With summer just around the corner, you are probably already planning your next vacation. I bet you have it all planned: a week on the beach, soaking up the sun, followed by evenings spent enjoying the local nightlife. Vacations are wonderful, but they generally necessitate a whole new closet full of clothes. After all, fashions change, and you can’t be seen wearing last season’s styles – it’s not cool.
Garment Alterations
Splashing out on new clothes is never cheap, so it is sensible to look for ways you can maximize what you do have before you start buying new items. Old garments can often be altered to give them a new lease of life. For example, say you have a pair of old, worn denim jeans with lots of holes. They might not be much use as trousers anymore, but you could chop them down into cute little shorts for the summer. Denim cut-offs are hot right now, especially if you have great legs.
Other garments can be altered and improved upon. Turn a jacket with full-length sleeves into a cropped jacket with three-quarter length sleeves. Add some new buttons and jazz it up with a pretty scarf. Take a long maxi dress and transform it into a mini dress, or vice versa if you have some complementary fabric you can use.
Learn New Sewing Skills
We are not born with sewing skills, but they can easily be learned. Check out sewing tutorials on YouTube or sign up for some evening classes at the local community college. You can easily pick up an inexpensive sewing machine from eBay or Craig’s List, and once you have one, there is no limit to what you can sew.
Be super creative when altering old clothes. Use fabric dye to change the look of plain garments or experiment with tie-dye. It worked fabulously for your parents in the Hip Seventies, so there is no reason why it can’t work for you, too. Embroidery is another cool way a plain top or dress can be given a new lease of life. Use sequins, motifs, and anything else that works for you. If you personalize your old garments, they become unique, and the great thing about wearing unique clothing is that nobody else in the world has a garment the same.
Shop for Second Hand Bargains
If you have exhausted all possibilities in your closet, start looking for second-hand bargains. One person’s cast-offs are another person’s treasures. If you spend a bit of time looking, you will find all kinds of cool bargains online or in local thrift stores. People are incredibly quick to throw out unwanted garments, even if they have barely been worn. Often the items are almost new and still in fashion, so snap them up and make them all your own.
Buy Key Fashion Items Online
There are some things we all need in our summer closets. These include swimwear, t-shirts, a pretty dress or two, and a decent pair of denim jeans. If you have designer tastes, you can quite easily spend a fortune on such items, but since you probably don’t have unlimited funds, it is time to start looking for a few bargains.
There are plenty of women’s clothing retailers online. They can afford to sell their garments at a lower price because they have fewer overheads, so it is worth shopping online if you know exactly what you want. Make a list of what you want and start searching for suitable garments. With jeans, make sure the brand you want fits you perfectly before you buy, as different brands have a different fit.
The great thing about shopping online is that you can send it back if the item doesn’t fit. You are also protected if you pay for the item on credit card, and when it arrives, it does not meet your expectations for quality.
Plan a Capsule Wardrobe
Create a stylish capsule wardrobe for the summer. We can’t all have huge walk-in closets with hundreds of different outfits, so make the most of what you do have. Stick to a limited color palette and mix and match to suit the occasion. Any outfit can be changed using different accessories and shoes, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
Follow the tips above and use them to your advantage. With luck and a bit of effort, you will end up with a closet full of unique garments. Be brave and start thinking like a fashionista, then photograph all of your best outfits and post them on Instagram to get some feedback.
