When reading about the incendiary amounts of money celebrities pay on saying in style it can be easy to assume that, in order to stay in trend, we have to spend a similar amount. Yet, when celebrities like Kim Kardashian brags about her collection of Christian Louboutin footwear, a collection which numbers over 200 pairs, it is also possible to see that it is practically impossible to do so – saving up for that many shoes would take many of us years and, by the time we’d saved the amount, the shoes would no longer be in trend. The good news however is that it is not actually at all necessary to spend such exorbitant sums to stay in trend and all it takes is a bit of strategic shopping to stay well within a much lower budget.

Don’t Buy The Latest Fashions!

To keep your bank manager happy it is always worth considering when the right time to shop is and when the right time to save is too. A first, easy step to make when considering how to save money is to actually consider shopping on things which aren’t actually up to the moment trends – rather than buying unfashionable clothing, the aim is to buy styles which will still be wearable in a year’s time. So, in the late nineties many ladies, no doubt overwhelmed by Spice Girls fever, bought platformed sneakers which, by the end of the decade, were completely dated and un-wearable. If they had plumped for a classic pair of heels, it is possible that they could still be wearing the same pair now rather than having to update their wardrobe every year. So, the key is to look for items, some of which will require a more expensive initial investment in, that are likely to last a while rather than just the season. As some items never go out of fashion, the LBD for example, look to purchase these instead of something you see celebrities wearing in magazines!

Mix and Match!

Mixing and matching your wardrobe is a great tip on how to keep your wardrobe lively too. It is possible by teaming different garments with different accessories to create whole new ensembles with completely different feels – for men this could involve teaming a blazer with jeans or with slacks; two completely different attires. Women have a much greater degree of freedom with this and can mix and match their shoes, tops, blazer and jewellery around to create new looks – by experimenting with a mix and match approach at first, it is easy to see that perhaps not as many new items are required for your new styles as you might initially have thought. So, rather than looking at buying new dresses consider how you could make it look stylish by switching up what you wear with it, be it different boots or a new bag instead.

Shop Retro!

Budget saving can also be made by looking in vintage stores and on-line at sites like E-bay. Some of last season’s biggest styles were decidedly retro – animal and floral print amongst them. By staying away from designer brands it is possible to replicate these looks on a much smaller budget. Looking for the original source of inspiration rather than their newer more expensive imitators can often leave you with your wallet much fuller.

Keith is a fashion writer who provided this article on behalf of Barratts Boots