When you think of spending a lot of money on clothes, women are often the first demographic that comes to mind, but in reality, men can find themselves spending a lot of money to look great, particularly at work. Men’s clothing can be expensive, especially if you wear suits to the office, so how do you dress to impress when you’re on a tight budget?
It’s certainly possible, but it does require some careful planning and strategizing.
The following are some of our favorite ways to be a sharp dresser in the workplace, regardless of whether or not you’re working with a limited budget.
Know Where to Splurge and Where to Save
When you’re buying a work wardrobe and price is a key consideration, the first thing you should do is prioritize. Where should you spend more and where should you save?
Places to spend more include on a black suit, or an all-purpose blazer, as well as possibly a great pair of shoes. If you’re splurging, making sure you’re doing it on items that can be worn across seasons.
If you have a couple of more expensive essential items, you can then build your wardrobe around those, and choose less expensive shirts, accessories and other things.
Learn to Accessorize
Accessorizing is a vital componential looking great on a budget. If you have the core pieces, you can then change up your look with the inexpensive pieces such as a high quality second hand watch. For example, great ties or bowties, belts, or socks can all be a good way to use the same key pieces over and over again but create a fresh look every day.
Know When to Buy
Knowing when to buy is a big part of saving money on clothes in general, whether it’s for work or otherwise.
Buying off-season is always a good idea, and if you’re not choosing trendy items but are instead going with classic pieces, they’ll still look great when it’s time to wear them.
Look For Replicas
Let’s say you have your eye on a very expensive designer Oxford shirt, but it’s way out of your price range. If you do a little digging, you can likely find a shirt that’s very similar somewhere like Gap or H&M.
The key is to find pieces you love, and if they’re too expensive for your budget, you can then use that as a guide to find similar or nearly identical items you can afford.
Tailoring and Maintenance
If you want even cheap clothes to look great, first and foremost after you purchase them, get them tailored. Tailoring doesn’t’ have to be expensive, and it can turn a really cheap suit or shirt into something that looks custom.
Also, make sure you take good care of your work clothes. If you can properly store them and clean them, they’re going to last longer, and you’ll have to buy new things less frequently.
If you’re just starting your career and want to look your best, or you just don’t want to spend a lot of clothes, there are some things you can do to look like money is no object, even when it is.
