7 Tips for

Clothes Accessories Shopping

How to Expand your Wardrobe on a Budget

Would you like to freshen your wardrobe and not spend a lot of green? Take an accessories shopping trip! Here are some tips on how to make a smallish wardrobe look bigger and more chic on a budget!

If you're like me, when you're looking over your clothing allowance, there's usually not much money available for accessories. The kids need clothes, not to mention necessities like soaring seasonal utility bills that must take precedence. So how can you keep your wardrobe looking up to date without new clothes? Hey, the answer is simple - and inexpensive. Go on an accessories shopping trip! Simple, but carefully chosen accessories such as a glitzy belt, scarves, handbags and faux jewelry, can be worn with lots of items in your closet. Mixing and matching accessories with clothing you already have is the key to making a relatively small wardrobe look fresh and chic. Let's take a look at how you can make this wardrobe option work for you.

Tip #1 

When you plan your accessories shopping trip, think outside the box! There are certainly plenty of upscale accessories shops at the mall, but these are among the most expensive ways to go. Check the phone book for smaller shops, which don't have the high overhead of shops at the mall. The small shops are typically family owned businesses which carry more unusual items that are hand picked by the owner. In order to compete with the mall shops, the small shop must offer a better selection, as well as reasonable prices.

Tip #2 

The consignment and thrift shops are other good places to go accessories shopping to find one-of-a-kind accessories that you won't find elsewhere. Many people think that these stores carry old, worn out and outdated accessories, but this is absolutely not the case! These stores are picky about what they accept for resale. In the worst case, a nice pair of gloves may be missing a button at the wrist, or you may find a small tear in the lining of a handbag. With such easily repaired items, the price is going to reflect that flaw. Also, these stores you'll probably find some great "retro style" inexpensive jewelry. Unlike the mall shops with a dozen identical accessories, at the thrift conscious boutiques you may find dozens of one-of-a-kind items from which to choose.

Tip #3 

Check out garage sales, crafts fairs and flea markets for some inexpensive and exciting additions. Be creative and look at the items with this question in mind: "How can I make this item (whatever it is) into an accessory piece?" Don't be scared, be creative!

Tip #4 

One thing that will help with the creative energy is to look through your closet before going shopping. Most of us have favorite colors. Let's say you tend to lean towards blues and purples, Kelly green and your basic black. A woven, rainbow colored belt, or an elasticized faux gold belt can be worn with most of your clothes. Patterned scarves are another item to look for when accessories shopping. If you have a particular skirt or sweater which you'd like to match up with just the right colors, take those items with you, especially if you're shopping at thrift shops, consignment shops, garage sales or flea markets, as sales are typically final and can't be returned.

Tip #5

If you like hats, keep your eyes open. A broad brimmed black or beige hat can be made more versatile with a scarf, ribbons or strands of fake flowers placed around the brim. This hat can become suitable for plenty of occasions, from a casual lunch date to a night on the town. Plus, having a hat steamed and shaped into a different style is not too expensive at a local boot and hat shop. It's perfectly reasonable to ask first what the hatter will charge to clean and reshape the hat for you.

Note!  If you make accessories for your hat, attach them in a fashion that will allow for removal. If all the hat accessories can be changed it expands the variations for your wardrobe without requiring another hat purchase.

Tip #6 

Watch for better quality costume jewelry that can add just the right touch of class to a perfectly coordinated outfit. As relatively inexpensive as the items usually are, it's a great way to add flair to a number of pieces in your wardrobe. But be cautious that the inexpensive piece doesn't look cheap.

Tip #7 

Dont be afraid to trade costume jewelry pieces with a friend. Better yet, why not form an accessorie trading club? You could meet seasonally, semiannually or annually and make an event of it. Even if you only have a few accessories to trade, the results would still be a new look. Everybody wins!

You can see that a smallish wardrobe and, quite possibly an even smaller budget, need not be a cause for despair. Have fun and shop!