Ever since this post about Clara’s clothes, I’ve actually gotten a surprising amount of requests for a post about how I save money on my own clothes, what my staples are, and how I generally get by without spending a ton of my momdrobe – er, I mean wardrobe. And although I’m hardly a fashion plate (that idea makes me snort-laugh) I do love a deal, so here’s a rundown on how I save money when I’m shopping for myself along with some sneaky sale tricks I’ve learned along the way and a few general dressing rules that seem to work for me (slash keep me from buying stuff I’ll regret/never wear/stare angrily at in my closet).
And I’d love to hear from you guys when it comes to how you score deals and try to resist buying things you don’t need/wear – so please drop in on the comments with all of your wardrobe words of wisdom!
Tip #1: Just ask. About a year ago I found a dress with no price on it at Old Navy. I asked them how much it was and they said it was an online-only return that ended up in their store, and they could sell it to me for 50% off. Just like that, a $30 dress was $15 – plus I could stack another mailer coupon I received on top of that. So worth just asking about it, right? Note: Please pardon this crazy face. I do that sometimes. Gathering all of the pics of myself for this post was beyond awkward.
Tip #2: Organize your clothing coupons. I use this method, which helps me know what I have and use them before they expire. Definitely helps me save some loot.
Tip #3: Know the rules. Many stores have special deals that run for cardholders. For example, you can get 10% off every Tuesday when you use an Old Navy, Gap, or Banana Republic card – on top of any markdowns from other coupons, discounts in the store, etc. I recently spent around $25 at Old Navy to get $65 worth of stuff. How? Well, first I used something they call Super Cash (it’s like Old Navy bucks that they give you after you buy stuff to put towards your next purchase, so I had a $20-off voucher to use if my total was over $50) but I also was shopping on a Tuesday so I got an additional 10% off, plus I was buying one item that was an online-only return, so that was 50% off plus 10% off on top of that! In the end I saved $40 just stacking discounts, shopping on the right day, and remembering to use my Super Cash voucher before it expired.
Tip #4: Figure out your favorite haunts. That’ll help you learn their store/sale policies, and it’ll also save you time since you’ll get to know:
- what sizes work for you in those stores (for faster shopping/fewer returns)
- which cut of jeans you love/wear most (and which ones you don’t so you can avoid them)
- when their end of season sales will be (and what they might have there, based on what you found the previous year, etc)
We’re also huge fans of outlet shopping, so when we go to the beach (usually around Memorial Day and Labor Day) we hit up the outlets where it’s not unusual to get things for 50-70% off. If I were forced at gunpoint to make a list of my favorite haunts, they’d be:
- Gap (great for staples like jeans)
- Old Navy (I usually love their tops)
- Banana Republic (I troll their sale rack for tops, skirts, and dresses)
- Banana Republic Outlet (this is where I grab long-term quality items, like a black trench coat)
- J Crew Outlet (I got a great pair of teal skinny jeans there for $35 thanks to tons of sales)
- DSW (nearly all of my shoes come from there)
- TJ Maxx (they’re awesome for discounted designer bags that last forever)
Tip #5: Don’t water down your wardrobe. I like to look at it as an “overall closet average.” Say I have ten outfits I love love love in my closet. I’d call them all favorites and on a scale of 1-10 I’d score them all a ten. That makes my overall closet average a ten. Then say that I see a sweater I kind of like (let’s say I’d give it a seven). And it’s on sale, so it’s tempting. The way I completely resist grabbing that sweater – which I’m guaranteed to like less than everything else in my closet – is to think of my closet average. Right now my overall closet average is a ten. If I get that sweater and it’s a seven, it’ll bring my entire closet average down, and I can just picture myself choosing other things on my hanging bar over and over again since it wasn’t something that I love love loved from the start. That helps me hold out for things I really truly love and stops me from grabbing anything I probably won’t wear or appreciate as much. Everyone loves a good closet GPA, haha – and it keeps that dreaded closet-clutter at bay (you know, when you have a bunch of stuff, but feel like you have nothing to wear).
Tip #6: Know what works. I’m a whopping 5’2″ – and I have the opposite of a long model-esque neck (it’s short like the rest of me) so I’ve learned that I look best in a v-neck. Somehow it makes me look like I have more of a neck and lengthens me in general, so I’ve learned what works for me.
