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Save on Clothing
1. Study your wardrobe, determine your needs, work out a clothing budget, and stay with it. Clothes
bought on impulse rarely fit in your budget or your wardrobe.
2. Buy the best quality you can afford, particularly in clothes that will last for several years. This is
called "Investment Dressing." Think in terms of cost per wearing.
3. Buy color-coordinated clothes you can mix and match. Buy all-season styles and fabrics when
possible. This way you don't have to buy as many clothes.
4. Know how to spot a bargain. When you buy a garment, check its construction, care instructions,
fiber content, and other label information. Be sure it will last and will be easy to care for.
5. Buy designs that will stay in style.
6. Buy wash and wear as much as possible. Clothes that require dry cleaning are expensive to care
for.
7. Choose clothes with simple trim; they won't go out of style as quickly. Trim should be of good
quality and should require the same care as the rest of the garment.
8. Shop factory-outlet stores. Don't assume there is something wrong with clothes sold there. They
could be surplus, samples, or discontinued lines. Any imperfect or damaged items must be
tagged or advertised as such. And, the flaws in some may be so minor that they don't matter at
all.
9. Accessories can add a new look to your wardrobe for a much smaller cost than buying major
items.
10.Adapt what you have to current styles instead of dashing out to buy something new.
11.When you outgrow clothing, exchange with friends and relatives or recycle them.
12. Contribute clothing to a "nearly new" shop sponsored by a charitable organization. Your gift may
be tax deductible if you get a signed receipt for its estimated value.
13.Learn to sew, but don't rush out and buy a lot of fabric that you'll never get around to making into
garments.
14.Take good care of your clothing and shoes. They will last longer.
Wardrobe Planning: A Basic Approach
Comfortable and flattering clothing that is appropriate for a variety of needs is an important part of our
lives. Clothing provides comfort and protection, influences our acceptance by others, impacts
relationships and the way we feel about ourselves, and is a source of enjoyment and recognition.
Clothing also places a continual demand on family resources. In view of these implications, the effort to
plan an adequate wardrobe is worthwhile. Selecting clothing can be challenging and fun.
Look in Your Closet
Someone once observed that women wear only 10 percent of the items in their closets 90 percent of the
time! While you may claim a better record, most of us have stood in front of a closet full of clothes more
than once and said, "I don't have a thing to wear!"
How can you have "a closet full" of clothes and nothing to wear? Perhaps the clothing in the closet no
longer fits your body or lifestyle; maybe items are outdated or not suitable for a specific occasion.
Probably some items were buying mistakes in the first place! Often the reason is we simply have a
collection of garments, purchased to meet an immediate need, accumulated without adequate thought
to an overall plan.
Understand Your Image
What do the clothes in your closet tell about you? How we think of ourselves and what we want others to
think of us are reflected by the way we act and dress. Of all the signals we send out to others, the
strongest indicator of who we are, who we think we are, and who we want to be is through clothing. This
becomes our "image."
Women often have difficulty expressing a clear clothing image because roles and personalities
sometimes differ. The sweet, feminine woman who loves to dress in frills and ruffles may need a more
conservative and efficient office image. The tailored career person may want to dress differently for an
afternoon gathering with close friends. It is important to remember you can express your inner
personality through appropriate clothing, whatever the role or occasion.
Spending time to analyze why you dislike certain garments and why you look and feel better in some
outfits, more so than others, will help in selecting good wardrobe pieces that will be worn time and
again.
Think about these personalities and descriptions of the way that person might dress:
Feminine (Romantic) -- Taste runs to ruffles and lace, soft luxurious fabrics, gently curved lines,
dainty patterns, draped silhouettes.
Sporty (Natural) -- Choices include all kinds of sportswear, from casual to chic; prefers
comfortable, versatile, and practical clothes and, when appropriate, slacks instead of dresses.
Classic -- Separates and smart, tailored styles that remain fashionable for many seasons;
conservative and avoids extremes.
Dramatic -- An individualist who likes to look distinctive or theatrical. Often this type person is the
first to try new styles with bold prints and designs.
What kind of clothing do you like to wear? feminine sporty classic dramatic
Plan for Your Lifestyle
An adequate wardrobe means having enough clothes that are appropriate for your activities -- in social
and physical situations. Because clothing needs parallel lifestyles, this is a good place to begin planning
your wardrobe. What are the activities at which you spend your time, and what is acceptable dress for
those activities in the area where you live?
Check to see that you have at least one garment for each activity of your lifestyle and that the activities
at which you spend the most time are the ones for which you have the most clothes.
Activity
Work (outside home or in a home-based business)
Volunteer work, clubs
Housework, shopping, cooking, child care
Private time, hobbies
Church, community activities
Entertaining, dining out
Family recreation, athletic events
Plan for Visual Illusions
Apparel that enhances and flatters you is vital to your having an adequate wardrobe. Few of us have a
perfect, well-proportioned body, but clothing can help create that illusion. For problem figures, or figure
problems, identifying the problem is the first step toward solving it. Basic measurements are helpful, but
even more important are body proportions when compared to the standard or ideal.
Figure types are usually categorized as tall/thin, tall/heavy, short/thin, short/heavy, and average, based
on the cultural ideal for women of 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing between 120 to 135 pounds. The
well-proportioned figure is visually balanced with half the body height above the hip and half below.
