Super practical tips to help you save money on clothes. You truly don’t have to spend a lot to have a great wardrobe!

How I save money on clothes: Click through for tips to get great clothes on a budget

If you’re anything like me, you love shopping for clothes – but you don’t want to spend a fortune.

Today I’m sharing tips for saving money on clothes. Here’s your excuse to go shopping!

Shop In Thrift Shops & Garage Sales

I purchase about 50 percent of my clothing at thrift shops and garage sales. I don’t go crazy buying everything I see. I just frequent enough thrift shops and garage sales to eventually find pieces that I really like.

Here’s my tip: Don’t buy items that don’t fit you or don’t look good on you. Even if they cost less than a dollar.

How I save money on clothes: I shop at thrift shops and garage sales Click through for more ideas!

Consider Cost Per Wear

Sometimes, I do an informal “cost per wear” analysis while shopping for clothing.

If I spend $50.00 on a dress but only wear it twice, I’m spending $25.00 per wear.

But if I purchase a $80 pair of jeans and wear them 40 times, I’m spending $2 per wear.

Basic purchases include pieces that you’ll wear over and over again:

  • Jeans
  • Black pants
  • Jackets and coats
  • Comfortable shoes
  • Other clothing items that you will wear a lot

It’s okay to spend more on these items.

Find Great Name Brand Dupes

You can often find quality clothing that is designed to look just like items from popular brands such as Lululemon, Athleta, Ray-Ban, etc., – but for much less. Learn more about finding name brand dupes for otherwise-expensive clothing items.

Limit Spending On Trendy Items

Trendy clothing can be fun – until next year rolls around. (Remember colorblocking from a few years ago?)

Trendy clothing items are tempting to buy, I know. But focus rather on buying clothing that will last you for many seasons.

Limit Spending On Clearance Items

I’m a sucker for the clearance section. I love finding a good steal.

But sometimes I purchase items just because they’re cheap. They don’t necessarily look good on me. But I feel like I can’t pass up an extremely good deal.

Before you purchase a clearance item, make sure you love it. Make sure it fits. Make sure you’ll actually wear it.

Use Coupons

I search for coupon codes online or look for specific coupons from sites like DealsPlus for some of my go-to stores:

DealsPlus lists its coupon success rate, so you can easily tell if the coupon will work.

For certain coupons ($10 off $50 or more, for example), it may be worth it to up your spend just a little to get the deal.

In short, always search for coupon codes or printable coupons before making an in-store (or online) purchase.

Do A Clothing Swap With Your Friends

Go through your closet and you’ll probably find dozens of items that aren’t the right color, fit, style, etc. But just because they don’t work for you doesn’t mean they won’t work for someone else.

The fix? Consider doing a clothing swap with several friends. The more, the better. More participants means more selection. Since participants will be all different shapes and sizes, include a variety of items:

  • Clothing
  • Accessories
  • Scarves
  • Jewelry
  • Bags

You may end up with new pieces you love – without spending a cent! Go through your closet to find pieces you no longer wear – and get ready to share them with your friends.

You might also want to consider styling. Learning how to style a bodysuit, how to style wide-leg jeans, a puffer vest, cowboy boots or even a pair of overalls can help you make stylish use of your new clothes – or ones that are already in your closet.

Get Your Colors Done

What if you knew exactly what colors you look best in? Sounds intriguing, right?

A fun new trend is “getting your colors done“. You set up a session with a color expert who helps you figure out your color palette.

How can this help you save money on clothes? It’s simple: You avoid spending on money on colors/clothes that don’t look good on you – and save your money for pieces that make you look great.

I did this and found out that I’m a Summer. This means I look best in cool, muted tones. Since my consultation a year ago, I’ve focused on purchasing items that are only in my Summer color palette. If it sounds drastic… it’s not.

Basically, I’m avoiding spending money on colors that don’t look good on me. Makes sense to me!

If you live in the Twin Cities, check out the team at House of Colour Lake Minnetonka. They can help you find your best colors!

I got a professional color consultation: Here's what I learned

Now It’s Your Turn: What Are Your Tips?

How do you save money on clothes? Please share your ideas in the comments below.

How I save money on clothes: Tips from Cheap Recipe Blog.