Knowing that helps, because when I see some high-necked sweater or a boat necked t-shirts, I save myself the time of trying them on (and hating them) and I save myself from any temptation to buy something because it’s a pretty color/print/fabric or has a certain alluring designer name (or seductive sale price) since I know I’ll completely regret the purchase if it doesn’t actually flatter my body type. Heck, even my favorite swim suit has a deep V.
And we can’t forget my purchased-48-hours-before-the-big-day wedding dress.
Tip #7: Think about what you can pair things with. This is sort of like decorating. I try not to grab something that won’t go with anything in my closet, because much like buying something that matches nothing in my house, it would necessitate buying lots of other things to go with it. One great trick I have is to remember a few of my favorite outfits or pairings. For example: a denim pencil skirt + black t-shirt + leopard heels. If I see a pretty red pencil skirt when I’m out, immediately in my head I can think about the black shirt & those leopard shoes and know that it could be subbed in for the denim skirt for a different look with a similar silhouette (which I know I already love).
I try not to be as boring as buying the same things in a bunch of different colors, but I also go back to tip #3 (know what works) and remember that I tend to love a few silhouettes since they’re easy for me to wear and work well with my body type (ex: pencil skirts that aren’t too long for my short legs, skinny jeans, v-neck shirts, etc). Here’s another example of how I might grab something that can work with a variety of things in my closet. Take this coral tank top, that I have under this brown jacket…
Here it is under a black blazer at Haven (thanks for the pic Rhoda!). Little staples like colored tank tops seem to be inexpensive and easy to layer, so they might be less specific than a big patterned sweater or something.
Here’s another one in dark plum. For a girl who wears a ton of black, colorful tanks are a nice low-cost way to add some color in without breaking out in hives. Ooh plum, look at me. I’m a rebel.
Tip #8. Pick quality for things you’ll wear all the time. It adds up to longevity. For example, I’m extremely cheap. But in the purse category, I usually buy one and wear it for 2-3 years. Sometimes even longer. So I’m happy to splurge if it means something will be better made and will last that whole time without looking all murky and disheveled. When I say splurge, I don’t mean $500, I mean something in the $120-180 range. I know, it probably sounds super high to some folks, but I actually think if you figure out your cost per wear on a cheap purse, it might surprise you.
For example, say over three years you buy/wear four $30 purses from Target. That actually works out to the exact same cost as getting one great Michael Kors or Cole Haan bag from TJ Maxx for $120 and wearing that for three solid years (something I’ve done for over a decade now, without any issue of things getting worn out or me getting sick of them- you just have to hold out for something you’re truly obsessed with and that love goes on and on). So I guess it goes back to my whole “don’t water things down” theory (tip #5). I just like to buy one great purse that I’m enamored with and wear the heck outta it. It usually takes me about a year to find “the bag” though, so I don’t rush into anything (a few years is a long enough commitment that I take it super seriously and refuse to settle). And then I take a cell phone pic of it and text it to my BFFs to celebrate my purse victory. Dork for life.
Another example of how I try to go for quality would be with coats. I got this trench for $80 at the Banana Republic Outlet (marked down from $150+) a few years ago, and have worn it like crazy. Spring and fall for at least two years now, and it’s still going strong (no ripped lining, buttons popping off, etc). I used to try getting cheaper jackets at places like Target & Old Navy, but learned that they didn’t last as long, which ended up being more money in the long run, so for things like bags and coats I try to go for quality (but I look for that item in an outlet or discount store like TJ Maxx to try to keep costs down).
Tip #9: Spice things up with accessories. Most of my formative learning-my-style years were spent in NYC (I lived there for six years, through college and those first-job years afterwards) so I definitely have an affinity for the “New York look” (lots of black, a big handbag, long lean jeans, blazers, black sunglasses) but I also have always loved to spice things up in two areas: jewelry and shoes. One of my first pair of fancy pointy toed shoes were a pair of pink Nine West heels that I loved with all of my heart. And I’d pair them with a black blazer and jeans for a little dash of color without feeling too matchy-matchy (which might happen if I paired them with a pink sweater of the exact same color). I also had a pair of lime green Roberto Cavalli sandals that I scored for cheap at Century 21 (an awesome outlet-ish store in downtown Manhattan with a ton of clothes & shoes that are marked waaay down). Still to this day I love wearing a navy or black top with jeans and bright red peep toe heels…
I also love bright earrings, so it’s not unusual to see me in a black shirt, jeans, and some big coral or emerald colored earrings. John got me these guys for Christmas and I love them.
