| If you are trying to save money, your wardrobe is a great place to start. By putting your wardrobe in order you are able to take stock of what you have, make your wardrobe work for you and stop wasting money on clothes and accessories you never wear.
With current economic times causing cutbacks, now is the time to invest in you and your wardrobe and get value for money. Wearing the right colours and styles plays an important part in your personal presentation, whether at work or looking for a job. It also saves you lots of money because you don’t buy clothes that you never wear.
On that note, have you ever stopped to think how much money you spend on your wardrobe each year? I am sure if you calculated the amount of money you have spent on your wardrobe in the last 5 years and more to the point, how much money you have wasted on items you never wear, you would be shocked. The average person spends anywhere between $2000 to $5000 a year on clothing related items and I am sure you will find that at least 30% of this is never worn. Over 5 years that adds up to $10,000 to $25,000. Not convinced you would spend this much? Have you considered the money you spend on hair cuts, hair products and colour, underwear, socks and hosiery, shoes, bags, brief cases, ties, shirts, dresses, pants, suits, jackets, jewellery, belts, hats, makeup, nail polish, and the list goes on.
The average person will be purchasing clothing items for 55-60 years of their lives. When you times the amount spent each year by the number of years, the average person will spend between $110,000 to $300,000 on clothing items over their lifetime. This is a lot of money to spend and an incredible amount of money to waste. You would not invest this much money on a house or property without first doing your research. Why should your image be any different? Your image is something that you carry around with you at all times and cannot be left at home when you are running late. Your image represents who you are.
The more you know about your body proportions, the easier it is to dress it and the more wear you get out of your clothes. If you don’t know what your body proportions are, what necklines, jacket or skirt lengths best suit you, it is very easy to waste money on clothes that we later regret buying and never wear (Gross and Stone 1995, page 20) Learn how to organise your wardrobe, to shop with confidence and to look your best.
Izziana Image Budget tips:
1. Only buy clothes that are in your best colours and styles. They will look great on you all the time and are easy to match to your other colours
2. Only buy a clothing item or accessory if it goes with at least 3 or 4 other garments in your wardrobe
3. Try wearing your suit jackets with jeans to create a chic casual look
4. Think about how often you will wear the item. No matter how cheap a clothing item may be, if you never wear it, it is
still a waste of your money
5. Before you go shopping think about your current wardrobe. Decide what you need to buy, what your budget is and then stick to it
6. Only buy a clothing piece if you absolutely love it or absolutely need it. You will always wear what are your favourite pieces
7. Make sure the clothing item fits you. Allow for a bit of movement so you can wear it over several seasons
8. A new lipstick colour is a great way to update your look without spending a fortune
9. Prints and design pieces stand out so they are easily remembered. This means they can be worn less regularly and you get less wear out of them. They also date quickly. Select solid colours if you need to get a lot of wear out of them
Click HERE comment on this article Regards, Isobel & Anna
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Reference Material
1. Johnson Gross, K and Stone, J, 1996, Chic Simple Women’s Wardrobe, 2nd Edn, Thames and Hudson, London
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