You should always take fashion advice with a large does of salt when it comes from a chic who gaffer-tapes her shoes up when they break, rather than buy new ones (in my defence, they are perfectly good shoes except for one small tear).

On the other hand, it’s safe to say that my clothing budget is fairly minimal.

I have acquired clothing every way mention below (although I have only swapped kid’s clothing, not clothes for me). You don’t actually need to be a clothing minimalist like me to have a fashionable wardrobe for less if you’re savvy with your shopping. Here are a few ways to save money on clothes.

Buy less

Apparently the 80/20 rule applies to clothing also: we wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time. So before you buy that top, ask yourself: “do I really need it?”

How many pairs of shoes do you need? How many pairs of jeans? How many dresses? Yes, even I, the fashion failure, feel good when wearing a new outfit for the first time. But I can get that feel-good feeling other ways too.

If temptation is just too much, shop without your credit card in your wallet and write that ‘must have’ item down on your wish list. It doesn’t matter how tempted you are if you don’t have cash to buy it.

The other side to buying less is to make your clothes last by taking care of them and mending them. Ok, so gaffer-tape may not be your style, but replacing buttons, darning socks, stitching up small tears and holes and altering length will make the clothes you have last longer without going for the ‘distressed/grunge’ look. So too will caring for clothing by reading the care label, washing gently and line drying.

Buy second-hand

I’m not the biggest fan of op-shopping for clothes (kitchen items are my specialty), but occasionally I snag a gem. Recently I bought a lovely Target brand doll-style dress that works perfectly as a maternity top and looks like it’s never been worn…for 50 cents. I have practically lived in it ever since.

When shopping for clothes in op-shops a two pronged approach is needed. First, have a list of things that you need on hand, so that you can keep an eye out for those things. Know that it may take you some time to find just the item you’re looking for.

It’s also a good idea to keep an open mind and be prepared to make the most of surprises and unexpected bargains.

Kid’s and baby clothes are great purchased second hand, after all, they don’t wear them for very long. When the Salvos had 50 cents on kid’s clothes, I purchased items in several sizes, putting the larger sizes away for when the little fella got older. His ‘best’ shirt for special occasions was a 50 cent purchase.

Garage sales, local ‘buy, swap and sell’ Facebook pages and eBay are also a great places to pick up a bargain on second hand clothes.

Buy in the sales

With shops in constant sales cycles these days, there’s no reason to pay full price for anything.

Again, keep a list of things you need (and in what sizes if you’re shopping for the whole family) and keep an eye out for when they go on sale.

To keep up with the sales, sign up to have the catalogues emailed to your inbox unless this is too tempting for you . Remember the motto: ‘a bargain isn’t a bargain unless you need it.’

Buy factory seconds

Buying factory seconds can be as hit and miss as buying second-hand. You will often find designer label seconds, so you do save on designer labels, but still pay a small fortune compared to ‘no-brand’ clothing.

Also, clothes in factory outlets can be off-season; again, it’s a good idea to go prepared with a list of things you need, especially if you’re going to be buying next season’s clothing.

Sign up for store cards to get special offers

If there are brands or stores that you particularly like, sign up for their membership cards to receive special offers.

I’m a strong believer that a bargain isn’t a bargain if you don’t need it, but occasionally the planets align and sale falls at a time when you do actually need something. Membership to certain stores keeps you informed as to when these special sales occur.

Buy online

Shopping online for clothes is becoming more and more common. On one hand, it’s more convenient shopping from the comfort of your home. On the other hand, it can be less convenient not being able to try clothes on before you buy.

When it comes to buying clothes successfully online, here are a few tips:

• Take your body measurements accurately (get a friend to help you) and look at clothing measurements rather than sizes, particularly if you are buying clothing from overseas.
• Styles and cuts matter more than sizes. Depending on your body shape, you may be able to fit into a pair of shorts in a size 12 in one style and need a size 16 in another (story of my life – ‘hipsters’ and me are not friends). Make sure you understand the style and cut as well as the measurements before purchasing.
• Look for sites that have lots of pictures as well as a full description of each item.
• The type of fabric used will affect the look and drape of a piece of clothing. So will lining or the absence of lining. Compare the fabric with other items you have in your wardrobe or other items in the store to get an idea of how the fabric choice of an item will affect it’s fit.
• Save on shipping by buying several items from the same store.
• Understand the returns policy before purchasing.
• Sign up to get the emails from your favourite online retailers to find out when they have sales.

Buy quality when it counts

I’m a big fan of purchasing quality items in ‘timeless’ styles that are going to last a few years, like a good pair of jeans. Even though you may spend more upfront, you save in the long run and you don’t end up looking like a fashion disaster wearing last season’s trends (not that that’s ever been a concern of mine).

On the other hand, you can get good clothes from discount retail stores much cheaper than ‘brand’ clothes. If you’re after a plain t-shirt for instance, a Target or Big W top is going to do the job just as well as an Esprite one, for a small fraction of the cost.

Borrow

Do people still borrow clothes? I have a friend who offers to lend me outfits for special occasions like weddings. Borrowing clothes can be a great way to expand your wardrobe without spending any money, especially when it comes to special occasion clothing that you may only wear once.

Swap

A clothes swap can be something as simple as swapping clothes with friends who are a similar size as you. Even if you don’t have someone to swap your clothes with, you may know other mums to swap kid’s clothes with!

Or you could participate in a more organised group swap, either run with your friends or through a formal organisation like a community group.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money to have a fashionable wardrobe. Savvy shopping and knowing what you will need before you need it, giving you plenty of time to shop around, will save you from paying full retail price ever again.

Incidentally, it’s been over six months since I ‘fixed’ my shoes with gaffer-tape. I’m still wearing them almost daily.

Photo by Hans & Carolyn

Finally getting out of the morning sickness phase and I’m finding that my clothes aren’t fitting already. I’ve been scouting around the internet for low cost maternity wear ideas, but I’m really not ready at all for maternity wear. A the moment I’m doing the old rubber band round the button trick, but that is only going to last so long.

If you have been down this road already – help! I would love to hear your ideas for low cost maternity wear. My budget at the moment is a shy above $0.

After doing some research, here are some low cost/ no cost options I found for maternity wear.

1. The Belly Band. This is like a ‘boob tube’ for your waist. It is supposed to help keep pants up when you can’t do up the buttons and zips (and hide the fact your duds are undone), and cover your belly and your plumber’s when your tops get too short. In other words it extends the life of your pre-preggers clothes (as long as you can still fit into them otherwise!) It also helps keep loose maternity wear from falling off.
2. Borrow maternity wear. If you’re lucky enough to know someone who has maternity wear lying around in the cupboard then borrowing it is a no cost alternative.
3. Buy second hand. This can be at charity stores or some specialty maternity wear stores that buy and sell second hand maternity clothes.
4. EBay. This is a popular suggestion. I’ve bought clothes off eBay before, but browsing through the maternity wear, I didn’t find it all that cheap. There seemed to be high demand for maternity wear and therefore more bids and higher costs (something to keep in mind for later!)
5. Buy Online. Depending on your budget and what you’re looking for, buying online can be cheaper. I found a nice pair of pants for $38AUD which I guess is reasonable (but beyond my current budget).
6. Raid hubby’s wardrobe. Particularly for the in between period where your clothes are too small and maternity wear is too big.
7. Buy bigger ‘normal’ clothes. Again for the in between period.

If you have any other ideas or you would like to share what you did for clothes during pregnancy, I would love you to share your thoughts in the comments section.

Have you read these articles?:

1. Why Being a Cheapskate Can Cost You More
2. exploring opportunity cost
3. the time cost of spending