You work hard for your money, so you know you can’t drop your entire paycheck on this season’s latest trends. But that doesn’t mean you can’t look fashionable on a budget. With a little savvy planning, you can look chic and trendy under $20. Here’s how.
Figure out your best colors
Trends can take a certain color and run with it. Whether that’s mint green, dusty rose, cozy heather grays or siren red, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you know which color works best for you.
So, before you buy the same piece that everyone’s wearing now, take a second to analyze your coloring and which shades complement you best.
There are two great resources for this. First, there’s the Dressing Your Truth online course that’s free and gives you everything you need to know to understand which colors work best for you. Or, you can try a four seasons color analysis as outlined by fashion blogger, Anuschka Rees.
By choosing either of these resources, you can discover the colors that best suit you and your hair and skin coloring. That way, you’ll know which trends work for you.
No products found.
Analyze your closet
You probably think you don’t have anything to wear, even though you have a closet full of clothes.
So, take everything out and analyze what you have. Do you have too many of the same piece? Is there anything you need? Do you have pieces that aren’t really suited to your current lifestyle? By analyzing your closet, you can uncover old favorites that can work with current trends.
Play up classic pieces
No matter what the trends are, classic pieces never go out of fashion. What’s more, you can wear your classic, tried-and-true pieces along with one trendy piece. This is an affordable way to be on trend without having to overhaul your entire wardrobe.
A basic, straight leg or skinny jeans will always look good with this season’s blouse or sweater. Similarly, the high-waisted jeans that are all the rage work with your staple black turtlenecks and other basic pieces.
You can also wear all of your old classics, but purchase a trendy accessory, like a scarf, bag or clutch.
Choose one trend
Fast fashion does a great job of churning out trends quickly – even on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. But try to be level-headed about it and choose one trend you love and invest in that. Maybe you’re loving the leopard prints or cute pom-poms.
Try to just stick with one and integrate that into your current wardrobe. Otherwise, you can waste a lot of money on pieces you don’t know how to combine.
Try consignment and thrift
If you’re not opposed to some thrifting, this can be a great way to be trendy on a budget. Try to shop at thrift stores with a good selection and high standards on what they carry.
To get even better deals, shop on days when they offer certain discounts for students, teachers or certain items. This can be a fun experience and in some cases, you can create several outfits with as little as $20.
Nice local shops include Plato’s Closet, the Salvation Army, Goodwill or Amvets. Online stores include Thread Up, Shop Pop and eBay.
Sell your pieces
Remember how you went through your entire wardrobe? Chances are you found pieces you don’t wear anymore even though they’re in great condition. If that’s the case, you can bring your clothing to consignment shops and many will give you either cash or store credit for your clothes.
If you have a good eye for photography and the patience, you can sell your unworn pieces online, too. Then, you can invest that money back in your wardrobe for this season’s trends.
Affordable trendy shops
While it’s important to invest in wardrobe staples and classic pieces, you don’t have to spend so much on trendy clothing and accessories. After all, you may not want them next year. But before you go shopping, remember these all-important tips:
- Shop with cash instead of your credit card. Having a tangible budget helps keep you from overspending.
- Write a list. When you go through your closet, identify what you do and don’t have. This helps you figure out what you need, and what pieces will complement what you already have. So, shop prepared with a thought-out list.
When it comes to trendy under $20 shopping, you can find a lot of great options at stores like ASOS, Topshop, Monki, Zara, H & M, SheIn, Forever 21 and even TJ Maxx and Marshalls.
The quality of these pieces isn’t always very high, so it’s important to choose wisely. Will that sweater pill after only a couple wears? What about those jeans – they might stretch and fade quickly. Are those shoes going to scratch and if so, should you opt for a different color?
No products found.
Shop online with caution
All of those stores we just mentioned are perfect places to look for your next trendy item. But they may or may not be in your area. Luckily, they all have an online store (with the exception of TJ Maxx and Marshalls). The downside of this is that it’s very easy to exceed your $20 budget when you shop online.
With one click you can add item after item to your cart. So, keep your list nearby and if you see your cart go over the $20 limit, step away from the computer and give your mind a break. It’s almost addicting to shop online, and making a purchase can give us an exciting rush of dopamine.
So, distract yourself and after a little while, you might find that you don’t really need that top from ASOS after all.
When you shop online, look for free shipping options and in-store returns to help you save money wherever you can.
You can be trendy under $20 with a little fashion savvy and smart planning. Who’s ready to shop?
