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| My husband and me at Lake Taupo last week |
I’ve been spending a bit of time going through and updating
my wardrobe for the new season lately, and I wanted to share how I’ve been
going about it. I am a thrifty girl at
heart and would always rather spend less, than more, when I add new items to my
wardrobe.
This is not a new thing for me. When I was in my late teens/early twenties I
remember one of my favourite books was a Vogue publication (hardback glossy
with lots of inspiring pictures) called More Dash Than Cash
by UK Vogue journalist Kate Hogg (updated later as Even More Dash Than Cash). I
checked online with my library and they have the 1982 version available (from
looking at the covers it seems that my version came out in 1990). I ordered it to have a read/trip down memory
lane. Such fun! And there is a great little article about
this book here.
What I learned from this book and other sources such as
magazine articles that I wished I’d cut out, is that it’s not just about buying
new things. It’s how you style your clothes,
how you accessorize, how you do your hair and makeup and how you tweak your
appearance to be fashionable while still honouring your classic and minimalist
preferences. Hmm, that sounds a lot like
the French Chic style manifesto, doesn’t it?
Fascinating.
Here I share with you my list of how to be inspired by
fashion and create your own stylish look without spending a lot of money:
Fiona’s
7 Ways to be a Frugal Fashionista
1. Go through your closet before you even step
foot in a shop. Familiarize yourself
with what you have, especially if it’s at the change of a season or even if it’s
not. Get everything out and expose your
clothes to the light of day. When I did
that I found I had 75 clothes hangers with items I loved on them. That told me I didn’t need to go shopping
just yet as I was in no danger of running out of clothes. Even if some of them were my bathrobe, special
occasion and outerwear, there were certainly plenty of everyday clothes.
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| 75 hangers! |
2. Create a capsule wardrobe for right now, of what fits your current
body shape well. Take out every item
that is your size, if you fluctuate like I can do, and put them on the
bed. See if there are new combos you can
make from these items. Note the colour
palette that will naturally occur because you have chosen all these items in
the past. It is there that you will see
where there are strategic pieces missing.
For me, I had plenty of tops but needed some new bottoms to go with
them. Last winter I remember I had no
warm tops but plenty of jeans and trousers.
By doing this you will know what you need to shop for, if anything. You may find that you have everything you
need for a chic minimal wardrobe for the current season.
3. Update what you have. I started noticing a lot of cropped, unhemmed
(shaggy frayed edges) when I was out doing the groceries and running errands a
while back, and I started researching the new Levis 505C cropped jeans with
ripped legs and all. I really didn’t
need any more jeans because I have a few pairs, and they are nice Diesel ones,
but they all had long legs, none of them were cropped. My solution was to take a deep breath and cut
the bottoms off the most ripped and distressed looking pair. Et voila, ‘new’ jeans that have updated my
look and I love wearing them. No
expenditure necessary.
4. Wear your better items. After I went through my closet and took
everything out, making a capsule collection of everything that fit me well as
well as being appropriate for the current season, I saw that there were quite a
few items – mainly tops and blouses – that I did not wear regularly because
they were a little dressier. I still don’t
wear them around the house, but if we go out for coffee or to the movies, why
not wear a beautiful blush-peach sueded silk blouse or something dressier than
my everyday gear? When else am I going
to wear it? I have enjoyed dressing up
slightly more, I am wearing what I have and
it feels like I have bought something new.
Wins all around.
5. Declutter, one category at a time. This is how you find those gems in your
closet; the items that you bought and did not realize how much you love them
and how much wear you get from them. It
can be overwhelming to think of everything in your closet, so start with
something simple; say scarves, shoes or maybe costume jewellery. With my scarves, I have started wearing them
more now that it’s Autumn here in New Zealand, almost winter. I had stopped wearing any scarves, even
lightweight ones because I just wasn’t in the mood over summer. But since I began laying out my clothes on my
bed before I get dressed, it’s fun to create a whole look by adding a
scarf. I have all my scarves in a fabric
storage box with a lid on. I tipped the
whole lot out on my bed and chose my absolute favourites du jour and what I
thought would compliment my winter wardrobe.
