Would you like to put together a fall and winter wardrobe on a budget? Are you wondering if that’s possible? Well, today, I’ve got part 1 of a 3-part series for updating and making the most of your fall and winter wardrobe, on a budget. Part 1 will help you get your wardrobe organized and ready, starting with your current wardrobe. In Part 2, I will give you shopping tips and a plan for adding to your current wardrobe. Part 3 will help you maintain, wear, and enjoy your wardrobe for the rest of the season.
Now that the weather is finally turning cool, you’re probably starting to put away your short sleeve tops and replacing them with sweaters. Now is the time when we start to see what we realistically need in our closets. On the other hand, we see the holidays coming and don’t want to spend a ton of money. What’s a girl to do? I think we can have a great wardrobe and some money left for Christmas shopping. We just need a good plan.
My goal is to help you have a wardrobe that you feel good about without spending a ton of money. So, let’s get started with part 1.
Fall And Winter Wardrobe On A Budget
To get started putting together a fall and winter wardrobe on a budget, you need to think of the basic items you need in your wardrobe. This is basically a “capsule” wardrobe, which is a basic wardrobe with a few pieces that you can mix and match. That is what I suggest you start with. After you get your basic, capsule wardrobe of essential items, you can build on it and add more to your wardrobe, as your budget allows, to give you more options. That’s how I do my wardrobe every season and what I’ll be explaining here today.
First, think about the categories of clothes that you need. These will depend on your lifestyle and activities, but most of us have similar categories of clothes that we need and I’ll cover each of these in the wardrobe plan. If you have these basic essentials in each category, you should have a pretty good wardrobe to get started with, even on a budget.
The categories of clothes and items for each are:
BASIC CASUAL – Basic, very casual clothes for days at home or quick errands.
- 4-5 bottoms, in neutral colors
- 5-7 tops, in colors to mix and match with neutral bottoms
- 1-2 pairs basic, flat shoes that go with all your neutral bottoms
- 1 pair basic earrings
- 1 basic necklace
NICE CASUAL – Semi-casual clothes for social or shopping outings.
- 3 complete outfits, consisting of bottoms and tops to match
- Sweater or jacket in a color that can be worn with each outfit
- 1 pair nice, flat shoes
- 1 pair nice shoes with a heel
- Purse in a color that works with all 3 outfits
- Trendy earrings, necklaces, and bracelets to mix and match with all 3 outfits
WORK CLOTHES – Buy quality items and mix and match for versatility. Your type of job will determine what style of each item to buy. For example, a teacher would need a more comfortable pair of shoes than someone working in an office.
- 5 pants
- 8 tops
- 1 dress or skirt outfit
- Good quality shoes and a nice, quality handbag
- Good quality, classic jewelry
DRESSY CLOTHES – Clothes for events, special occasions, Sunday Church
- 1 or 2 dresses or skirt outfits
- 2 or 3 pants with tops to match
- 1 pair dressy pumps
- 1 pair dressy boots
- 2 quality handbags
- Jewelry
This might sound like a lot of clothes to buy, buy you shouldn’t have to buy everything new. The goal of this plan is to start with what you have, keep what your can, and then shop with a plan.
Here’s how to make the plan work:
- Print out the list and go to your closet. Always organize and plan with what you already have before you even think about shopping for more.
- Organize your clothes into the categories I mentioned above.
- Take out things that are worn out, stained, don’t fit right, or just don’t work for your lifestyle.
- Count how many “keepers” you have left in each category. The wardrobe plan above lists my recommended amounts for each, but feel free to add or subtract to give you a good capsule wardrobe to start with.
- Compare your closet to the plan. Check off items on the list that you have in your closet, that are still good to wear and on the list. Then, start making a list of items from each category that you need to shop for.
- Now, make a final plan by looking at your monthly clothing budget.
- Prioritize your shopping list and plan what you will buy each month to add to your wardrobe.
Bonus Tips For Fall/Winter Wardrobe On A Budget
- Remember to buy quality over quantity.
- Make sure everything fits! Dress for your body type and you’l feel great in everything.
- Stick to a color palette so items can easily mix and match. Make sure your color palette is flattering for you! Have basics in neutral colors (pants and skirts). Add accent colors in tops that are flattering to your face.
- Make sure your wardrobe works for your real lifestyle, whatever that is, and make sure you love everything in it! For example, if you happen to spend most of your time in the basic casual category, make sure it has pieces that you love and feel good in.
Now that you’ve got your “starter”, capsule wardrobe put together, you’ll be able to get dressed quickly and save time, knowing you look put together for your day.
If you live in a warm climate year round, be sure to read Easy Summer Wardrobe On A Budget.
Come back next time for part 2, Shopping For Your Fall And Winter Wardrobe On A Budget.
Till next time, have a wonderful day!