If you have expensive taste, but, let’s say, a less luxurious bank balance, can you achieve both? It is clear that the average person can’t afford an all-designer wardrobe, yet the desire for luxury items remains. Many people plunge themselves into dangerous debt in order to sustain an unhealthy shopping lifestyle, while others are over-cautious, only buying own-brand clothing and scrimping on every expense. Is there a middle ground to be found here? Can you shop designer without being financially irresponsible?
Limiting Your Pieces
Firstly, shopping designer on a budget is about figuring out which pieces you wish to be designer. For example, if you have certain statement pieces which you will wear or use daily, such as a watch, a handbag, a belt or a pair of glasses, these could be your designated designer pieces. Seeing as they will be used daily and part of your everyday ‘look’, it is worth splashing out on these items to receive a beautiful, good quality product which will last for years.
Finding Your Designer Products
Although designers will always advise that you buy directly from the designer brand itself, in order to assure the product is legitimate, this does not have to be the case. As a rule, you should always buy from a source you trust 100%, but this does not necessarily have to be the designer themselves. Outlet stores and department stores can stock perfectly legitimate designer items at lower prices. To find, for example, the cheapest Audemars Piguet watches on the market, you should research outlets which stock genuine pieces from this designer.
Taking Care of Your Designer Clothing
In our consumer culture, we have become dangerously accustomed to throwing out clothes which we have not owned for long. Fast fashion brands cheaply make clothing which is designed to last a short amount of time, until the next trendy item catches your eye. Designer clothing, however, is different. These pieces are more like artworks; they are made by hand by specialist professionals, and should last for years on end. That is, if you take care of them.
In our rush to always have the next cool thing, we have begun treating our belongings poorly. Scrunching them up in heaps on the floor, washing them with cheap, harsh detergent – this list goes on. In order to make your designer clothing worth the money you paid for it, it’s time to get into good habits when it comes to taking care of it. That means responsibly washing, ironing, folding and hanging the clothing in a way that does not damage it. Clothes are meant to last a long time, not be thrown into the trash when next year’s line comes along.
Conclusion
So, yes, it is possible to shop designer on a budget. Choose your pieces wisely and look after them well, and you’ll soon find yourself enjoying the best of both worlds.
