Strategic Shopping: Not Just a September Issue

I never realized I had anything in common with David Letterman, but in his recent interview with Anna Wintour, he stumbled across the number one question I think about, write about, and talk about on a daily basis: "On a reduced budget...can you still appear fashionable?' I will see Ms. Wintour's response of,  "of course," and raise her a, "hell yes!" Many people see funding as a huge obstacle to obtaining a glamorous wardrobe, but a strategic approach to shopping can make this year your most fashionable one yet.

Here are my top tips for affording the closet of your dreams on any budget, just by allocating your wardrobe funds appropriately:

1. Think about your fashion budget on a yearly — not seasonal — basis.

You know your budget, so use it to your advantage. Instead of an "all or nothing" approach to shopping, where you try to buy an entire season's worth of must-have items all at once, break up your purchases in ways that are easier to swallow financially: shop once per fiscal quarter; or better yet, purchase one investment piece per month. By this time next year, you'll have 12 sensational, staple pieces — the makings of a stellar new wardrobe. The best part? You'll have something new and exciting to look forward to once every four weeks. No budget? Check out Shoestring's assessment of the best (free!) money management sites to get started.

2. Stock up on wardrobe staples at the end of each season, when they're on sale.

Everyone needs a cashmere sweater, one of a laundry list of basic staples that make up a complete and polished wardrobe. Buying that sweater right now might stretch your funds (and work your nerves into a frenzy), but by putting it on your "wish list" and waiting to purchase it in January or February, when cashmere is seriously discounted at post-holiday sales, you'll save a ton of cash on a luxurious staple that never goes out of style. Check out this list of the Best Online Coupon Sites and explosion of Private Sale Sites from the Shoestring archives to save a fortune on designer wardrobe staples at seriously discounted prices.

3. Before buying any sale item, ask yourself: "Would I buy this at full price?"

Are you someone who can't pass up a clearance sale? Bargain shopping seems to make fiscal sense in the short term, however; all of that money adds up. It's also the fastest way to get a closet full of clothes you feel just "eh" about, which ultimately leads to an overall style that doesn't reflect the real you, instead of a closet only containing clothes that you absolutely love. The, "Would I buy this at full price?" test gives you a benchmark for judging that item objectively when the bright sale sign is begging you to put it in your cart. If you wouldn't buy the $50-on-sale dress at its full retail price of $120, then put it back on the rack and walk away. Put that $50 towards something pricier that's absolutely drool-worthy. Saving 70% on something you'll never wear or don't really like isn't saving money. It's throwing it out the window.

4. Plan, project, and plot for needing new clothes.

You will have an occasion this year where you need a cocktail dress or new dress shoes, so go ahead and find a strategic way of searching for ones you really like now. Figure out which stores or designers you really adore and then sign up for their e-mail newsletters. Sure, it's MORE email, but you'll be able to track their new collections (as well as sales on their old ones), plus any time a store is running a deal they're going to say so right in the subject line of the email because they want you to open it. Look for words like, "sale," "special," "discount," and "code," in the header to save on the cocktail dress you know you are going to need for this year’s office holiday party. Be strategic about forecasting the "big ticket" items you're going to need over the course of the year so you don't blow your entire budget on just one staple, like a winter coat.

5. Make Fat Fingers your BFF.

eBay is a fabulous way to acquire new and gently used wardrobe staples, but, as it turns out, many sellers on eBay can't spell — especially when it comes designer labels — and if a brand's name is spelled incorrectly, it can't be found in eBay searches. FatFingers.com comes to the rescue by automatically generating spelling variations for your favorite designers, so you can swoop in and buy those Yves Saint Laurent pumps with zero bids at serious savings.

6. Find money-saving fashion rewards programs from your favorite stores.

Retailers are creating innovative ways to move merchandise, which is great for strategic shoppers. Now is the perfect time to ask about money-saving rewards points and cash back plans that can add "free" cash to your fashion budget. Nordstrom, for example, created a Fashion Rewards program where members get the equivalent of 10% back on each purchase, which they can then apply to future shopping trips. More savings means more clothes for you, with barely any additional legwork. Happy happy, joy joy.

As a professional wardrobe consultant, one consistent theme I see in women's closets is the I-had-an-event-and-had-to-rush-out-and-get-this purchase. Many times, women either don't like shopping or worry about funds so much that they refuse to make purchases. Then, when a special occasion rolls around, they panic, run into random stores, and spend far too much money on clothes they don't like or they just plain shop out of necessity.

Shop your closet now to figure out which wardrobe staples you already have (and love), and which pieces you need (or have but loathe) and then plan on needing new clothes. Then, use these shopping strategies to acquire the chic closet the you crave at a fraction of the cost.

For more money- and planet-saving fall fashion tips, check out these stories from the Shoestring archives:

• Shoestring Survival Guide: Shopping Your Closet
• The Year of the Private Sale Sites
• Swap, Not Shop: The New Swap Meets are Online
• Best Online Coupon Sites
• Buy, Sell, Trade: The New Bargain Shopping
• Pretty Cheap: Tried & Tested Beauty