Here’s more dangly earring evidence (this shot is from back in NYC when we first started dating).
And here’s Exhibit C, with even more earring action going on. It’s just a quick way to add some “I’m-trying-a-little” to my usually questionable mom uniform. Haha.
It might not be a perfect equation for everyone (big bold earrings + basic black shirt + skinny jeans + some sort of shoe that works for being a momma but still doesn’t look too frumpy & is occasionally a bright color or print) but that seems to be the sweet spot for me.
Tip #10: Don’t try to make everything the star. I think this is sort of a sister tip to the one above, and it’s also one of those tips that rings true for how we decorate our house. Much like you don’t want every item of furniture and accessory competing for attention (you want some to fall back while others are free to be the focal point), you probably don’t want everything on your body to be vying for attention. It’s why I love slipping on my favorite pair of skinny jeans and a plain black top, just so my big crazy earrings or bright shoes can be the stars.
Another way to interpret this could be that if you have an awesome printed dress, a nude shoe could be a nice way to play it up. And we’ve all heard the “you shouldn’t wear a big statement necklace with big statement earrings” rule, which definitely seems to ring true for me. The way this tip saves me money is if I have an event in mind and I know what dress I’ll be wearing and I’m searching for shoes or jewelry, I can pin down whether the dress will be the star, and if it will I’ll get shoes and jewelry that won’t compete (instead of coming home and trying everything on together and hating the outcome).
Tip #11: Do your own thang. Don’t follow any of my tips word for word since goodness knows I’ve read tons and tons of clothing advice that might ring true for someone else, but is laughably terrible advice for someone like me with my body type. So while I know it’s incredibly clichéd to tell you to embrace who you are and just wear what you like, but at the end of the day, it’s kind of the best advice of all.
And now since someone will ask for it, here’s a pic of me with my hair down. I do it sometimes, but not often, just because I’m a ponytail girl. It helps me keep the paint and the peanut butter and jelly outta my hair. Haha.
Now it’s your turn. Shower me with your tips and tricks when it comes to stocking your closet on the cheap. Where do you save and splurge? I’m sure it’s different for everyone, so I’d love to hear what works for you guys!
Wendy says
Some things that work for me and my husband..(he’s far more fashion savvy than I am..).
*Race shirts. I volunteer (love it..) and he races (in heaven). These are staples of our wardrobes.
*Gap Factory Store. We have one a few miles away and hub was able to score shorts for under $13 that were originally $40.
*The DI aka local thrift store known to most people in Utah. A few weeks ago, I was able to get a pair of gorgeous, super comfy Old Navy dress maternity pants for $6, and about 10 days ago a pair of were-they-ever-worn PJ pants for $2 (AeroPostale ones).
*JCPenney has been my best source for maternity clothes this pregnancy. Fortunately, I didn’t fit mat clothes until about week 24 (we’re at 30 now but the kid is measuring a week ahead).
*Another preg tip, and I realize this depends on how the baby is positioned, one’s style preference, work, etc.- but I’ve been living in my running shorts. They fit right under the sweet baby, are mega comfy, etc. Plus they double as PJs if needed in the heat.
*Hub lives in his cammos. They’ve been cut off and are his best pair of shorts.
*My general policy is that I won’t buy anything full price. If I need it, great, I’ll find it for cheap. If not, it can wait.
Laura says
Ok, $herdog…where do you get your jeans? Are those a splurge like purses? And I know John has like two t-shirts, so please don’t tell me you only have one pair of jeans! :) I just stumbled upon a blog recently (on Pinterest) that is awesome. She shows how to take staple clothing items and wear them multiple ways. So funny you posted about this 48 hours after I found her blog. http://www.puttingmetogether.com
YoungHouseLove says
Those are usually skinnies from Gap! They’re around $30 on sale and I can wear them for years (the ones I wear most often are from before I even got prego with Clara!).
xo
s
Debbie says
I hate dressing rooms so I shop online at Old Navy when they have a 25% off coupon code, combine that with Ebates, order everything that has potential so I snag free shipping, then return the duds to the store. Works like a charm.
