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Once upon a time, in a little cottage in the woods, there lived a mother and her two children. The mother was On A Budget, and her daughters were the fruit of her labors. Their names were Frugal and Frumpy, and they went everywhere together . . .
Wait, wait, wait. That's not right at all. Just because you're on a budget doesn't mean you can't look terrific. You just need to think carefully about what you have, and what you need, and what you're wearing.
Frugal and frumpy are not synonyms (or sisters, either). Stupid fairy tales. Let's see what On A Budget really COULD do to dress herself up.
Shop your closet.
Start every wardrobe overhaul by looking carefully at what you already have. Try everything on; see what fits and what goes together; assess all the possibilities. Identify the holes in your wardrobe, focusing on basics. If you're on a budget, be honest with yourself: what do you really NEED? If every white tee shirt you own has a big chocolate stain on the front (what? it happens!) replace them. If your black wool skirt is in good shape and fits well but needs a button, fix it. Make a commitment to wear what you have, but rethink how you wear things. Always wear your black dress with flats? Try some heels instead. Saving that silk blouse for a special occasion? Declare Tuesday Little Black Dress Day.
Think about what you will be getting dressed for: work? school? play dates? real dates? church? CAN you get dressed for all those things? If not, why not? Be honest about what you really NEED; make a list that you can carry with you when you shop, to keep yourself from buying (or just lusting after) pieces that don't serve any purpose in your wardrobe.
Shop the sales.
Spring is here, which means that fall clothes will be in stores in about two weeks. Seasonal clothing always shows up a good half-season before you can really even think about wearing it, right about the time that you're slogging around in your parka and boots, thinking oh I can't wait for it to be summer so I can wear a cute sundress! and some flippy sandals! Don't be seduced, though; wait a few weeks and everything will be on sale. Need a winter coat? Buy it in January. Bathing suit? Fourth of July is your best bet. Resist the urge to snap up that turtleneck sweater when it's still 100 degrees out; it will be half the price come October. The one exception to this is basics that you KNOW will be hard to find later; last summer, I was KICKING myself for not buying shorts in March, because by June, my size was nowhere to be found. Maybe that's just me, though.
Some chains, like the Gap, have corporate policies about how long merchandise can be on the floor before it must be discounted. Typically, mid-range stores leave things out for about six weeks and then start the markdowns. If you're looking either for basics or for something really trendy, this is the way to shop. Basics--khakis, say, or jeans, or classic styles like turtlenecks and cardigans--go on sale because new shipments are coming in; trends go on sale because, well, they're trends and they have little staying power. Use the internet to monitor sale prices, but keep in mind that the brick-and-mortar store may not be offering the same prices as the website.
The general rule of thumb is that you should NOT buy anything on sale that you wouldn't have paid full price for. This holds true even when you are specifically shopping the sale rack; if you wouldn't have paid $49.99 for those lime-green Bermuda shorts, they're not a deal even at $9.99. Watch the sale rack for useful essentials: tees, tanks, sweaters, etc. Don't buy things simply because they're on sale.
Shop consignment.
Consignment shops are particularly useful for special occasion clothes; my favorite consignment shop always has a rack full of evening gowns for a fraction of their original prices. Most were worn once or twice; some still have the ORIGINAL TAGS on them.
While you can shop consignment stores in the same way you would any other boutique, I suggest you clean out your closet first and take your cast-offs in with you. Often, consignment stores will pay you in store credit, which you can then use to get whatever you're looking for. Call ahead to get
