Get Some Wardrobe Excitement – Without Breaking the Bank

As the seasons change, so do the clothes, and suddenly that itch to hit the shops for some new duds comes creeping back in.  If you’re watching your pennies, try these tips to add some spring in your step this spring by refreshing your wardrobe on the cheap.

(1) Clean Your Closet – and Get Brutal

If you haven’t worn it in a year, it goes.  It may be cute and in good shape, but if you don’t wear it, it doesn’t matter if it’s Audrey Hepburn’s Winged Victory gown from Funny Face, it’s not doing anyone any good.  Don’t keep anything around “just in case,” either.  If you need to paint a room, not having those torn-up old jeans to wear isn’t going to make it suddenly impossible.  If it doesn’t fit, big or small, don’t save it against the day it does – we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.  Make two piles – one of things so worn out no one can make any use of them, the other of items in good shape.  The first bag goes into the trash, the second gets donated, taken to a consignment shop, or sent to step two.  Let them go.  Chances are, if you haven’t worn it in a year, you won’t miss it anyway.

(2) Have a Swap

Gather your girlfriends, pop open a bottle of wine (white might be preferable in this case), and raid each other’s closets.  Each of you brings whatever wearable pieces have been sitting forlorn and unworn in your closet and offers them up for adoption to a good home.  Not only do you declutter your wardrobe of things you don’t wear, you score some fresh new pieces to shake things up, all completely free.  Plus you get to spend some quality girl time, which never hurts. Just make sure you keep things orderly – use a random system (picking straws, drawing numbers from a hat, etc.) to choose what order people get to choose items in, and stick to it.

(3) Have Your Clothes Fit Like They Were Made For You

Visiting a tailor (or doing your own tailoring) is a great way to revamp your wardrobe on the cheap.  In fact, if you have the skills to do your own tailoring, it’s completely free.  For those of us who aren’t so handy with a needle and thread, a visit to someone with sewing skills in in order.  We’re not talking about just hemming your jeans here.  Have the waist or bust fitted to give a dress a whole new shape or have a pair of pants tailored so your butt always looks good.  When your clothes are fitted properly, even the cheapest items will look expensive – and they’ll be so flattering, you’ll be excited to wear them.