Ten Tips for Being Fashionable on a Budget

by Janis Brett Elspas

MommyBlogExpert.blogspot.com

Pictured at left here I am with my four kids and dear hubbie (my men are wearing Gap Jeans) competing in a costume contest.

10 Tips for Moms

to Dress Well 

Without Breaking the Bank

When TwitterMoms & Gap Outlet announced this opportunity to blog, I just had to participate, so here is my advice on being fashionable and frugal, too.

1. If you have teen girls or daughters living at home in their early 20s, why not borrow from one another's closets?

2. Buy clothes that are stylish without being too faddish. That way, you'll be able to get maybe seasons out of an outfit.

3. DON'T buy clothes just because they are on sale or you've found a great deal. If you bring them home, but never wear them it is like throwing money in the trash.

4. Organize your closet so you can easily see everything you have. You will be amazed at the outfits that you can assemble if you have an overview of your closet.

5. Shop at thrift stores and also buy vintage. I avoid big city stores like these and instead seek out similar shops in small towns away from major metro areas whenever our family goes on road trips.

6. Purchase clothing that's classic at the end of the season either at retail stores or to save even bigger, shop the factory outlets on holiday weekends to find seasonal clearance items.

7. Borrow from your boyfriend's, hubby's or teen son's closet to find some great accessories and shirts.

8. Subscribe to free store e-newsletters of stores that you like to get advance notice and first pick at special sales events.  Get an extra 15% OFF w/ the TwitterMoms Special Discount -- Look to the right top of this blogpost above under the header and click on the Gap Outlet Widget to access & print an actual coupon, good now thru 5/24/2010, that you can click on and use to save money at their Gap stores.

9. Always comparison shop. Often you can buy the same thing online for less than in the store. You might even save more by comparing the same item sold on two different sites, if one these online retailers offers free shipping.

10. If you live in a city that is large enough to have a garment district such as L.A., New York, San Francisco, Chicago and other metropolitan areas, get to know what stores sell direct to the public because in many cases you'll end up paying a fraction of what the same item would cost in a standard retail store.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Gap Outlet blogging program to be eligible to win a $20 gift card.  For more information on how you can participate, click here.  See more tips for being fashionable on a shoestring on the discussion page on TwitterMoms.com

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