Penny Pinching Fashion

We all love to keep our wardrobes updated with the latest trends and key pieces, but the fast-fashion culture in which we live today doesn't make things easy for us. No sooner have you bought the latest studded pumps or dip-dyed shorts, than things have moved on, and the shops are full of collar-tip blouses and spiked jewellery. Keeping up can be a pricey endeavour, and given the current state of the economy and our need to save pennies for our futures, we can find ourselves missing out on some of our favourite finds, and with dangerously low bank balances to boot.

Luckily for us, there are some fantastic websites online which can help us to get the best of both worlds - a full wardrobe and some cash left over for other expenses and plans. So, where can you find these wonderfully helpful sites? Well, I'm about to show you.

Fashion Vouchers

Fashion Vouchers is a relatively new website which boasts a vast array of vouchers and deals for some of the best high street and online stores out there. If you enjoy shopping at the likes of Oasis, Missguided, My Wardrobe or Motel Rocks (to name but a few) then this site could end up saving you huge amounts on your shopping trips, with current offers including :

·         10% off all UK orders from Urban Outfitters

·         25% off Motel Rocks exclusives

·         £10 off your first order over £30 from In Love With Fashion

·         20% off full price dresses from Oasis

Just pop onto the website and grab the relevant voucher codes, and these great deals are all yours for the taking.

                                                                  Big Wardrobe

You’ve all heard of the concept of gathering together all your unloved clothing and accessories and swapping them with your friends, for great new outfits without spending a penny. Well, Big Wardrobe offers just that, only with a huge database of others users for you to exchange your items with, as well as buying and selling! The best thing about this is that you can often exchange your unwanted bits for designer and high street pieces from all over the world, meaning that you can stock your wardrobe with unique pieces that you are unlikely to see anyone else wearing nearby!

Buyosphere

This site offers a personal shopper-type service, finding you your favourite pieces at the lowest prices. Want a studded-collar blouse or a gorgeous pair of mint high-waisted shorts? This site does the work for you.

Shoeaholics

For any self-respecting shoe lovers out there,  Shoeaholics is a godsend. With great deals and discounts on branded shoes,  you can scout out some real bargains, and what’s not to love about gorgeous shoes and money left over to take them out for the night and show them off?

Girl Meets Dress

A great site for those of you with expensive tastes but who resent paying the price-tags, Girl Meets Dress enables you to feel like a star for the night without the financial commitment. With top designer names such as Miu Miu and Stella McCartney,  you can hire a beautiful dress for a special occasion and return it the next day, with no harm done to your bank balance.

Ebay (UK)

I think we are all well aware of Ebay by now. Still one of the best sites I’ve come across for bagging a bargain, you can find all manner of designer and high street brands going cheap. You may find that you need to spend a bit of time searching in order to find a worthwhile purchase, but if you are a savvy bidder then you can get your hands on some amazing items at great prices.

Boohoo

Boohoo is great for stocking up on fast fashion pieces, and is updated with new and exciting items on a daily basis.  Think of a trend, and you will almost certainly find an array of affordable examples to choose from, with prices beating the majority of the most popular high-street shops hands down.

So there you have it – my pick of the best money-saving websites out there for fashion lovers like myself! I really do think that these sites can make a huge difference to our spending habits when used wisely. Sometimes, we needlessly spend above and beyond what is necessary to get the looks we want, but have you ever stopped to think about what you could be doing with the extra money instead? Personally, I’m a bit of a travel junkie, so while I love to keep my wardrobe full to bursting with gorgeous clothes and accessories, I don’t want it to be the only thing I have going for me in my life! Besides, what’s the point in having all those beautiful pieces if you can’t afford to go out and show them off? Personally, I’m really trying to cut back on my spending this year, and sites like these have made things much easier for me. To keep me motivated,  I’ve set myself a little goal in that every time I save some money, it must be popped into a little ‘travel fund’ I’ve set up, so in the end I am going to have some lovely things to wear and a fantastic reward for my efforts!

Why not set yourself a goal and start putting your spare change aside for something you’d really like to do?

xx

Christmas Wishlist

There are so many gorgeous skater style dresses out there at the moment, at great prices, that I think I am going to fill a large section of my wardrobe with them, mostly in block jewel colours. They are just so versatile. I'll be wearing mine with a skinny tan belt, black tights and a biker jacket by day in the winter, and will be happy to pull them out again come the summer. Printed versions are also easy to dress up for nights out. Here are some of the ones on mylust-have list.

These are £24.99 each, from Republic:




I'm also a fan of this polk-a-dot one, £24.99 from Newlook, which I'd wear with a skinny red belt:


My favourite find, though,  is definitely this one, which is from www.boohoo.com, and is only £15! Bargain. Unfortunately, though, they seem to be out of my size, so fingers crossed they'll get some more in soon....



To be honest though, most of all, I'm looking forward to have a good old rummage around Primark. Their clothes have improved so much in the last couple of years. There was a time when I'd only go in for accessories or basics like vest tops, but these days you can find some real gems. I don't know if I can handle all the Christmas Primark carnage though, it's always a nightmare in there as it is! As much as I hate early mornings, I think it's going to be the only way. I really cannot stand long queues because I'm really impatient with that sort of thing, and everything is usually all over the floor by 10am! Luckily, there's a Starbucks right outside my local Primarni, so I think I might pop in there and try one of their delicious sounding Christmas drinks to warm up before (ambitious) or more likely, after trawling for goodies. Gingerbread latte? Yes please.
 I've got to admit, I'm a real sucker for all things Christmas-y, especially having spent the last couple out of the country. This year, I just want to surround myself with festive treats like fairy lights, homemade mince pies and mulled wine, and I'm even enjoying hearing all the cheesy classics playing in the background on TV programs. You've got to love Walford Market in Eastenders for that!
Also on my wish list at the moment are lots of chunky, slouchy fairisle style cardigans and a dalmatian print satchel. I will keep you updated as to whether I find any for a steal.







(Can you tell that I'm excited about Christmas now!?)