STAYING FASHIONABLE ON A BUDGET

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There are many wonderful things that motherhood changes in your life - some big, some small. One of the, albeit small things that you come to realize is that looking good has to take more time and less money. We all know the importance of feeling confident as you go about your daily routine, and motherhood most certainly does not have to mean you have to get all frumpy. Since we’ve been there, we’re in the perfect position to give you a handful (or more) of ideas on how to stay fashionable on a well-defined budget.

First Things First - Write Down Your Style

This helps you to crystallize the most pertinent elements of your preferred personal style. It also makes it easier to roughly gauge what your budget will be. This information can be weaned from your favorite fashion magazines, television, or attractive ensembles that you recall seeing on someone at work or at play. Even better; these days, the web is filled with image curation sites such as Pinterest and Instagram; visit the particular categories to see some dazzling potential additions to your new wardrobe. You can type in almost any keyword to see a multitude of fashion options pop up.

You Can’t Go Wrong With Neutral

Remember; you’re on a budget. As such, you cannot afford to grab everything you see since many of these will go out of style as the seasons change, and you cannot expect them to be back in-style three seasons from now. Neutral colors and styles are exceptional at creating layered, sophisticated looks when done correctly; just as importantly, they tend to remain style-constant for decades or even longer. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that neutrals only refer to solid colors; rifle through the rack to find neutral patterns that won’t clash with the other options you intend to pick up - hence the importance of making a list.

Use eBay, OfferUp or Amazon

The short list above is just a suggestion; you can sell your clothes anywhere that makes sense. If you’re anything like most people, then you’ve got some beautiful things that, for some reason or other, rarely make it into your clothing rotation. If they’re in excellent or good shape, then there’s no reason that you can’t offload them and use the spare cash towards your new, stylish wardrobe. We’ve found that eBay is one of the most accessible places since you can find similar items and get an idea of the price before listing - assuming you want to avoid the auction feature.

Similarly to the above, you can also get together with some of your girlfriends/ fellow moms and see if you ladies have anything to exchange. It’s a better deal than having your stuff sit in the closet all year.

Do Some Closet Cleaning

This is the closest-equivalent of house cleaning; basically, it means that you should start throwing out clothing that you might have hoarded. Your “favorite” shirt with the holes in it? Tank it - in all likelihood, it has become dated stylistically, anyway. Get rid of any bras and underwear that you’ve had for half-a-decade or more; this allows you to update your undies and enjoy the new wash-proof fabrics, and perhaps get a little more risque for that special someone.

Save Time and Money with Budget Stores

You probably already guessed this, but of course, there are department stores that sprung up just for this budget-shopping purpose. You can make out like a bandit at some of these establishments; Kohl’s, TJ Maxx and Neiman Marcus are a handful of the available options. These stores have entire swaths of real estate dedicated to all manner of quality budget clothing; enough so that you could get the bulk of an entire wardrobe in 1-2 shopping trips - and all without breaking the bank. Because they are quality (above thrift store level), you can expect the well-stitched clothing to last for years.

Taking care of your family also means taking care of yourself; this is something that a lot of wives and mothers forget. When you’re feeling on your A-game, your family will benefit, as well. Take some much-deserved time out for yourself to revamp your wardrobe for the coming season. We can guarantee that you’ll feel (and look) like a new person once you’ve got that squared away.