Carefully chosen, your casual clothing, budget-conscious wardrobe suffices for all but the fanciest occasions
While large corporations, automakers and banks are enjoying huge sums of taxpayer money being directed to their pockets, the rest of us are struggling to make ends meet. During the 1990s, many of us didn't hesitate to use one of our collection of credit cards to buy clothes and other wardrobe items. Times were good at the worst, we could certainly make the minimum payment on those cards to keep us stylishly clothed.
Well, things have certainly changed. We no longer jump at every 'sale', or buy a trendy and expensive pair of shoes we might wear only once in a year. The new trend among consumers is buying casual clothing that serves a number of purposes and occasions. The old mantra of 'mix and match' is back in our shopping strategies. Casual clothing fills the bill. Here we have some suggestions for getting the most for your clothing dollars, while still enjoying a stylish appearance.
During leaner times in the past decades, the old 'mix and match' strategy is one of the best ways to save money on your wardrobe needs. Classically styled clothing, such as the blazer, turtleneck sweaters and skirts and pants form the backbone of the budget friendly casual clothing wardrobe. The optimized wardrobe includes items which can be worn with as many other separates as possible. This does not mean that your wardrobe should look like military issue, or be a boring selection of uniform-like items. Neutral colors, such as beige, gray, navy and your basic black are good choices for the pant and skirt department, because they go with virtually every other color.
On the other hand, color should play a big part in your casual clothing wardrobe. For example, a bright red sweater, interwoven with a sprinkling of metallic threads, looks good with any of those neutral colored separates. This sweater looks as good with a pair of jeans as with a black linen skirt. While your favorite color may be sky blue, try to include a variety of colors, to achieve an illusion of a much larger wardrobe. Mixing color with pairing separates gives you versatility in a casual, but elegant selection of outfits.
The fabrics you choose are also important elements of your wardrobe strategy. Natural fabrics, such as cotton, wool and linen never go out of style. Trendy patterns and color combinations, made of synthetic fabrics, tend to become outdated within a year. If you're set on maintaining a stylish look that still looks up to date more than a few years down the road, choosing casual clothing of natural fibers will get you there.
As for shoes and accessories, all you really need for those special occasions are a few classic designs to see you through everything, including a State dinner! If you're a shoe freak, inexpensive casual shoes can fill in the rest. Costume jewelry, trendy belts, bags and scarves are another inexpensive way to add dimension to your versatile casual clothing wardrobe.
Using these strategies, you can have your cake and eat it too! That's the well-dressed look, disguised in casual clothing you can afford.
1:54 PM