Megan says
I love Cato’s Fashion lately. The earrings are on sale for $1.99! Seriously!?! I would buy “costume” jewelry at Target, Marshalls, Maurices, etc. and it would be $16 for something that I’d wear a few times and it would either break or I’d get sick of it. But at $2 (once even just 99 cents!), I can’t beat that. Plus, if I grow sick of it, I can rip it all apart and make something new with it. I buy inexpensive tops that go with the seasons because as an art teacher, I can’t afford to risk it in class. Like you, I buy many cheap tank tops on clearance at various places and wear them under other things (or alone). I used to splurge on suits because I worked in sales for a long time and I’d wear them at least twice a week each. It also kept me from having to buy more, something I couldn’t afford.
christine says
For some reason, NY & Company stores give a 10% discount if you have a AAA card – as in the auto club. They also offer discounts for anyone with a current military ID at lots of stores in areas where there are military bases (like here in metro DC area).
I like to use the cost per wear quotient. Divide the price by the number of times you will potentially wear it.
Remy says
lately I’ve been using a great iphone app called snipsnap – basically lets you search this huge database of coupons when you’re in the store (maybe forgot yours at home? i know i do all the time!) and scan them off your phone. doesn’t always work, but has been a GREAT money-saver for me so far. just a tip!
Molly F. says
I also celebrate purse victories! Purses get so beaten up that it is worth the investment to get a nice, well-made one over cheap any day! I have the same philosophy about shoes.
Marie says
This comment probably belongs under Clara’s closet post, but my favorite place to buy kids clothes are at church resale events. They’re kind of crazy and you have to get their early. The Apostolic church by my house has one in the fall and the spring. I usually only buy for the 6 months coming up because I know there will be another one soon and I’ll be closer on sizes. The last one I went to, I found 2 pants and a dress with TAGS still on them and the CUTEST Old Navy pea coat. They also have maternity clothes for the momma’s and I will check it out next time I’m expecting.
Marie says
get *there early. embarrassing!
Abigail says
Talking about splurging on a few good pieces… I am so courting a pair of Frye Boots, but can’t pull the trigger due to the cost. I am using the same Chanel sunglasses from 2006 and the same Coach leather purse from 2008. I know I would get wear out of them, but still. Does anyone have them?
YoungHouseLove says
My BfF has some from years ago and loves them!
xo,
s
Sarah says
I have some and love them! Three years and they’re going strong. They’re just the plain pull-on riding boots, but I still get compliments from strangers.
Katie says
I get all my purses from Hautelook.com. I love that place for high end stuff at Old Navy prices. I can’t look all that often though, because I do buy more when I look at them really often. Also, Goodwill. I buy lots of skirts there.
Michele Daggar says
Great post! Looking at your wedding photo made me wonder, did you have a maid of honor/bridesmaid at your wedding? Sorry for being so nosy, I just don’t recall seeing one in any of your wedding posts.
As for my own clothes, I buy a lot of mine at the Goodwill. Last week I got a pair of navy blue Banana Republic wedges for $10. I don’t think they were worn more than a few times!
YoungHouseLove says
My BFF and I vowed not to have wedding parties and neither of us did. Haha. We just wanted folks to show up in whatever they wanted to wear and not have to stand up there on display :)
xo,
s
Sara says
This was so helpful! The hubs and I are supposed to clean out our closets this week to get rid of the things we don’t wear (which is most of my closet!) After having a baby and now being down to less than I weighed before I had her, I feel like my style and fit has totally shifted. This helps so much as I know we will be making a trip to the outlet mall very soon.
OH, and I’m a V-neck kind of girl too. Although I’m tall and my neck is pretty average, my collar bone/sternum stick out a little so having that V cut helps it become less noticeable. Needless to say I wear the poo out of my Target v-neck tshirts!
Kim says
Wishing I could shop in America – seems so cheap compared to Australia. Online is ok but with shipping and no coupons here it makes any discounts fizzle. Your style reflects your happiness!
