“I saved 30,000 rubles on clothes”: how to look stylish for little money

Before I talk about how to save money on your wardrobe, a few words about yourself. I’m thirty and consider myself a “shopaholic”: for as long as I can remember, I’ve always been picky about my appearance. Over the adult years of my life, I have created for myself the image of a stylish person (according to friends and acquaintances), who knows how to appreciate the quality of clothing and is not indifferent to fashionable delights. At the same time, my last name is not Rockefeller (which my parents often reminded me of as a child). I work, as you may have guessed, as a journalist, I am not burdened with any extra income, to put it mildly, and I provide for myself financially. But at the same time, almost never having “extra” money in my wallet, I always try to look fashionable and stylish. How do I do this? I’ll tell you now.

Bag for grandchildren

Fashion trends are fickle, just like personal taste and even body shape. And if you update your wardrobe every time, you won’t save any money. Realizing this many years ago, I developed a simple formula and still stick to it: versatility + quality + image = savings. Let me decipher my message: by purchasing one basic item made from premium materials with a good history (or a reliable brand, or positive reviews from real customers), you are investing in your wardrobe.

For clarity, I will give an example. A couple of years ago, my family faced a very difficult financial situation. At the same time, I found it necessary to purchase a new bag. In legal retail, there were two options: either cheap consumer goods, or expensive, rich and clearly beyond our means (in my case). What to do? I went the other way. After visiting a couple of second-hand stores (having previously collected a “history” of stores – reviews, recommendations), I finally found in one of them a universal bag in a classic beige color, made of genuine leather, from the Italian fashion house Fendi. Yes, it even sounds expensive. But since this was not an ordinary retail store, but a small flea market in the center of Moscow, and the item itself was not from the latest collection of the brand, but from the distant 1990s, I only had to pay 7 thousand rubles. Meanwhile, on European Internet sites, a similar vintage bag was sold for 37 thousand rubles! Thus, I became the happy owner of a high-quality branded item, which I still hope to pass on to my grandchildren as an inheritance, for quite reasonable money.

In the ruins of second-hand stores

Don’t think that everything is so simple: not every second-hand store offers Fendi handbags. Basically, such stores sell inexpensive, worn-out items that you can only buy if you have no money. The disadvantages of such outlets include, first of all, the smell. Used clothing is treated with special solutions to kill all viruses and infections: formaldehyde, formaldehyde, ammonia and methyl bromide. On the other hand, if you smell a similar scent, you can relax: these items are safer than new ones from a boutique.

I divide things in second-hand stores into several categories: outright junk – washed-out items with stains; things of average quality – you can immediately see from them that someone has already worn them; visually new (and sometimes truly new with tags) branded clothing – from mass market to luxury. It is most interesting to buy things from the last category; the price for them will be 3-10 times lower than for similar new models. Yes, you will have to spend a lot of time to find something decent, but if you want to save money, spend time.

By the way, all flea markets are different. There are network ones, and there are single ones. There are those that sell premium brands, and there are stores in the “economy” category. I find out details about each option on the Internet. In addition, such stores have discount systems. On the day the clothes are delivered, the cost of items is at its maximum, and then the price drop begins: by the end of the week, discounts can reach 60%, and after two weeks, items can lose up to 90% of their original cost.

Exchange party

Do you want to update your wardrobe for free, get rid of good but unnecessary things (clothes, shoes, books, bags) and at the same time get to know cool stories of completely different people? Then you definitely need to organize a public swap party or attend one as a guest. A swap party (from the English swap – “exchange”) is an event where you can bring unnecessary, but usable things and take something for yourself for free.

The mechanism is simple. Everyone brings boring clothes to the event, which the rest of the party can take away. It turns out not only profitable, but also fun – since the company is clearly selected with common interests and values. Similar advertisements “winter swap in a cafe on Arbat” constantly appear on the Internet. Participating in swaps will help you update your wardrobe completely free of charge. In addition, you can find unique things at swaps. For example, those brought from other countries, made with your own hands, or simply those that have already disappeared from sale.

Platform for shopaholics

Another alternative to second-hand shopping is shopping on resale platforms or in communities on social networks. Often they sell clothes that are not worn at all, for example, if they don’t fit correctly. Such lots cost an order of magnitude cheaper than in ordinary retail. So I snatched a blouse from an inexpensive foreign brand, which has recently not been represented in Russia, for some 1.5 thousand rubles. I note that in retail such a thing would cost me 3-4 times more.

I enjoy buying and selling clothes and shoes on resale platforms. But for some reason in Russia this is still considered a not entirely decent activity. You can often hear people say: “You’re wearing someone’s clothes, that’s terrible.” Meanwhile, on such sites you can dress in branded or simply high-quality items at a ridiculous price. And while someone arrogantly turns their nose up and saves for several months for a new wool or cashmere sweater, I buy cheap and when I want. I’ll say more: now, even if I have the funds, I somehow can’t bring myself to buy, say, a jacket for 10 thousand for one season, if on resale platforms it can be sold for 1 thousand rubles and look like new.

The ideal wardrobe: instructions for compiling

How to create your ideal wardrobe and save money? As a conscious and experienced shopaholic, let me give you some advice. Buy in stores only what you would be sorry to throw away in six months. This is conscious consumption. That is why I buy relatively few things after a very serious choice, but at the same time I know that even in a few years the toad will strangle them to throw them away or even change them. At the same time, when we buy five cheap T-shirts for the price of two, in a maximum of a year some of them will definitely go into the trash. I have a friend who, in an attempt to save money, periodically goes to clothing markets and large outlets and buys a huge bag of things there at a time. Like, everything costs a penny. But then all this is thrown away as unnecessary and she goes to her usual locations with a new bag. And so on in a circle. As a result, such thoughtless shopping costs a pretty penny. After doing the math, we found out that her expenses on clothes are equal to mine, only I buy little and durable items, and she buys a lot of budget junk “to throw away.”

How to save money on your wardrobe:

– Buy only what you need right now;

– When making a choice, focus on the benefits of the item, not the price. More expensive clothes may end up being cheaper because they will last longer;

– Avoid similar clothing. These are things that seem good, but are never worn because you already have something similar in your wardrobe;

– Avoid clothing for rare occasions: weddings, corporate events. Strive to ensure that all your purchases are as compatible with each other as possible and allow you to create many combinations;

– Take care of your clothes. Regular care and small fixes can double the lifespan of items. Don’t be shy about having good things repaired by a tailor, for example, you can replace zippers or buttons;

Lifehacks for online shopping:

After we have added the “necessary” lots to the cart, we do not click “buy”, but begin natural selection:

1. We remove all items made from non-natural fabrics.

2. Check the height of the model in the photo and compare it with your height.

3. We check the sizes of shoes and clothes with measurements in centimeters.

4. If this is a large marketplace, then customer reviews are your best friend,