7 Simple Ways to Develop a Distinctive Fashion Style on a Low Budget (2022) | Story Meets Reality
Finding a
fashion style that best suits your personality or identity can be a very
frustrating process. Especially when you are broke! Ask me, I know. I’ve spent
years and years futilely trying to piece my personality, and the clothes I wear
together. All it resulted in was identity crisis. See? Having a distinctive
fashion style does not only boost your self-confidence, but it can also help
you develop or express your self-identity.
The thing is, I had a picture of what I wanted my style to look like, but I did not have the finances to back it up. I have since developed some strategies that finally helped me build my fashion style without spending a lot of money. If you are like me, and you are unbelievably broke, worry not, because I am here to give you tips on how you can build your own distinctive style without damaging your pocket.
1. Get creative with styling your existing clothes
You already
have the clothes. They may be few, but what if I tell you that you can still
work on creating your dream fashion style using what you already have? All it
needs is a bit of creativity and courage.
I have recently
discovered that all clothes have a perfect match for each occasion. You just
need to find it! Mix and match everything and ensure that you are also
accessorizing. Moreover, do not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone.
Creativity and comfortability do not lounge in the same shade. Needless to say,
who knows what new outfits you might discover on your venture?
2. Thrifting
Thrifting has saved my life, and my pocket. There’s everything for everyone and it is so inexpensive. My best friend actually introduced me to thrifting, and it blew my mind. I have such beautiful pieces of clothing that I found at such unbelievably low cost. I must warn you: Thrifting can be addictive. Since you are seeing such awesome clothes at such a low price, you might want to keep on buying. So, you must be wary of that. Therefore, thrift away, but at caution.
3. Modify your clothes
Again, you need to pull up your creativity gears. Scary, right? Well, I have good news. I believe that everyone is creative in their own way, and sometimes you just need a little bit of inspiration. That is why we have YouTube and Pinterest. In my early stages of developing my own style, I spent a lot of time on YouTube and Pinterest watching DIY videos on how I can modify or fancify my own clothes. What I learned is, the more you see beautiful things, the more you are inspired to create your own. So, go crazy. You never know what you might make.
4. Keep your eyes open for sales, but be intentional
Sales are awesome when you need to find the best pieces of clothing at a low price. One thing I do is, I buy summer clothes during winter because in winter, most summer clothes that were not bought during summer are put on these huge sales since they are no longer in high demand. The same happens for winter clothes during summer. So, these are the best times to buy clothes. However, like thrifting, it can be addictive. You might find yourself buying unnecessary clothes or clothes that do not align with the style you are trying to build. Thus, buy clothes that are on sale, but watch out not to buy clothes you don’t need.
5. Upcycle
Don’t throw
away your old clothes. How about you turn them into something new? It’s like
recycling. Seriously, there is nothing more beautiful than taking something old
and turning it into something new. Somehow this reminds me of Cinderella. You
know? Rags to riches? At the same time, I like defining upcycling this way:
Turning straw in to gold. Is that giving you Rumpelstiltskin vibes?
I digress. I discovered upcycling in 2020, and I have been obsessed ever since. The truth is, I don’t like wasting material, and it makes me feel good when I turn old clothing into new clothing. For upcycling inspiration, check out Pinterest and YouTube, and very soon you will be turning that old jean of yours into a skirt or transforming that ancient dress you don’t wear into something completely different.
6. Create a capsule closet
How would it
feel to have the type of wardrobe that never goes out of fashion, and remains classically
beautiful even as time passes? Well, you can do that by creating your own
capsule wardrobe. In fact, more people are now starting to build their own. Who
wants to get rid of all their clothes when they get out of a trend, right?
Fashion is ever evolving, and some types of clothes are only good for a season,
and then they are left behind by the fashion train.
By making a
capsule wardrobe, you are ensuring that you will always have the types of
clothes that will last you years without ever getting out of fashion. You can do
this by purchasing clothes in neutral colours (black, white, nude, blue, etc.)
or patterns that are not too severe or splashy. It is also important to ensure
that you are buying clothes in materials that are classically fashionable and
can survive the changes in time. For instance, Materials like Demin and cotton
are forever in style, whereas corduroy come in and out of style. In fact, you
can always pair up your trendy clothes with capsule clothing.
7.
Learn
how to make clothes and accessories
Surely, making
clothes and accessories is not for everyone, but as someone who constantly
develops new hobbies, I’ve learned not to close one door entirely. Designing
clothes and accessories can be such an intimidating, and time-consuming hobby
to pick up on. However, seeing how we now have more access to internet than we
ever did, we can easily learn more skills on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
Say you decide to
learn to make your own clothes, you will be able to design unique clothes that
you can never get at a store. Also, you can make clothes that are specifically
meant to fit you and your body shape, because we all know that the sizing
systems at stores are flawed. Indeed, making clothes is not that simple. It
requires patience, willingness to fail, and the confidence to wear your
mistakes. As a self-taught fashion designer, I’ve had to go through all that,
but nothing beats the feeling of wearing clothes that you have designed. The
feeling of wearing clothes that only you have and being able to wear clothes
that align so well with your self-identity is unmatched. But beware, wearing
your own designs is bound to attract attention in the streets.
In conclusion
There are
several ways you can build your own fashion style without spending a fortune.
You can either get creative with your existing wardrobe, start thrifting, modify
your own clothes, target sales, upcycle your old clothes, create a capsule
closet, or learn how to make clothes and accessories. What do you choose? I also
mentioned YouTube and Pinterest as the best social media platforms to gain inspiration
for designing, upcycling, and modifying your clothes. Therefore, I will be sharing
links to some videos that helped me when I was starting out on my journey of
creating my own style, as well as the links to some of my own YouTube videos
where I share my designing journey and styling tips.
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