Kelly says
Hey Sherry! I don’t normally post on blogs, but I am mildly obsessed with yours! Everything John and you post is so inspiring. I am ready for your book to come out now. And, I’m not sure what kind of Gap jeans you were refering to in tip #4, but they are about to discontinue the Long & Leans (These are my absolute favorite, and I’m super bummed). They really are a staple though! Your style is so cute! Thanks for all the tips!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, man! I’ll have to check the tag on mine. They’re just dark wash skinnies but I love them.
xo
s
maribel says
I’ve always wondered what was going when the picture was taken of the two of you on your wedding day. You look so happy
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, that was when my brother and John’s sister were doing their readings. They were excerpts from our high school yearbooks, so it was hilarious.
xo
s
Natalie Royall says
LOVED this post! You always look so classy in your pictures. I’m a huge goodwill fan. For the fall I found a gorgeous mohair sweater that retails for almost $300. I paid $2.50 :) Just had a baby 3 months ago so I’m at that weird phase where I don’t need maternity anymore, but I’m not quite back to my regular clothes. So for 3 skirts, a pair of black pants (orginally from Nordstom), 3 shirts, 2 sweaters and a pair of shoes I paid less than $40. Now I have a nice mix and went back to the office in style. OH and the big goodwill off Midlothian Tpk… they get Target leftovers. So i’ve scored some great home decor there for cheapo.
Claudia says
Great post – ITA on Tarjay/Old Navy, they’re ok for cheapy, trendy things but if you want something to still look good after a couple of washes, probably not the best bets. LOVE the turquoise earrings :D
cc says
I find a lot of good deals on shoes/boots at piperlime.com (part of the old navy/gap/banana republic family)– the end-of-season sales are entirely reasonable (I bought a pair of last-year’s $120 boots for $50 this summer just before the fall stuff came in), and most items have free return shipping. I tend to buy things that are classic in style and not uber-trendy (like the term “uber-trendy” may itself be…) because with a small child running around, I don’t have a lot of time and money to worry about being fashion-forward. I’ll settle for respectably, cleanly dressed. :/
This also saves me the trouble of taking my son shoe-shopping all over town (for either of us), and I can even order with my old navy card.
Jennifer says
i just went out to breakfast with my husband on our anniversary and the person at the table next to us was wearing your turkey leg shirt. Made me think of you. Funny thing is the longer I stared at it I couldn’t figure out what they were really supposed to be, prob not really turkey legs. ha ha
Susan says
I love this post! I follow many of the same rules that you do, but also find great name brand clothes at a local consignment shop.
Annie says
I’ve been a mostly black with a punch of bright red shoes girl for years. People always tell me I look like I’m from NYC, but I’ve never been there. I’m in complete agreement in the designer bag idea too.
Morgan O. says
I am a consignment nerd. When I was in middle/high school, I would use my allowance to go to Goodwill every other week and get American Eagle jeans for 80% off the original price! I am also a huge lover of Plato’s Closet, a teen consignment shop that arrived in town a few months ago. I don’t buy anything full price. If I ever go on a “shopping spree” it’s usually at TJ Maxx with the coupons I get from using my card. My sister and I are also around the same size, so we tend to trade “hand me downs”(the kid shops at Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Express SCORE). Speaking of, you can find great designer clothes on Ebay, as well. :)
JR says
I had to get ruthless with my closet. I recently gave myself this rule to shop with:
If you don’t have two places to wear it (real places, not potentials!) and three items existing in your wardrobe to wear with it, you’re not allowed to buy it.
Sometimes it’s tragic and sometimes it’s the voice of reason that I really, really need. Am I the only one who has purchased an item of clothing because it was the last one on the rack? ‘I didn’t want it to feel bad!’ was an actual excuse that I gave to my fiancé once. He did not share my logic…
Katie says
Forever 21 for great, trendy (cheap!) earrings
Julie S says
I juuuust bought my first good leather purse like you talk about. Actually my last one was quite good (Fossil, and $4 at a thrift store!!) but it was a woven material on the sides and it started to look dingy after a year of use, with no way I could think of to clean it. So this one is thick, buttery soft leather that I can clean with saddle soap, and yes, I kept my eye out for about a year before I found The One. I get 70% of my clothes from thrift stores and the rest from Target, Kohls, TJ Maxx, and similar, so we don’t really do the store card thing.
Marla says
Inspirational post. I think I’ll go pare down my closet to get rid of some 7,8, & 9s. Sherry, just wondering why you don’t tend to wear shorts in the summer?
