Dear Sharon:
My mother told me never to buy anything inexpensive because cheap clothes
are shoddy and you just get what you pay for.
Unfortunately, I don't
have the money I used to have since
I changed careers and had to take a dramatic pay cut. I need to continue
to look reasonably
fashionable and "in the
money," but I'm on a pauper's budget. Help! -- Stylishly Stingy (New Bedford, Mass.)
Dear Stylishly Stingy: I have to agree with your mom, and then again
maybe not.
Sounds like I'm
hedging?
Well, I'm not.
Inexpensive clothing, for the most part but not always, lacks the
quality and workmanship of a better priced garment. I'm not
telling you to spend money you don't have, I'm telling you to
shop
discriminatingly. There are certain thrifty
things that you can get away with.
Natural fibers like
cotton and some wool can stand up to the scrutiny of a cheaper price tag.
But be careful of
color and sizing. White is usually
OK across the price board, but typically the buttons and seaming don't
pass muster.
If the seams are skinny and ragged, forget it, there is nothing to do. But
if the buttons are cruddy, just replace them with better buttons.
Cotton T-shirts (any white T-shirt under $20 is probably as good as its
designer counterpart) and most lightweight wools are
almost
price undetectable.
Dark colors like black and navy can look
rich in moderate priced color -- if
you keep a watchful eye on the dye lots!
Cheaper black fabric can lose the color density of a better grade black
fabric which gives it the appearance of a navy, green, purple or charcoal
cast, rather than a true saturated black.Take note when coordinating
"blacks" together that they all match.
Navy also can be rather
tricky to match if the colors
aren't exact. Middle range, pastels, and bright colors really need to be
reviewed case by case.
Synthetic blend fabrics are fine for "disposable"
one-season only trends, even top
designers use these blends but the quality is different.
buying
for endurance go for fabrics with
the most natural fiber in them. Synthetic takeoffs on cashmere are
something to always steer clear of. Hold out for real cashmere (thrift
shops are a great bargain resource) or opt for another fabric.
Sizing and design can
also be iffy in lower priced clothing. Well known companies usually have a
better grip on fit and construction than unknown novelty companies, so you
may want to explore off-price retailers.
In cheaper clothing, the size tag doesn't necessarily represent
how the garment will fit on you.
Sometimes moderately-priced clothing is more fully cut than its
fashionable counterpart. All you have to do is downsize until you
get your desired fit, and maybe add a few nips and tucks to contour
it a bit.
Junior clothing offers a wallop of trendy
style but the garments are cut small for a
junior figure. Try going up a couple of
sizes until you find your fit.
Tailored pieces really can be troublesome with bargain basement quality,
so you typically have to
invest a little more
here. Check out national chain "boutiques" store sales, outlet
and off-price stores for suits, jackets, and more structured clothing with
panache.
Interesting
accessories
and a
clever mix
of more cherished "better" pieces can spruce up a
moderate-priced outfit. Stretch your wardrobe by shopping your closet for
forgotten items, then you can update with a few new inexpensive
pieces.
The best cost-saving advice I can give you is to use some
style ingenuity
to put together an outfit that looks so well on you that its dollar value
is virtually undetectable! You can find a good bargain if you have an
eagle eye.
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