Strategy Call with me today!
Happy New Year!
xoLaurel