fashion on a budget

[bibby33]

Hi All -
Just a bit of advice and guidance really..myself and my 12 year old daughter are into fashion but due to unforeseen circumstances our finances have altered . Can anyone recommend the best budget clothes shop to get good quality fashionable clothes and accessories (I can't afford river island anymore) Also if someone could give me some examples of how to create a capsule wardrobe for me I'd be so grateful. I'm sick of living in leggings and jeans that keep falling down. I'm 5"4 and a size 14 , am a pear shape (about 1 and a half stone overweight and trying to lose it..had a baby the beginning of the year)
Thank you
xx

when i was in ur sit i learned to sew. It can be a really cheap way to dress well.

as a textile designer, all i can say is while it is very rewarding to make your own clothes, it is often not a cheaper way of doing so if you need to buy a sewing machine first, plus fabric can be pricey these days.

good place to start for ideas is pinterest, just do a search for fall looks (will bring up more if you use american terms rather than autumn) for ideas on putting together outfits, then shop wise, h&m is great, primark too, new look is worth visiting in particular the sale rails, also charity shops, you'd be amazed what you can get. i found dd (age 13) an american apparel denim jacket for £3.

Thanks for your advice , I always ignore sale racks as never know where to start with them and can't seem to find anything .
My daughter has a sewing machine my mum is teaching her some things unfortunately I can't even sew on a button :(
I find it hard putting outfits together and my wardrobe is full of a mishmash of clothes that don't go together .

But I will start looking through sale racks

eBay!

My favourite budget shops are TK Maxx and H&M (quality can also be suprisingly good). I don't Ebay but lots of people recommend it. For charity shops, it depends where you live - they're rubbish in my city, even in the affluent areas.

But first, I would go through what's already in your wardrobe. If you can sort out what you already have and work out how to put things together (Pinterest?), you'll be able to see where the gaps are. I know that's easier said than done!

I'll have a go at going through my wardrobe it seems to be full of summer stuff at the moment ! Pintrest sounds quite good too ill have look on there when I've finished housework and baby's asleep :)

You can get your River Island fix if you wait until the sales, the next one should be around Christmas. Other shops which are reasonable include H&M, Primark, Peacocks and Sports Direct.

I think there are some items its worth spending a bit more on (jeans, shoes, bras etc) so you could pick up some nice jeans in the winter sales). There are items its not worth spending on e.g. tights, socks, plain cotton t-shirts.

I don't have a capsule wardrobe, but I try and stick to colours that work together. I tend to keep my bottom half (Jeans, trousers and skirts) in neutrals (black, white and beige) or semi-neutrals (grey and olive) and wear more colourful tops.

I'm still getting to grips with accessories but I quite like hair clips etc, which can be reasonable in price. The Accessorize sale can be really good, particularly towards the end.

i'm a big user of pinterest, if it helps, here's my style board

tk maxx is great, my favourite shop as there's such a mix in there, again, the clearance rails are worth a gander. my dd likes tk maxx, also for your dd, forever 21 if there's a branch near you, we don't have one here but always nip in when visiting my mum in liverpool.

Great ideas thanks all x

Also think about layering to make your summer stuff ok for autumn/winter - a light tea dress can look great with a long sleeve T under it, tights, boots, scarf etc.

Primark do long sleeve Ts for about £3 in loads of colours - i've got three already (two white one bottle green) and am after a navy one too

I had on a look on your pinterest board nipersvest I really like the layering look ! The cardigans and jumpers etc . Think that will be our first thing to buy!

Those long sleeved Primark tops are brilliant. I wash and wear the hell out of them all winter and they keep their shape and colour really well

Primark, H&M and New look are my staples topped up with Zara in the sake or in Europe and designers on eBay

I get loads of great bargain buys on EBay .
Even if you have seen something you love in River Island , just type it into search on EBay - like " zip Chelsea boots" and you will find cheaper versions .

I also rate Primark , H & M and Tesco online , you can great basics like super skinny jeans and camisoles for great prices.

There is a website called everythingfivepounds which has a few hidden gems amongst the "tat".
They frequently do free delivery if you spend over £25

Also ASOS have Excellent sales and they have a Petite section which may be great for your daughter.

But I would still say EBay is the best for bargains, a lot of people still assume it's all second hand and don't realise there are actual shops on there ...

Also if you type in " Korean fashion" on ebay and search lowest price first you will get a great selection of tops from a few pounds including delivery. I have bought some lovely slouchy type tops great for layering this way.

The sizing in Asian sizing so very petite - Im usually size 8-10and I order size XL .

Very excited just placed my first couple of bids on 2 dresses from River Island on ebay. Fingers crossed! Thanks for everyone's tips x

I rarely buy anything without a discount code. There no need to pay full price for clothes and shoes.

Sainsburys have some nice stuff too.