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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010




     
The secret of looking like a million bucks on a shoe string budget
To answer your mails that go like ‘I have two problems when it comes to fashion: first of all I hate shopping and secondly I don’t have much money to spend’, I have a couple of ideas I want to share with you!
Also I loathe shopping  … well, that is when it comes to picking up groceries and weekend-trips to Ikea ;o) Desperately looking for a certain outfit can be draining if you can’t find what you’re in search of, that much I admit as well ...  BUT fashion never falls into the category of shopping – it’s rather treating yourself to something nice! This realization alone gives a whole new prospective to the exercise on hand of looking hip, fashionable and good in general ;o)
Not to run into first mentioned risk of frantically scanning endless rails of countless shops in a hurry when needing to find something to wear for the same evening, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for clothes you like and pick them up whenever you find something nice. Take a girlfriend along for a stroll in areas likely to come across of said finds! While the two of you exchange the latest news and gossip cool fashion items will naturally somehow find you, trust me on that!
Now about the limited budget … First of all we all know the pictures of Mariah Carey’s shoe room that gives our complexion an ever so slightly unhealthy greenish tinge with envy, but let me tell you, one seriously doesn’t essentially need a 20 m2 walk in closet (for shoes alone that is) to look good! There are many, many tricks to make you look like a million bucks having spent close to nothing!
  • Start with a basic wardrobe that combines well within the individual pieces and enhance their potential with accessories of which the horribly expensive ones like for example a classic Chanel bag can easily be hunted down in pristine condition on eBay for a fraction of its boutique price and will stay with you till it falls apart since it never ever goes out of fashion ;o)
  • Always wear nice shoes – this makes every outfit (even a simple t-shirt & ripped jeans) look expensive. Many of you will have read my story on shoes already but for my new readers let me repeat: shoes are like jewelry for your feet so they’re an investment :o) Always buy them well made even if they’re not by any well known designer. If you do want big brand gear for less, check out some eBay shop or outlets. My personal fav on eBay is http://www.rueschen-prinzessin.de The stuff on offer is very exclusive and 100% genuine :o) The lady who owns it is very, very sweet and if your new aquisition doesn't fit you can return or exchange it without problem! Shoes that you grew tired of can be embellished quite easily – I have just re-vamped 5 pairs with flowers and butterflies and all that is missing to finally wear them is sunshine – please do join me in my little good-weather-dance so these new creations can finally go on some adventure field trips! ;o)
  • When you buy something new keep the ‘price-per-wear-ratio’ in mind. To spend good money for something you will wear all the time, is made well and of good quality is always a great investment and worth spending on.
  • Repair stuff that you really like – get creative! For example: I had a pair of really well fitting jeans that I practically lived in. One fine day to my horror & embarrassment I discovered a rip below the back pocket exposing my butt. So I stitched up the elusive fabric, got some butterflies and fixed them with a couple of stitches to cover up my handy-work and some across the pocket to disguise their initial purpose. This looked so cute that loads of people asked me where I had gotten those fab jeans from!!!
  • Another time I fished my favorite t-shirt out to the laundry machine sporting a pink mark which wouldn’t come off anymore. So I got some fabric paint in different vibrant colors, a big paintbrush and went ahead and splashed happy dots all over it. Once my piece of art had dried I pressed on some crystals – et voila a master piece was created. I liked the effect so much that I used this technique on a couple other t-shirts in different colors as well.
  • Especially black stuff can look worn out after only a few washes, which especially annoys me when it come to socks since with a size 36 it’s a task to find any that are not too big in the heel (striped ones can easily be sourced in children-departments)!!! So I got the idea of dying all my black stuff every now and then in the washing machine (suitable dye can be found in almost every drug store) and said items look good as new :o)
  • If you like a particular designer or shop get a part-time job there. That’s what I did during my student days: I waltzed into a boutique that had wonderful stuff, bought a top and told the girl at the cashier that if they ever needed someone to help out to please contact me – and I promised to not take any money home but spend it all right there. Within 3 days I got a phone call, the job and a 30% staff discount!!! As I always keep my word, I got lots of amazing stuff during this time :o)
  • Check out vintage boutiques – their stuff is highly individual and basically one of a kind, so you’ll be the only one who owns a particular outfit! I find it very fascinating how well clothes used to be made!
  • Flea markets can also be a great hunting ground for amazing deals! I often get garments purely because of their fabric; I wash it, take it apart and make something new. Or I just buy them to re-use embellishments – I feel for example the effect of vintage beads is much nicer and more elegant than new ones and old buttons always pep up modern jackets or coats :o)
  • Keep an eye out for young & new designers – most of their stuff is very individual so it doesn’t date as fast, is well made and quite sensibly priced. If said designer makes it big your purchase was a good investment – kind of like shares that went up … just much better because you can wear it (this line of arguing is also widely understood by men ;o))
 
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posted by CAT ANGELINA | 11:23 | fashioncoach

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