Shopping Tips: 18 Best Clothes Shopping Tips
There is no doubt that we all need to buy clothes, but on top of the need is also the WANT. Clothing is more than a necessity for many people, especially when talking about women. This 18 clothes shopping tips will teach you how to get the most out of your clothing budget.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women spend two times more money on clothing than men do.
Learning how to get spending under control and figuring out spending triggers is essential because impulse shopping is what throws us off the wagon and empties out our pockets.
Financial advisers recommend a certain percentage of your monthly income (after taxes) for clothing, most say you should spend around 5% of your budget.
For some 5% might be too much and for others way too little, it all depends on your budget and what it needs to go on.
Tracking your expenses is a good way to figure out where your money is disappearing and is the initial step in creating a budget.
If you want to start saving, cutting down on clothing expenses is one area you can start with, here are 18 clothes shopping strategies to help you make the most of every dollar you spend.
1.Spend less
One of the best clothes shopping tips is to cut the expenses, and this applies to most areas of your budget.
2. Go generic
You don’t need to buy your basics with a high-end designer label. When you’re buying layering pieces that usually go under other clothing don’t buy a brand name. It is not going to show, and most likely the under layers are the ones that you buy more often. Designer label or not perspiration is going to ruin them anyway, so a cheaper tank top is still going to save your nice fancy shirt from sweat stains.
Buy your basics like T-shirts, tank tops, and loungewear from cheaper stores.
3. Choose timeless quality items
This clothes shopping tip might sound counterproductive. You actually have to spend more money but in the long run, you’ll end up saving.
Instead of buying two cheaper sweaters buy just one of better quality. It’s going to look better and with the proper care is going to last you longer.
Think of clothing that you wear a lot and invest in them. I invested a little bit more in a coat around 10 years ago. Ever since I wore it every spring and autumn and the coat is still going strong. Even though I bought my coat 10 years ago I still get compliments on how nice the coat is.
When buying a better quality item like this choose neutral colors and a timeless style.
4.Shop offseason
Not paying the maximum retail price is another one of the best clothes shopping tips and is the key to cutting clothing expenses. It might feel weird to buy a winter coat or a sweater when everyone wears shorts outside or buying sorts when everyone is in parkas but that will save you big money.
You like something that is in style during the summer season wait until they bring in fall merchandise.
5. Take it easy with the Trends
If you buy something trendy make sure you love it and you will be wearing it even after the trend is long gone.
If you are always buying the latest trend from stores that are affordable but end up in the back of your closet after a few months, ask yourself are those items actually cheap?
6.Careful at outlet malls
Outlets were typically carrying merchandise that was originally stocked in regular retail stores that didn’t sell, were out of season, discontinued or goods with irregularities.
In our days, outlets carry mostly stuff specifically designed for them, using lower quality materials, hence the lower prices. These merchandises have tags that say, “factory line” and you will not find them in a regular retail store.
When you check the tags you will see that the discount is on a suggested price, not an actual retail price.
Like in any other store check the clearance racks that are usually at the back of the store.
7. Don’t cheap out on the swimsuit
A well-made swimsuit might cost you more upfront but if well taken care of it can last for years.
Swimsuits take a beating that our regular clothes don’t, sunshine, salt water or chlorine, sunscreen can all damage it. If you are buying inexpensive swimsuits it’s going to be see-thru, sagging or falling off of you in no time and you’ll end up spending more in the long run.
Instead, invest in a well-designed swimsuit, always rinse it after wearing it and hand wash or soak it in cold tap water, then let it air dry.
8.Use coupons and coupon apps for better deals
A good way to save money is to never pay full price when shopping.
No matter what you’re planning on shopping for, you’ll definitely find a great coupon app for it or you can use cash back, especially when shopping online.
Use Ebates to get cash back when you’re shopping online. It’s easy to use, just sign up and shop thru their site.
You can use Groupon to find coupons for your next summer dress. You can find coupons for items that are already on sale.
9.Caution with flash sales
There are lots of online sites that host flash sales where you can have good discounts for a limited time, usually a few days.
If you are known to be an impulse buyer stay away from this kind of sales. While the prices are alluring you will be making rushed decisions and spend money on things you don’t actually need.
To keep yourself from overspending on stuff you don’t need to set a limit to your clothing budget and stick to it and think if you really like the item and how much will you be wearing it.
10. Never pay full price
This is one of my favorite clothes shopping tips and every time I use it every time I go shopping.
