We can surely admit that every woman’s dream, after that of being able to eat whatever she wants without putting on a single gram, is that of going through a shopping spree without spending one euro.

Dreaming costs nothing; on the contrary, it is true, however, that purchasing clothes and accessories does!

So, how can the desire for renewing our wardrobe (and our appearance) suit our budget?

From this point of view, autumn is indeed a highly frenzy period: the weather is changing, the cold season is approaching, clothes shopping windows and web sites are dressed in all the most attractive latest coats and ankle boots that, like the sirens for Ulysses,invite us to buy.

Resisting is almost impossible, but what can you do, when this wish to treat you to some style whims happens in a hard time of deadlines, instalments and bills?

Of course, there is no magical recipe enabling us to purchase everything we want without opening our wallet; there are, however, a lot of clever tricks that will allow you to match your most fashionable dreams with your budget. We need, also, to have very clear in our minds the following three elements:

• Saving: it is necessary to buy all the items of clothing and accessories in physical or online places where you can save money, up to several tens of euros (we will run through them later on)
• Quality: we will always have to monitor it. We should never get dazzled by extra discounts or rock-bottom prices, if the quality does not convince you. You will risk paying something too little and having to throw it away after the first washing. Always check fabrics, details (such as applications, zips and buttons) and labels thoroughly.
• Fashion: quality and saving are for sure to be monitored, however, we should never forget to keep an eye on the style of the things we are buying. Try to be very well informed on current trends before throwing yourself into compulsive shopping; prefer evergreen items, that you can wear always and with which you can “play” by matching colours and accessories; think about the events in which you are going to wear your new purchases very well and, if you do not want to make the wrong choice, get advice from an image consultant that will guide you to make the best purchase.

 Now, let us go back to our original goal: buying nice, fashionable, quality clothes, that we like and that do not cost an arm and a leg.

How can we do that?

Here are my tips for an intelligent shopping without breaking the bank 🙂

There is a great number of websites such as Yoox, Vestiaire, Collective, Zalando& co. where you can find all the fashionable items you are longing for at reduced prices. Of course, before buying, you should compare different sites (you might find the item of clothing you are looking for on more than one site with different prices from one another, so you could go for the cheapest one) and choose the size and the colour carefully. 

On many of these sites there are new arrivals periodically (also every week), or already present clothes get reduced: my suggestion is to subscribe the website newsletterin order toimmediately recognize the reduced items or the new arrivals and so to benefit from special sales and offers.

There are sites, then, such as PrivateGriffe, where you can also purchase luxury and designer strictly second-hand clothes or accessories at reduced prices, getting yourself the gift of a life without going broke.

Alternatively, if you are planning an important evening out and you need a really elegant (and expensive) dress or some very important accessories, you could rent them on DrexCode prices start from 50 euro.

If it is the vintage you love, you can see dedicated shops and markets.

Are you a fan of old-style items, of the dresses of the 60s, of the jackets with important high shoulder pads of the 80s or do you want to buy that very feminine full skirt so fashionable in the 50s? Whatever your ideal item, if it was fashionable years ago, you can try and look for it in vintage shops or street markets. It is sometimes possible to buy very nice things spending very little.

Restyling your own clothes

Grandma’s wardrobe, and also ours, can be useful sources of saving, as far as shopping is concerned, if we haven’t brushed it up for a while. How is it possible? We might recover old clothes, get them adjusted by the clever hands of a trusted dressmaker or designer. We can fill the wardrobe again with original items perfectly aligned with the season trends. This autumn trend camelhair coats are the blatant proof of it: you just need to have it modernized and adapted to your shape and you’re done!

Attend swap parties

Perfect solution if you want to dust off your wardrobe spending almost nothing and at the same time to get rid of clothes you do not wear anymore, is to attend swap parties, that is, theme parties where a group of people are invited to exchange clothes and accessories.

Real barter parties! Nowadays, swap parties are organized almost in every towns, there are sites dedicated to this kind of initiatives, where you can find also an explanation of the attendance rules. Alternatively, you can organize one of your own, inviting friends and relatives.

Quality second-hand clothes shops or outlets

Another way to buy clothes and accessories, without spending too much is to go to quality second-hand clothes shops or outlets in your town: there are usually several, you just have to quickly look for them.

In Milan you can go, for instance, to Il Girotondo or Il Salvagente, in Rome there are well-endowed outlets in Castel Romano and Valmontone. Remember that in outlets, you might also be able to find designer items at very low prices, however, they might be part of previous collections, so you’d better ask before you buy”!