Thursday, August 11, 2011

College-Style

College-Style

Updating Your Look for $100 or Less!

Posted: 10 Aug 2011 10:58 PM PDT

By Megan R of George Brown College. Follow me on Twitter @meggles_07.

Alright y’all! School is starting up again soon and we all know what that means: back to school shopping! Most of the time it’s shop ’til you drop during this time of year between school supplies (my personal fave, aside from clothes and shoes!), dorm room or apartment needs and clothes for those all important first day of school outfits. New trends are popping up left, right and center and trying to keep up with them can be very stressful (not to mention, expensive) when you’re shopping for new clothes. Now, there are two types of back-to-school shopping trips in my mind. The first is specifically reserved for buying the stuff you really need. For example, somehow I have found myself with only two pairs of jeans and all the tank-tops I stocked-up on throughout the year have either gotten ruined or disappeared — into my sisters closet no doubt. The second type of shopping trip is geared towards updating what you already have in your closet with the latest trend pieces. When you’re updating your look, most of the things you buy are trend pieces, so you don’t want to splurge on those items as much as you would with other basic items for your wardrobe that you’ll be wearing more often and will stay in style longer.

Steps for Updating Your Look Without Breaking the Bank

Photo Credit

1. Go to the Mall

Or whatever store you like, but don’t buy a thing. Keep your money at home so you can avoid impulse buys and instead walk around with your phone handy or an old-fashioned pad of paper and a pen to make notes of all the things you like. Include a description of the item, the store and price. This way when you get home, you have the list and can go through it and think about all the things you liked. So you won’t be wondering about that hot pink pleather mini skirt you saw at that one store. Yeah, you can thank me later.

2. Go Through Your Stuff

Look through all your clothes and you guessed it: make another list. Write down all the things you need not the things you want. This takes care of that, and doesn’t break into your $100.00 budget because this list is for essential “forever” items that will last you a long time. Once you know what you need, take the list you made at the mall and compare the items that you wrote down to the things in your closet. Chances are you may have one or two things that are similar or could be used in the same way. “Shopping” without money is a great way to get new ideas for using items already in your closet.

3. Go to the Mall

Shop at stores like Target and Walmart or thrift stores in your area. Target and Walmart have great trend pieces that won’t break the bank when your shopping for trend pieces. Also check stores like Forever 21 and H&M that have cheap on-trend items. When updating your look, you want to make sure you don’t overspend on trend pieces that will go in and out of style faster than you can say your name. Save your money for investment items like an amazing pair of jeans or an awesome leather jacket that you will wear for years to come. Buying a couple trend items like colored jeans, a leopard maxi skirt or a sheer top is a good start, but I like to focus more on accessories that will jazz-up your outfit staples, which you already own. The smallest accessory change can make the biggest changes in your outfit, like the example below:

Updating your look by collegestyle featuring a heather grey t shirt

The first look is casual with pink flats and scarf. The last outfit is bright, daring and fun with the blue boots and colorful ring. The middle look is somewhere in between and has a little bit of a muted look that’s perfect for a dinner out.

Apart from accessories, statement articles of clothing can be a great way to update your look. They can be a bit more expensive, though, so search around for a good deal and make sure you like the trend before you buy. One of my favourite trends right now is the bright colours that have been popping up everywhere. I know I’ll be rocking bright colours out and about this fall to brighten up the daytime gloom of the subway. Adding bright colours is a great way to update your look right now and doesn’t need to be expensive. Ultimately you choose your budget for your shopping, so $100 is just a guideline, but you can find great inexpensive items everywhere. Most trends run in cycles so check out your local thrift stores for some old gems. I’ve found some great bright coloured pieces there that have lasted me a long time. Check out this post by AJ for a thrift shopping guide.

I hope to be updating my look this year by buying cheap trend pieces such as tops and accessories for around $60.00, and then splurging on a new coat in a bright colour. Since I have always like bright colours and wear them regardless of trends, I know a coat will last me longer then a month or so. I plan on hunting around my area to try and find one or make a coat like one of these:

Now granted, these may not be the most budget-friendly examples, but they give you a good reference for ideas and inspiration. When you get a big statement piece like this, it will update your look instantly because it’s something you will wear almost everyday and a good winter coat is always a great investment.

Thoughts?

Updating your look this year is so easy it’s almost effortless. So how do you plan on updating your look this season? Do you have any great shops near you that have great finds? Comment below, email us at info@college-style.com or tweet me and let us know! We love hearing what you think as always!

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