Shop from the clearance racks, every store has one and it’s usually well hidden. Stores create their layouts with the intention of making you spend more, their priciest items are in the middle of the floor and the clearance rack are usually in a corner at the back of the store.
If you don’t like or have no time to shop around for sale, in our days there are apps that can do that for you.
Take Shop Tagr for example, you can create a profile and the receive emails with the best emails based on the brands, styles, and sizes you selected.
If you like certain stores keep track of their major sales; most stores have one or two giant sales. In case you are not too good at keeping track of stuff like this, sign up for the store’s email.
Don’t forget to check online clearance sales; some stores will have certain sales available only online.
Have you ever left your online shopping cart full of items that you would like to buy? Well, you should do it more often. If you have an account to that online store you’ll most likely receive emails saying something like ‘you have two items in your cart that cost less’.
I’ve also received similar emails regarding the items I have on my wish list.
Many stores will offer discounts for the items you have in your abandoned shopping cart or wish list to increase their sales.
11. Stay away from dry-cleaning only clothing
You might think that this is not a clothes shopping tips but it is. Even if the item is on clearance avoid dry-clean only items. If an item has to be dry-cleaned every time it gets dirty than your item is going to cost you way more than what you initially paid.
If you do have dry-clean-only clothing save yourself some money and hand wash them with gentle soap and line dry them. It might be time-consuming but it saves your clothes and your money.
Not all clothing with ”dry-clean only” tags actually need dry cleaning, some of them can even be washed in the washing machine on the delicate cycle and using cold water. UK Daily Mail tested this theory; you can read more about it here.
12.Learn how to DIY
You don’t need to replace your shirt for a missing button, learn how to sew it back. Buttons, needles, and thread are way cheaper than a new shirt. If your pants need hamming don’t pay for someone else to do it. It’s not that complicated and if you have no idea on how to do it, you can start learning how here.
If you are not confident in your stitching skills, I have a tip for you.
Use hemming tape, it’s not as time-consuming as stitching and you can use it for other projects as well.
Learn basic repairs for your clothing and you are going to be able to save more money.
13. Revamp your old clothing
Revamping your old clothing is another one of the clothes shopping tips that will save you the most. You’ll be shopping your own closet.
If your old jeans are too boring don’t plan on spending money on new ones just yet. You can make them look fashionable again with a little bit of imagination and guidance.
The same goes for any clothing item, bring it back to life before heading to the store.
14. Make your own clothing
This is a little more complicated but if you have access to a sewing machine make use of it. You can start with something easy to make, like this skirt.
It can look intimidating at first but with some practice, you’ll get better at it.
15. Store appropriately
Taking care of your clothes properly can extend the life of your clothes. It might be a daunting task but fold your knits and t-shirts, don’t hang them. Don’t overstuff your drawers so your clothes don’t end up all crumpled.
16. Follow care instruction
No matter if it’s a cheap or an expensive item follow the care instructions to prolong the life of your clothes. Taking proper care of your clothes is one of the clothes shopping tips you wouldn’t think off. Everyone has to keep their outfits clean but the way you care for them will help you spend less on clothing.
Wash your clothes on the delicate cycle with cold water. Also, don’t dry them with hot air, set your dryer on air dry or line dry them. Heat can damage fabrics and especially elastics over time. This will make your clothes last longer and you also save money on your bills.
Use mess laundry bags for your delicate garments to prevent them from getting damaged in the washer and dryer.
If you stained your clothing take care of the stain as soon as possible.
Wash your clothing inside out to prevent fading and pilling. This is an important step, especially for darks and denim.
17.Shop at the Thrift and consignment store
There are no better clothes shopping tips than shopping for designer labels at a fraction of the retail price. Thrift stores are the best place to find a bargain when shopping for clothing.
If you have small kids consignment and thrift stores should be the place you shop for them. Babies and toddlers grow out of their clothes very fast. Paying full price for a pair of pants that will only wear for a few times it’s just not worth it. With babies growing up so fast parents end up donating of taking to the consignment store brand new clothing.
18. Expand the wardrobe you already have.
Learn how to expand the wardrobe you already have is another one of my favorite clothes shopping tips.
Clean up your closet, reorganize it and come up with different outfit combinations. Expanding your wardrobe it’s much easier than what it seems.
This was our list of 18 best clothes shopping tips. Let us know which ones of these tips you use or if you have some new ones.
