As millennial women trying to make our way through the world, dressing and looking the part of success is important. Our style helps us express ourselves and can also improve our confidence.
But constantly buying clothing can cost us so much time and money that could be better spent doing something much more productive! You do not need to buy lots of expensive outfits all the time to look amazing. In this post, I’m going to give you 10 clever clothing hacks to save you time and money, and have you looking expensive on a budget.
1. Leave your credit cards at home before shopping.
I spoke about this amazing money saving hack I learned in a recent video of mine. You’re probably scratching your head at the moment, wondering what does leaving your credit cards at home have to do with clothing?
When you have your credit cards with you at all times, you have more access to “ready cash” and the urge to buy everything and anything is much greater.
Over 71 percent of millennial women realize that the best way to prevent overspending is to only shop with a limited amount of money on hand.
Before you go shopping, make a list of what you need and only bring the amount needed to buy the outfits you had planned to buy.
2. Shop in thrift store.
Did you know that more and more millennials are shopping at thrift stores now more than before?
Related: Thrifting 101: How To Score In a Modern Day Treasure Hunt
It’s like we’ve found the holy grail of saving money when shopping and I’m loving it.
Humans tend to be compulsive shoppers at times and as I’ll talk about later on, we buy pieces and tend to wear them less than three times, wasting so much of our time and money.
Thriftng is a fantastic way to get amazing pieces at affordable prices, and it’s good for the environment because it reduces waste.
Find a thrift store nearby and start checking out the pieces they offer. You’ll be surprised how many fantastic pieces they have which lend themselves to becoming starter items for a capsule wardrobe.
Related: thredUP Review
3. Create a capsule wardrobe.
Have you ever heard of the saying “less is more”? This applies to every single area of your life especially your wardrobe.
Many of the most powerful men and women in the world own a capsule wardrobe of intentionally chosen pieces that mix well together.
You should take a page from their books and create a capsule wardrobe that will go with you from season to season.
The reason a capsule wardrobe is just a clever clothing hack is because you don’t need to have a ton of pieces to start and it takes the headache out of having to choose outfits for each day.
You can literally wake up, pick out any two items from your closet and know they will look fantastic together. Learn how to curate your closet of 37 pieces per season here.
4. Avoid flash sales.
Ask me about flash sales a year ago and I’d tell you that flash sales would be the death of me. Who doesn’t like seeing that dress or those shoes they’ve been eyeing all year go on sale for ONE DAY ONLY at 50% off??
That’s how they catch you. You see one or two items on sale and before you know you’ve just spent your entire month’s salary on that quote unquote flash sale.
Avoid flash sales like the shopping disease they are. You end up with lots of trendy pieces you probably won’t even end up wearing.
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5. Invest in classic pieces.
The fashion world is known for its fads and trends. As amazing as they look, fads and trends are not the way to go when building the wardrobe of a successful, powerful woman.
You need to invest in classic pieces that can be worn at all times and drape your body beautifully. Audrey Hepburn was always known for her amazing sense of style and her classic, lady chic looks and style like hers never fails.
Invest in items such as a great pair of dark-wash jeans, a good pair of heels and a jacket that you will always wear. Fill your closet with staple items, such a black handbag, that will go with you to all your client meetings and last you a lifetime.
6. DIY your outfits.
Yes! I finally get to talk about one of my the most clever clothing hacks I’ve personally come to love. Since the day I started DIY-ing my own clothing I have saved so much time and money. It’s really become a passion of mine.
Before you say it, I wasn’t very good at sewing before I started so at first I would glue pieces together, and you can imagine the outcome of those, lol.
When you make your own clothing, you set the rules. It doesn’t have to be expensive at all, and you’re able to choose the details that work for you and your body type. I can’t tell you how many women have told me they can never find clothing that fits them properly or looks as good on them as it did on the model.
You don’t even need to have a sewing machine either. Many outfits I still wear to this very day were sewn entirely by hand.
If you’re not handy with a needle and thread, take a few of your classic staple pieces to be tailored. They will look like they were made for you!
7. Take proper care of your clothing.
As a child you probably saw your mom separate the lights from the darks while she did the laundry. Have you ever wondered why? She did it to ensure that the clothing would remain in good condition for a longer period of time.
The same goes for knits, silks and other delicate pieces you may own. Don’t just dump them into the washing machine, try your best to wash these by hand to prevent rips and tears. Be careful not to discolor pieces or cause wrinkles or serious damage by wringing them out.
If something says “dry clean only” — they mean it! Don’t ruin your clothing with improper care.
[click_to_tweet tweet=”10 Clever Clothing Hacks To Save You Time And Money” quote=”10 Clever Clothing Hacks To Save You Time And Money”]
8. Learn the two outfit rule.
We often go shopping and pick out things we like because they’re cute or in season. Often times, the tops or skirts we buy have print or something else that makes it hard to match with another item in our closet.
Because of this, we tend to only wear the item once and then tuck it into the back of the closet where it’s forgotten til they kingdom come.
To solve this problem, I decided that whenever I go to buy anything at the store, I have to ensure that the item of clothing I buy MUST have the ability to be paired with other items to make two completely different outfits.
If that wasn’t possible or I couldn’t think of two outfits in that moment, I put the item down.
This has saved me so much money and I now have a way more versatile wardrobe than I had before.
9. Mend your clothes.
Isn’t it just the worst thing when you’re at a meeting and there’s a run in your stocking or a tear in the back of your skirt?
Learning how to mend clothes is a great way to prevent these embarrassing situations from occurring.
It also saves you alot of money when you know the basic stitches needed to repair clothing instead of having to buy new ones.
When I first started sewing, the back stitch and running stitch were the first ones I learned.
They definitely come in handy when a seam rips or some of my clothing are a bit ill-fitting. I suggest you practice a few of them too.
10. Master stain removal.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve bought an amazing white top only to have it stained by some unscrupulous food item. Mastering the art of removing stains yourself not only saves cleaning costs, it also saves shopping costs too.
A quick Google or Pinterest search can reveal tons of quick and easy ways to remove stains with items you likely already have at home! Make sure you give it a go before tossing out an item or
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The saying “fashion is temporary, but style is eternal” has never been truer. As millennial women we need to master the art of multi-tasking. To me, that means knowing how to work hard, pay our bills, have fun and look great doing it.
This doesn’t not mean you need to waste the precious moments you have and the money you have to do so.
By using the tips and tricks I gave you above you’ll soon be on your way to not only knowing your style and pieces that work for you but understanding that there’s more to becoming a #ladyboss than the things she wears.
By Dee Jackson
Hi there! I’m Dee, the founder of My Dee Dee’s Diary. I grew up in Jamaica and lived there until I moved to Japan two years ago where I became an English Teacher. I love my job but also want to help other women become the best version of themselves.
On my blog My Dee Dee’s Diary, I teach other millennial women how to navigate adulthood by sharing advice, personal development tips, everything career, relationship + so much more. To get started on the journey to living your best life, visit my blog at https://mydeedeesdiary.com