This is the third in a 4-part post series brought to you by ASOS Fashion Finder, dedicated to helping you showcase and promote your personal style through photography, social media and smart spending. [See Parts 1 and 2 here]
Here’s IFB’s Guide to Not Going Into Debt Over Personal Styling:
Believe in the power of the remix.
Sometimes, all it takes to find a renewed wearability in your clothes is some fresh perspective. Browse sites like Pinterest, ASOS FashionFinder, or comb your Tumblr dashboard for inspiration on new ways to wear old clothes. Try wearing a button-down shirt belted over a dress, or pin brooches on your favorite basic jackets. Get creative! Thinking outside the box and being an example of making the most of your wardrobe will place you as an inspiring example to your audience.
Sell your clothes at consignment shops or through closet-sharing apps.
Every now and then, it can be extremely freeing (and lucrative) to purge your closet of those items you rarely wear. It’s a guarantee that you’ve got something hanging in the depths of your closet that you’ve only worn once, but refuse to get rid of – just in case. Let it go! Collect those rarely worn items and take them to a local consignment shop. The return may not match what you paid, but it’s better than letting those pieces collect dust. If you’re super tech savvy (we are bloggers, after all) you can also do this digitally though a closet-sharing app.
Arrange a closet swap with friends or fellow bloggers.
Even if you’re not friendly with local bloggers in your area, you can arrange a closet-swap event with friends or open it up to your community. Have attendees bring items that are only gently worn, and let the fun begin. You and your guests will get new-to-you pieces that will add a versatility to your wardrobe, without spending a dime!
Embrace fast fashion – it’s trendy, not spendy.
A great wardrobe is all about the mix. Styling high-quality, have-forever staples with less expensive on-trend items creates a fun, obtainable ensemble and lets you keep your style constantly evolving without going broke. Shop fast fashion stores and sites for items that you may not wear in a season or two, like printed pants, neon anything, pajama-style pieces, etc. When these pieces go the way of the goucho pant, you’ll be glad you didn’t invest your whole paycheck.
Invest well.
We can’t be frugal all the time. Everyone deserves to splurge once-and-a-while; the key is to do it wisely. Investment pieces are the ones you’ll have forever. The pieces that transcend the trends are built to last. Until your disposable income is comfortably, you know, up there, reserve your big ticket purchases to accessories, shoes and classics. Why? Quite simply: they will always fit! A handbag, a pair of shoes, sunglasses, jewelry – even if your size fluctuates, these pieces will always work. If you’re going to spend big on apparel: think about jackets, blazers, a perfect black dress or a cashmere sweater. Quality is key!
Don’t let blog envy cloud your judgement.
This is a tough one. As bloggers, by nature, we like to browse the blogs of our peers. Some of them have budgets far different from ours, and some just started out with a base wardrobe to kill for. Whatever the reason may be, letting blog envy get the best of you will only cause frustration. Focus on your style, your life and what’s real for you. Blowing your whole budget on an Alexander Wang skirt doesn’t make sense for you, and it won’t make sense to your readers, either. Appreciate other bloggers’ style, but never forget your own.
Quite simply, don’t buy on credit.
Don’t buy things you can’t afford! It’s so easy. There’s no reason to put yourself under a mountain of credit card debt so you can have more followers on your blog. At the end of the day, your audience wants what’s real – they want you. When you want make an investment purchase – save up the money. Take a little out of your paycheck each month and put it into savings. Pick up an extra shift. Babysit. Do what it takes to earn the money, so you can make your purchases guilt-free!
How do you balance your spending when keeping up a style blog? Do you plan out a budget or set limits for yourself? Share your tips in the comments!
After all, I”m currently living off of my husband’s income. 
I’m a new blogger too so it’s a good advice to start off with. Thanks!
Blog envy is a killer! I like to take a few weeks off blog-reading sometimes so I can refocus. They can be inspiring but they can also push you in a less creative direction. Sometimes you an outfit and end up replicating it in your next blog post…the only setback is that blogs all end up looking the same. I think blog-reading hiatuses are the best
And, yea, I never use credit cards for clothes/shoes. That’s just a silly path to crisis.
Yasmeen
Castle Fashion