YoungHouseLove says
I do sometimes, but I have such short pale legs that I prefer jeans whenever I can- haha!
xo
s
Jillian {Her Split Ends} says
Fabulous advice…i especially love the closet average! That is such a fantastic way to think about it! {and it makes me giggle!} The pic of clara in her frog pjs with the hat and the tutu…gets me every time!!
Cheers
~ Jillian
http://www.hersplitends.com
Marianne says
Thank you so much for your fantastic insight. I love the closet GPA! You are so right…any item of clothing that brings your closet GPA down should be not be there. You have inspired me. Thank you.
Brandi says
I’m a preschool teacher, so I typically have two wardrobes. My school clothes usually come from thrift stores… that way I’m not spending too much on the stuff that will get glue, paint, and who knows what else(!) on it. Also, considering the modesty that is required, these might not be things that I would want to wear or look the best on me for the weekends. I save my money for better quality LBD’s and heels!
Molly says
Great tips! I love to put outfits together as much as I love to decorate! I have a friend who owns a very expensive botique here, she always compliments my clothes so I must be doing something right! Here are my tips:
1. Thrift store! (put your nose plug on and plan on doing laundry as soon as soon as you walk in the door!) Only buy name brands there that are in good condition!
2. Shop at Discout stores like TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Nordstrom Rack.
3. Go directly to the clearance rack no matter where you’re shopping!
4. Always shop! If it is November and see shorts you love at a huge discout-buy them! Don’t wait until you need something or for the correct season.
5. It has to meet at least one of two requirements to buy it-a. you must need it! b. it needs to make you gasp you love it so much!
Chelsey says
Always, always ask if the store has a student discount. J. Crew has 15% off with a valid student ID, and this includes their outlet stores. It also includes the rest of that store “family” – meaning you can get this discount at places like Banana Republic and Gap too!
Keri says
I totally agree about the purses! We have both a Coach and a Cole Haan outlet here, so I buy a new one every three years or so. Even though they’re not cheap, they last forever, which makes them worth it. This post reminded me that I’ve had my current purse for 3.5 years. Maybe I’ll need to buy myself a new one for my birthday next month :)
Lucy says
Hi Sherry!
As a fellow Richmond-er (and *cough* frugal mother), I do a majority of my kids’ shopping at Once Upon a Child. They advertise themselves as ‘gently-used’ kids clothes, but they are super picky about what they sell and everything looks almost new to me (in fact, I have yet to try and sell them some of my kids’ things because I am certain I would be turned down at the door. Spaghetti-Os stains, anyone?). There are several other similar stores in Richmond, but Once Upon A Child is about five minutes door-to-door so I’ve only tried that one. I will mourn the day my kids will realize it’s not Saks 5th Avenue. Right now, my almost-five-year-old daughter thinks it is the coolest place to shop : )
Happy shopping!
YoungHouseLove says
I’ve heard such good things about them! Will definitely have to check them out! Love all the tips everyone!
xo
s
emilymarion says
. It has to be on sale!
. It has to be in my size, in the pattern/color I like. Seems like an odd rule, but you’d be surprised at how many times I loved the style of the shirt, but not the color and still bought it.
. I don’t settle. Similar to the previous rule. If I really want navy stripes, I’m not going to be happy with the purple stripes.
. I am always evaluating my closet. So when I go shopping, I know I’m looking for fun date night shirts and I don’t come home with bulky, comfy sweaters (a weakness.)
. I steer clear of weaknesses. Shoes, scarves & jewelry etc.
. Accessorize!
I shop a lot of thrift stores, Ross, TJ Max, Plato’s Closet, Old Navy etc.
Care says
I recently hosted a swap party. I invited about 10 of my friends and they each brought 1 or 2 friends along with clothes ( in very good condition ) that hadn’t been worn for whatever reason that they were interested in swapping. One friend brought over a couple racks that you see in the department stores to hang everything on. We set it up in the family room after moving the furniture out the way. Everyone brought an appetizer and I served wine and some other munchies. I designated 2 bedrooms along with the 2 bathrooms as “dressing rooms”. It was a lot of fun! Not a bad way to way to give clothes a second life!
sophie says
not a lot of couponing up here in CAnada, but we save money in other ways:
1. buy second hand. Always a good option. furniture. clothes. dishes. almost anything, really. i figure if it’s still in good condition after being washed a bunch of times by someone else, it’ll be fine for us. Plus, we don’t ever have to worry about kids messing things up when we never spend more than $2 for a pair of pants.
