Can You dress classy without breaking the bank?
The simple answer to the question I posed above is Yes you most certainly can! Obviously it does depend on your definition of 'classy' but with a bit of thought and searching in the right place it can be done. I think the place to start is to decide on you version of 'classy' and the sort of clothes that look good on you. There is no point trying to be elegant if the clothes just do not suit your build and physique.
Once you have discovered your style you can begin your search, there are two main sources of reasonably priced clothes, on line auction sites and, in the UK at least, supermarkets. Starting with the auction sites look for charities, on eBay you will find The British Heart Foundation that has hundreds of items, it is a bit of a trawl but you will be surprised at the items people dispose of, another is Loved by Cynthia prices are very reasonable, and you will be helping a charity as well. You can also go to your local charity shop as well to see what they have available. But of course there are hundreds of sellers on the auction sites so plenty to choose from.
The supermarkets, here in the UK, offer quite a range of reasonably priced clothes, but not all stores from a particular company will stock the same items so it does pay to occasionally visit a store in another location from time to time. I find they are generally good for skirts and tops, and it is possible to find a very nice outfit at a reasonable price.
This silk dress from Monsoon (right) cost me £35 which is very cheap for such a lovely dress. It is not new, but in perfect condition and is such a lovely dress to wear.
This was taken at a family event in September, the dress again was not new, but in lovely condition apart from a mark on the hem, it is lovely to wear and I certainly enjoyed wearing it. The accessories are costume jewellery purchased at a very reasonable price, ok not the real thing, but at a very affordable price and for the occasional night out very suitable. The watch came from eBay, all it needed was a battery and at £3.50 a real bargain for a very nice watch that suits the occasion well. Oh by the way the dress, from a charity cost £9.99..........
This one, brand new by Lipsy set me back £20, it is a lovely classic LBD with a nice twist in the style of the bodice.....
This dress by Warehouse is lovely if a tad low cut for me! Not perfect but a minor repair job sorted the problem, at £27 it was a great purchase and such a lovely dress, the shoes by the way, new, were £15.
This is an example of supermarket shopping, the skirt, top and handbag were all from Tesco, the shawl and heels were new from eBay.
As you can see there are plenty of options, but it is all a matter of choice and a bit of luck. The thing is, you need to define your look and find what suits you best, even the most expensive dress will look cheap and nasty if it doesn't fit or does not suit you. But you have to pay attention to the details, shoes are very important, obviously you have to have them and those killer heels make your legs look fabulous, but can you actually walk in them? If not go for something more restrained, the same goes for jewellery, I am not a fan of an oversized 'statement' neckless, but of course it might suit you much better, I prefer to go for smaller jewellery, although I do bling it up on occasion. As with the dresses, shoes and jewellery does not have to cost a fortune, ok you are never going to fool an expert wearing costume jewellery, so if you really are going to walk the red carpet think about hiring something for the occasion if it is that important, or just wear a simple gold or silver chain.......
Shawl, top, skirt and boots were all from supermarkets, but not all at the same time, a very reasonably priced outfit that anyone should be pleased to wear.
This outfit (right) is a combination I have put together from items purchased over a number of years, the jacket came from an on line charity shop, top from Tesco, skirt from eBay, shoes, by Next were also from eBay as were the tights, vintage Van Raalte 'Gutsy Lady' from 1978.
So what is your advice for sourcing clothes to look 'classy'? Where do you usually buy your clothes?....... I would love to hear you opinions and any advice you can share with other readers. Obviously I can only talk about the UK, so other countries will have different options..........
Thank you for your comments and suggestions Lynn. Of course renting a dress fro a special event is a good idea, particularly if it is something you are unlikely to wear somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteSupermarket clothing is generally very good quality now days, but you do have to look carefully at an item. As you say many of the higher end stores source from the Far East and it is often of similar or not much better quality but a substantially higher price.
Yes sales are always a good place to look, a lot of new with tags removed comes up on eBay for often a third of the retail price, many of these items are actually returns as most of the big retailers do not put these goods back into stock but sell them off to dealers. J D Williams is a good supplier, I have bought a number of items from them in the past and of course clearance is a good place to start.......
Great post Andrea.
ReplyDeleteI would agree, you certainly can dress classy without spending a fortune.
The auction sites such as eBay and Vinted are great for bargains especially if you're prepared to hold until you find an item you like within your price bracket. I've bought many a a second hand garment for a fraction of the cost of new and most were like new.
Charity shops can be good for bargains too and it's all for a good cause which is even better.
I've had some nice clothes from Supermarkets and just like you say you do need to check the item first for quality. I agree too, not all stores stock the same items so it's definitely worth visting several to see what they have in stock.
I'd heard about hiring dresses for special events and I suppose it is a great idea if you want something for that special occasion but aren't going to wear it again. I think it would be worth doing for something like a ball gown/prom dress.
Costume jewellery can be just as glitzy as the real stuff and I can't tell them apart. I'm a big fan of buying costume jewellery because it allows me feel glamorous on the cheap.
Lynn's reply to your post is very helpful and she's offered us some good advice.
Lovely photos BTW. Some great outfits you've but together, especially the Supermarket skirt and top with the shawl combo and the pink jacket and leather skirt combo.
Thanks for sharing x
Thank you for your comments Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteAs regards hiring a dress for a special occasion, yes it certainly is an option, but with what is available on the likes of eBay and Vinted, the chances are you could buy something suitable, for less than the cost of hiring. Ok the long red dress shown above was a lucky find, but on eBay there are lots of brand new Lipsy dresses for less than £30, I am talking about long dresses, something for the special occasion, I have several, so it is worth investigating because if you can get it cheaper than the hire price not only will you save money but you get to keep the dress.