I decluttered a few that I knew I’d never wear again and stored some
others that I still liked but just not now.
6. Revisit your favourite fashion inspiration. Ordering that book from my younger days as
mentioned above is one thing I am doing for this. I find that when you revisit inspiration from
the past, it sparks something fresh and new inside. I love to channel the nineties when I am
looking for inspiration, not because I want to wear matte makeup and
block-heeled shoes (both of which I loved at the time, as I watched Melrose
Place) but because the essence of the nineties to me talks about simplicity,
minimalism, Calvin Klein perfume advertisements, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s
stunning style and all those sorts of enticing and inspiring thoughts. For you it may be your love affair with Laura
Ashley and the prairie dress style. It’s
not that you want to go back to wearing that look, but it helps you dream and
see where you can be more feminine in your current personal style perhaps.
7. Try looking in discount stores first. When I did identify that I needed more to
wear on my lower half, I decided to start my shopping at the lowest price
stores. Spending a lot is not
necessarily a guarantee of something being better quality or more flattering to
your body shape. I have seen plenty of
dreadfully cut clothing items on bargain racks that I wouldn’t even pay $10 for
let alone $300. I like to think I have a
healthy distrust of clothes that cost too much.
Yes, some items you can see the quality, but some don’t look like the
price on the tag at all. I like to start
my shopping trips at the least expensive places first, just to see what’s
around. If I find what I am looking for
at a great price, I stop there. I do
have nicer, more expensive clothes in my wardrobe, not Chanel, far from that,
but more than discount store prices. I
match high-low, probably just like that Vogue book told me to.
So those are my top seven ways to be a frugal fashionista, I
hope you gained even one nugget from them.
Please share your favourite way on how to update your wardrobe at
minimal/low cost; I know there will be lots more tips out there and I am keen
to hear yours!
Fiona
PS. Tara, at the
lovely blog Done and Left Undone
interviewed me recently. I answered five
questions, or was it six, and it was such a fun exercise. I hope you enjoy it.
I really appreciate these tips...thank you for sharing your expertise.
ReplyDeleteAs to what I do to update my wardrobe is to look at magazines and the shops to see what is current and then revisit what I have in my closet to see if I can make new "outfits." Adding a splash of colour...a new layering piece or a jacket to what I already own really gives me a lift.
Thank you again Fiona.
I love these tips too, Leslie, thank you. It's fun to see if you can recreate the look or even the essence of a look with items that you already own.
DeleteIt's fun to wear more colour if I've been wearing black a lot, and vice versa.
Fiona these are great ideas. I just donated all my short sleeved tee's that cut into my upper arms. They really made me feel bad and were so uncomfortable. I found a brand that makes longer short sleeves like they used to make before skimping on fabric became the norm. I bought seven in six different colors. For summer I have three Bermuda shorts that work perfectly. My summer uniform is done and I actually feel relief that it all works without having to think about it each time I leave the house.
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Anon! Uncomfortable clothing is the pits, the total pits. I love buying multiple colours in an item that fits me well and looks good. Your summer uniform sounds fabulous :)
DeleteAnonymous, would you share the brand that you bought? I bought one black tee with longer short sleeves last summer, loved it and can't find another.
DeleteKristien62 the brand is Duluth Trading Company. The colors are limited but the two styles are the longtail which I sized one size down and the no yank which I sized one size up. The customer service is great and you can easily find online. Just shop early to be able to find in all colors. hope this helps!
DeleteI seldom buy clothing in regular stores anymore; I tend to shop in consignment shops and even thrift shops and garage sales. You'd be surprised at how often I will find just the thing I am looking for in my size and color. It does, however, require patience. Occasionally, I will visit the clearance racks at Ann Taylor, J Crew, and Anthropologie. In this manner, I have put together a wardrobe that I truly love.
