How to look polished on any budget

Use these shopping and wardrobe maintenance tips to look amazing on a limited budget:

By hosting a clothing exchange, you won’t need to spend a dime updating your wardrobe. How does it work? Invite fashionable friends to bring their unwanted, gently used items to your home (or another location with a lot of space). Once all your guests arrive, you’ll have a huge pile of clothing, shoes and accessories for everyone to assess.

That awesome skirt that didn’t quite flatter your best friend? It may look just right on you. Your handbag that no longer goes with anything? It may be a friend of a friend’s newfound treasure. Clothing exchanges are not only fun, they’re an excellent way to walk away with new-to-you items that you love. Don’t forget to have a full-length mirror on-hand!

Ever shied away from purchasing a particular garment because the label said “Dry Clean Only”? There’s an easy way to avoid the steep cost and inconvenience of the dry cleaners without avoiding the high-quality garment itself. Treat items at home using Dryel At-Home Dry Cleaner, which comes with cloths similar to dryer sheets that are infused with cleaners and are used to steam clean clothes in the dryer.

“At a cost of just 25 cents per item washed, it’s a great money-saving alternative for maintaining your best looks,” says Betsy Appleton, a fashion blogger.

You’ll never know what treasures you’ll find while thrifting. Bear in mind that many items — including designer fashions — may be on sale in nearly mint condition, with just one spot or other imperfection. Experts say it may still be worth the risk to buy those with the dreaded Dry Clean Only tag.

Appleton, whose Goldwill Digger blog details her thrifting missions says, “I used to be deterred from thrifting dry clean only items because the cost of professional dry cleaning outweighed the bargain of the garment. With Dryel, I can easily and affordably clean these delicate pieces at home.”

Another common thrift store woe? Finding the perfect item with a missing buttons or tear along a seam. Learning a few basic sewing skills is critical for any serious thrifter. Whereas others may pass over a treasure for a small imperfection, you’ll have the know-how to restore it to mint condition.

Whether you visit a consignment shop or use an online platform such as thredUP, reselling items you no longer want or need is a great way to infuse your clothing budget with some quick extra cash and is totally on-trend — 56 million women bought secondhand products in 2018, up from 44 million in 2017, according to ThredUP’s Annual Resale Report.

By applying a few new strategies to your shopping and clothing care routine, a polished look can be yours, no matter your budget.