Guest Post-Friend in Fashion

I recently approached some fashion bloggers that I personally admire. I approached Jasmin of Friend In Fashion and she gladly obliged.

I chose Jasmin to guest post for Fashion Without Guilt because I loved her feminine and fun fashion personality while still keeping affordability in mind.

Friend in Fashion is a blog that features great fashion ideas and moderately priced independent fashion designers.

Fashion Without Guilt asked Jasmin, What is shopping philosophy, I know you are affordable but how do you view fashion?

Jasmin: I guess for me shopping is a bit of a release, its my avenue to be creative, to escape reality and admire the designs and creativity of designers. Fashion to me is one of the ultimate forms of self expression. It is a visual forum to display exactly who you are, how your feeling at any given point in time, the things you like and that which inspires you.

For her guest post, Jasmin shares some of her retail secrets to "stretching your FASHION DOLLAR".

Please Check out My Friend In Fashion :)

I was thrilled when I was asked to contribute to Fashion Without Guilt, as much of my style philosophy is centered on ways of getting more mileage from your fashion dollar.

With this in mind, I thought I would share my 5 tips to shopping retail.
1. The best way to look stylish and fashion forward without spending the earth is to know where to shop and what to shop for. A combination of new and vintage clothing and accessories will allow you to grow your wardrobe inexpensively to create a diverse and fashionable collection.

2. When shopping retail, I generally opt for chain stores, some of my regular retail hotspots include: Target, Forever 21 and Cotton On (in Australia). You will find that the stock in these stores will reflect current fashion trends at a more affordable price point. You will generally also find a lot of variety in these stores, catering to a range of different tastes.

3. Do your research - An educated shopper will always walk away with the best bargains.

* Know when the sales cycles are and keep an eye out for times when retail outlets need to clear floor stock- i.e. end of financial year, change of seasons.

* Find out how often your favourite stores deliver new stock and how quickly your size sells out. If you know your size never sells, wait until stock goes on sale before purchasing.

* Think DIY – sometimes stock will be reduced, because a button is missing, or a hem is loose– use this to your advantage, pick up a bargain and inject your own handy work into your fashion.

4. Build strong foundations - fill your wardrobe with good basics that you can build upon. A white shirt, a pair of good fitting jeans, tights, tank tops and a black dress form a great base. You’d be amazed at just how many stylish combinations you can get out of these fashion must-haves.

5. Mix and match - I absolutely adore vintage dressing, so I love incorporating vintage finds with store bought pieces to create a truly unique, and affordable look. If you are new to vintage shopping and not confident in pulling together a vintage outfit, take small steps and start by updating one of your favourite outfits with vintage accessories, brooches, necklaces, belts or bags.

And finally, the most important thing about fashion in my opinion is to have fun expressing your personal style – you need to feel comfortable, and don’t be afraid to inject your own personality!

Your Friend in Fashion
x

Photo Courtesy: Friend in Fashion