Shoulder width should be the same or slightly wider than the hips; bust and hip circumferences measure
the same, with waist 10" smaller, and waistline should be slightly lower than halfway between shoulders
and bottom of the derriere. Other proportions to check are neck length, bust size and location, thigh and
arm sizes, shape of tummy, shoulders, and back, and head position. You can judge your proportions
with nothing more than a full-length mirror and an open mind. Try this exercise: Tie a string around
your natural waistline and neckline then hold a yardstick vertically, touching shoulder and hip. Check its
slant: Are the hips wider than the shoulders? If so, you will need to add width at the shoulder for balance.
Hold the yardstick horizontally across the body at the hip/leg crease. Is half your total height above the
stick and half below? If not, you may need to make the shorter half look longer, or vice versa. You can
draw similar conclusions for other proportions and make selections, based on the principles that
unbroken vertical lines add length and decrease width, and horizontal lines add width and decrease
height.
Consider What You Have
How would you like to open your closet and have everything in it match your fashion personality, your
lifestyle, and your body type? Begin by taking a long, critical look at what you have. Take everything out
of your closet and try it on; check for fit, suitability, design, and color according to your notes. Then sort
all garments into three groups:
Group 1 - Clothing that is unusable because it no longer fits you or your lifestyle, is out of date, too worn
or faded, is unbecoming or you don't like it, or for whatever other reason. Be realistic; if you haven't worn
it for the past 2 years, you are not likely to, so get rid of it. Take it to the thrift shop, give it to charity -- or,
if you must keep it for sentimental reasons, store it away out of sight.
Group 2 - Clothing that fits and looks good but needs minor alterations, repairs, or cleaning. This is the
"maybe" pile. If an item needs major restyling or alterations -- is it worth your time, and will you really do
it? If you haven't finished it within a year, assign it the same fate as Group 1.
Group 3 - These are the "keepers" -- items you actually wear and can work with to organize your "new"
wardrobe. Start by separating them into colors, dividing clothes that have good lines and colors for you
from those that don't. Some may not be your "best" colors, but you can use them until ready to replace.
Experiment by combining pieces in new and different ways with each other and with accessories. It is
often surprising how many outfits you can now coordinate!
If you can coordinate for more than 2 weeks in advance without using the same items, you probably
have too many clothes, but are they what you need? Which brings us to the next step: refer to your
activity list and lifestyle chart. Compare the number of garments and outfits against your activities and
time spent with each activity. Do you have too many for one activity and not enough for another? Note
this for your "needs" list.
Take another look: at textures (too many polyesters, not enough silk?); at color (too many neutrals, not
enough bright); at personality (too many tailored suits, not enough softness?). You may need more
variation. You also need to look again at Group 1 and ask yourself why some items were not worn.
Maybe they were mistakes in the first place, but evaluating could keep you from repeating the mistakes.
Plan for Basics
You can find many ideas for developing a wardrobe. You may find the previous idea adequate with only
a few additions, or you may see a need to begin replacing your current wardrobe with one that better fits
your lifestyle and personal characteristics.
Time-tested plans for building a versatile wardrobe from a few basic pieces range from as few as "the
basic 7" to 17 or more, not including accessories. The "cluster concept" using several groupings of five
pieces works well for many people, especially for a travel wardrobe.
Putting together a basic wardrobe that is functional and attractive requires careful planning, but it can
and does work for all members of the family. Recommended pieces for a larger plan are listed with an
asterisk marking the "basic seven."
Basic Versatile Wardrobe Your Pieces (include
color) Additions Needed
One three-piece suit (jacket, skirt, pants) ___________________ _______________
*One blazer or jacket ___________________ _______________
*Two basic skirts ___________________ _______________
*One pair of classic slacks ___________________ _______________
*Two or
more blouses or shirts ___________________ _______________
One tunic-type top ___________________ _______________
*One or two dresses ___________________ _______________
One sweater (cardigan) ___________________ _______________
One or
more Casual slacks or jeans ___________________ _______________
One hostess dress or gown ___________________ _______________
One year-round coat with removable lining
Suggestions for Basic Plan
Start with neutrals in your color family (white, navy, gray, black, or taupe for cool undertones; ivory,
beige, camel, brown for warm). Always consider the effect of colors on figure size. Keep the basic items
in two or three solid colors that coordinate, and add interest with extra patterned blouses and
accessories. Expand with extra pieces suitable for the activity at which you spend the most time.
Other wardrobe suggestions include the following:
Think in terms of a basic, a neutral, and a color for workability. For example, a cool winter person
might choose black, gray, and berry red.
Select garments in related colors that will blend, coordinate, or accent. Use a variety of fabrics,
textures, and patterns for interest.
Select pants or skirts and jackets in neutral colors; select shirts, blouses, or sweaters in accent
colors.
Use the rule of three: buy an item only if you can wear it with three other garments.
Build a wardrobe over several seasons. Update and add each season for a fresh new look.
Buy the best quality you can afford. If your budget is limited, spend it on one quality item such as
a blazer, a suit, or basic dress; fill in with less expensive pieces.
The final step is to make a spending plan and take action. Remember. Any fashion is only as good as it
looks on you, and any garment is useful only if it meets your needs. Flattering clothing choices are
available at all price levels. Your efforts in planning are rewarded by an enhanced image and the
satisfaction of having spent your clothing dollars wisely
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