ReplyDeleteOne of the ways I have to "look presentable always" is not to even own anything ratty or grubby. Women sometimes keep something grubby "to paint in" or "to work in the yard". But then, they end up wearing these atrocities around the house! If you don't have them, you can't wear them. And when I do need something to actually paint the house in, I can always buy something really cheap at Goodwill, wear it for the duration of the job, then throw it away.
As to old inspirational books, I love my old copy of French Chic by Susan Sommers. It's from 1988, but I still enjoy leafing through it, and it inspires me to dress chicly. The styles within may reek of the late eighties, but one can still reinterpret it to fit into a modern context.
Great idea about not keeping ANY old work clothes around, Mimi. I used to put old grotty clothes on to do the housework but really, I don't get dirty when I do housework. Now I dress in nice, comfortable home clothes and feel much better doing my housework.
DeleteI love French Chic too and have that, plus I shouted myself Italian Chic by the same author from Abe Books or Thrift Books a while back. It is not as expensive as French Chic and it has some great inspiration in it.
It's difficult with dress-up clothes as there are increasingly fewer occasions where you don't feel over-dressed in them. (some cruises, weddings) But then you don't want to wear the same one each time. I've found prints to be less versatile.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Kira, there are fewer and fewer places to wear a nice dress. I have several that I have bought over the years, from the late 90s onwards. At least three are black, one is red and one is donkey brown. Only one is a print. It's certainly easier to wear a black dress multiple times than one that is really distinctive.
DeleteI think the key to looking modern and chic is all about the mix - you can have an affordable wardrobe and still look stylish with one or two high quality items.
ReplyDeleteI approach my clothing the same way I do makeup, skincare, etc. Certain items (jeans, foundation, serums, for example) get priority status. For others (t-shirts, mascara, basic moisturizer), I try to find a more affordable alternative.
Yes, Anna! Spend more on the things that matter and save on items that can be bought inexpensively. I agree with the items you spend and save on too :)
Deletegreat tips Fiona..I practice them all but what I did this season, which worked very well for me, was also curate specific outfits, using pinterest and working with my current wardrobe. It immediately focused my attention on only those few items I was looking for. Walking through a shopping centre or browsing online is a totally different experience now..a Jack Russell and not a Labrador :)
ReplyDeleteI like that idea, Gill, because sometimes I create an outfit I am really happy with, but then forget about it for a long time.
DeletePlus, what I think you are talking about more, is that by making outfits on your bed (laid out flat), you put things together differently than if you're putting them straight on from the closet in the morning.
You would see more easily where the gaps are.
Jack Russell vs Labrador, so cute :)
Great ideas, Fiona. My daughter has lost 85 pounds so I've been helping her with a new wardrobe. Designer outlets and consignment stores are working well for her. As she works in food production, she does not need much in the way of work clothes so her emphasis is on casual/smart casual. There is no point buying unnecessary clothing on a tight budget.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to your daughter, Madame, what a fantastic effort.
DeleteEven though I don't go to that many fancy places, I still am drawn to dressier clothes and particular dresses, when what I run out of regularly are lounge wear, clothes for at home and casual outfits. Those aren't nearly as much fun to shop for so I need to focus my mind!
Thank you, Fiona for another inspiring lovely post. I often update my clothes by either dyeing certain ones to another colour or refresh the darker ones with a darker dye. Often, if I love a certain top or dress, I buy 2 or more especially if it's white, so that I can change them to another colour, when I feel like it. That's how I keep my wardrobe current & it's fun too!❤️
ReplyDeleteI haven't had much luck with dying, Princess. I am glad you get good results. I have seen Black Dye for dark clothes which I think is a great idea to refresh blacks.
DeleteWonderful ideas! I try to save money by choosing quality over quantity. I'd rather have one expensive, high quality, custom tailored black slacks that last 10 years, than several pair that only last a season. Having an item tailored to your shape and needs can make the biggest difference in appearance! I also try to look at older pieces and have them altered to have new lives. Such as deconstructing a dress and having part of it made into a scarf or adding a lace trim to add a bit more length to a too-short top.
