The SolesUp Rules
for budget fashionistas
Rule
#1: Invest in quality staples/basics. Save and spend more on the pieces in your
closet that will never go out of style. Instead of buying a pair of pumps for
$30, save for a few weeks or months and get the pair for $300 that will last
for years. $30 pumps are guaranteed to lose their wear after a while but shoes
that use quality materials can be worn for much longer.
Rule
#2: Always always always
take good care of your pieces! If you don't take your pieces to the cleaners,
wash them on the gentle cycle or by hand......what?? Lol ok kidding but please
take care of your pieces (especially investment pieces). Find a good tailor and
a great cobbler so you can alter your clothes and fix your shoes and keep them
going until they can go no more!!! If you own great jewelry you also need to
develop a relationship with a jeweler who can repair latches etc. Tip: Buy high
end bags from the original maker, so Fendi from Fendi etc because the stores
will often clean and repair their pieces for free but only if purchased in
their stores.
Rule #3: Get
attached…….to the brands that work for your body! I love a pencil skirt BUT
every pencil skirt does not flatter my body. I have a particular attachment to
skirts from a particular brand because they work for me, and season to season I
can find at least two new pieces that I am willing to purchase from them. If
there is an item in a brand that works well with your body type, stick to that
item in that brand. Explore other brands and re-evaluate your fit with your
brand of choice maybe twice a year but if a fit is not broken, don’t try to fix
it, especially if the item you are purchasing is a wardrobe basic.
Rule #4: If at first you
don’t succeed…….try another one on!!! Don’t be bound by sizes and don’t buy
clothes without knowing how they fit. If you shop online make sure you’re
buying from a retailer that you are familiar with……if not, and the retailer
does not have a physical location that you can get to, you may have to try a
couple of pieces and exchange in order to get to know their sizes. If the
retailer has a physical location close to you, make a trip and try on all the
items you are interested in. Walk around the fitting room, look at yourself
from all angles….don’t settle for a bad fit!!! It’s just not worth it!
Rule #5: Size up and
tailor down!! Most women do not fit into stock sizes……case in point; I am a
medium on top most of the time but from certain European designers my fat arms
(?) require an XL. For other retailers I am a size 10 on the bottom, sometimes
even an 8 but across the mall I may need a 14???? All that to say, if you don’t
fit into the size you think you are, don’t buy the tight item! Shop for the
body you have now, regardless of size and if the item is too big one size up,
take it to your tailor. In addition, please buy clothes to fit the body you
have at the moment you are shopping…..don’t spend money in anticipation of
weight loss……I will leave it at that!
Rule #6: Opt in to
receiving emails from your favorite brands because you want to kno when they
have a sale. If you can get a longed for piece at 50% and more off the original
price, its worth getting a few extra emails in your inbox. One of my favorite
brands has increased their prices quite a bit over the past few years, and even
on sale I can’t afford some of their “collection” items but a good final sale
is guaranteed to produce some pieces that I can wear for years and years for
work, play and church!!
Well there you have the SolesUp top 6 rules.....I was trying to stick to 5 but a good tip must be shared so you got an extra rule thrown in. Don't forget to like, share, comment and most importantly to subscribe! SolesUp out!
