Do you think that you have to spend big money to look good? Of course not! If you’re a true fashion junkie, you know that there’s no way to keep up with the trends and spend top dollar on everything. The key is to spend where it counts! I find that it helps to splurge a bit on classic styles and items you’ll get a lot of use out of. 

I prefer spending a few extra bucks on jeans, shoes, and bags because you will get a lot more wear out of a higher quality item and it will look better longer. Take jeans for instance- after washing a pair of $20 jeans a few times, they begin to lose color and shape; maybe they don’t look as flattering as they did when you first purchased them. Pretty soon you’ll be trashing those for an upgrade! A pair of True Religions will last years and many washes before looking shabby. In the end, you may end up spending less on those name brand jeans because you get more wear out of them.

It also helps to know you and your patterns. For instance, I have a love-hate relationship with heels. I love shoes, but I hate discomfort. I’ve probably spent hundreds of dollars on high heel shoes that just decorate my closet because I think they’re cute in the store but never feel like being in pain. In more recent years, I’ve learned to invest in Cole Haan brand shoes. They are made with Nike Air technology,  so they’re as comfortable as heels can be and worth every penny. I recommend buying them in a department store and checking out the sale section first. Last month, I was dying for a new pair. The regular pairs were a little more than I wanted to spend, so I checked out the sale rack and managed to find a perfect pair in my size! Here’s the bonus- they were 50% off!

As for the set above, I created a trendy outfit for a total of $241. That’s great considering it’s a complete outfit, accessories and all! I strategically styled it so we’re not stuck with the real cheap, poor quality items- yet it’s still affordable. I started out with a gray, black, and white graphic dress. This style dress is really on trend right now but can come across as “young.” I aged the look by pairing it with a blazer, jeweled flats, and simple cross-body bag (my favorite!). I used tangerine for the blazer and flats to add some color pop to our look.

The take-away here is to spend where it matters. Invest your money in clothes that you’ll get a lot of wear out of (styles that never die, accessories, etc), and save on trendy items that you may only wear for that season. There’s no need to admire trends from afar because you don’t have the money to spend. Be strategic and you can have it all!