ReplyDeleteMrs Bruce, I wish I was the type to only buy expensive, high quality... but I'm not, so I do a mix. I agree that tailoring makes all the difference and I love your ideas about deconstructing/remaking.
DeleteA lovely post, Fiona. I tend to wear mainly neutral colours, navy/white/black/khaki and jazz it up with coloured scarves or a bright bangle. I dislike heavily patterned clothes, they make me look as if I'm wearing a pair of curtains or the covers of an old-fashioned three-piece sitting room suite! But I love a brightly patterned scarf, and even over a long-sleeved black T, and black jeans, a bright scarf can look really elegant.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't go so far as to rip perfectly decent jeans to be in the vanguard of fashion. Indeed, I'm not keen on this 'worn' look. I mean, would Audrey Hepburn or Princess Grace resort to such measure? The jury's out on that one!
Margaret P
I wonder Margaret, have you considered enabling your comments section for Anonymous commentors ? :) I happen to love your blog and visit it often... Of course, I know one cannot accommodate everybody, especially with the not so great reputation of Anonymous commentors so I understand if you decide not too :)
DeleteD.
I know Margaret, Audrey or Grace probably wouldn't wear ripped jeans, but I like to have a bit of fun with my clothes :) They already had holes in the leg (intentionally before I bought them); I just cropped them.
DeleteI love khaki as a neutral too, but I don't have enough of it. It's great with my colouring as I'm sure it is with yours.
Hello, D,
DeleteThank you so much for saying you love my blog. It was Fiona here (and others) who encouraged me to have my own blog, but I don't really understand what you say, but I will go to the comments section and see if I can make sure that you could leave a comment as Anonymous. If not, perhaps you might like to have a pseudonym? That might enable you to leave comments.
Margaret P
Hello Fiona, what a fun post this is!
ReplyDeleteTo add my own two cents, I've come to realize that shoes make a tremendous difference to the "vibe" of one's look. As such, I have since put more effort into caring for my shoes. This includes storing them in breathable paper boxes when out of season, using shoe trees or other stuffings, wiping them down frequently, cleaning them as soon as they get a bit dirty, polishing, conditioning, etc. Whenever I see someone wear a neat and smart outfit yet pairing it with some dingy, worn-looking shoes, I would lament in my head what a shame it is. The whole look is ruined! I also notice that I walk with more dignity and confidence when my shoes are clean and well cared for! I don't have many shoes but they are all treasured. :)
So true Natalie, and I love to be good to my shoes too. In fact I have items for a long time whether they are shoes, clothes or sunglasses because I look after them.
DeleteHi Fiona! This was a fun post, I agree! I love the idea of pairing ripped up jeans with the dressy peach blouse. I I think it looks more stylish and young than if you wore your peach blouse with dress pants. It could even be paired with jean short cut-offs. That way you get to incorporate all your pretty stuff without looking too dressy. Am I clueless when it comes to fashion or does that sound cute to anyone? LOL. I don't know.
ReplyDeleteExactly Carla, sometimes I feel too old if everything is 'good'. I do have some jean short cut-offs but I am not brave enough to wear them anywhere, even home! They are quite short...
DeleteHi Fiona! Thank you for another inspirational post. Wardrobe ones are always my favorite. With the weather finally warming up in Nova Scotia, Canada, I have summer wardrobe on my mind. I'd love to see a post on how you present, organize, store your clothing. Are all 75 hangers in your closet, with your current seasonal selection in a more prominent location? I remember you mentioning you hang everything...including t shirts. This is a tip I have enjoyed. I have a split closet so I keep tops on top and bottoms on the bottom rod. The outfits almost pop out because they are displayed in this manner.
ReplyDeleteAlso, just wanted to mention I am re-reading your 30 chic days and loving to re-connect with many of the ideas. I am back to working on my blog. Your writing is so positive and uplifting, it reminds me of how much I used to enjoy my blog. I created a new little space since I"m trying a new direction. I was the wool fairy before (: Thanks for everything!
I meant to pass along my new link. still very much a work in progress as I am learning formatting (: www.theelevatedeveryday.com
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