2. don’t go shopping. Probably the best way of saving. My big weakness is books, however and those you can, all too easily, buy online…
Ally says
This is all very informative, $herdog :)
However, I’m waiting for J-Boom’s advice on how to score the hottest deals in soda shirts, cut-offs, and protective eye-goggles :)
xox
YoungHouseLove says
Ha! Target. End of answer. :)
-John
Liz says
Resale! I just moved to a small town and there isn’t a lot of options when it comes to shopping. However, I scored a $70 pair of yellow skinny gap jeans for $1.00! People will drive 2 hours to the big city to buy stuff but then they sell or donate it here so you can find some great stuff.
Robin says
Have you heard about “fast fashion” and the impact on the environment? I read Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth Cline and it is a little depressing how throw-away clothes are now. It’s true I notice things might cost less but they don’t last as long as they used to. It is an eye-opening read.
YoungHouseLove says
Sound so interesting! I’ll have to check it out!
xo
s
kelly says
Great post! Love the clothes and the 10 advice–perfect for a change of seaon!
Erin says
I am surprised that in this entire post you did not mention buying from thrift stores since you guys do for lots of other things….is there a reason for this? I live on clothes from thrift stores and often fine very good quality and new items there. Recently I found an amazing Calvin Klein suit for $15.00 and I wasn’t even sure it had really ever been worn…
I think it’s great to think about what you have and love and would I choose this as much as some of the other pieces I have and love?
Keep. Up the good work y’all!
YoungHouseLove says
I just must not know where to look, but I never have luck at thrift stores. Might be going to the wrong ones, but everything seems to be long/for tall gals! Haha.
xo
s
Jenni @ Accomplished by Accident says
Hilarious! I never realized that I haven’t seen you with your hair down until the last pic. I am definitly a ponytail girl too; you make me feel less guilty about that!
Erika says
I have been thinking that my closet and dresser need a good spring cleaning recently. What a timely post! Thanks for the great tips, Sherry!!
jillian says
I love the wardrobe GPA concept. I would have to add that having a seamstress to make basic alterations makes such a huge difference! I think so few things fit off the rack for most people.
Dawn says
Students and educators often get discounts at stores as well (this goes along with knowing the policies at your favorite stores). I worked in retail for years and my biggest tip would be get to know the staff (especially managers). They will let you know when sales and markdowns will happen and can clue you into new merchandise they know you might like. Shopping off-season warrants big deals as well, but you will have to choose more classic pieces to avoid looking outdated. Bright colors will always go on clearance before neutrals, this is especially true for plain shirts and tanks. Read the fine print of all marketing/coupons. Knowing what your coupon applies to before getting in the checkout line will prevent heartache when your coupon doesn’t apply to the awesome sweater you picked out. I loved all your tips and they are spot on!
Julie says
One of my easiest tips is to NEVER pay full price for anything – there’s no reason to. Stores undoubtedly will run sales and, as Sherry already pointed out, you pair this philosophy with coupons and it’s a home-run every single time.
I also routinely buy at end of season, when stores are desperately trying to shift inventory quickly. And I’m very disciplined about walking to the back of the store FIRST to check out sales racks – the Gap and Old Navy come to mind.
I also get creative. I have a swimsuit coverup ($3) that I pair with jeans as a long tunic. I’ve used fancy hair ties as bracelets. I also love, love, love scarves – as necklaces, hair ties, belts.
Luana says
Is it ironic that this is my fav post from YHL ever – and its not about decoration?? I LOVE the “overall closet average rule” and will use it from now on.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks!
xo
s
Tricia Regar says
I was so excited to see another clothing post! Very fun read. Thank you.
Marie Kovarik says
I’m not sure if it has already been said here, but you have to know when to shop. I just bought a pair of shorts leftover from the summer on clearance for $4. They were originally close to $40. I buy the majority of my winter wardrobe in the summer. I also have three sisters that are my exact same size. We trade clothes after we get tired of them. It’s also nice if I need something specific. I can borrow it for one night instead of having to buy it and only wear it once. Find some friends that are your size if you don’t have 3 sisters.