Clothes Shopping the Frugal Way Part 2

So I went through my closet and the checklist. I determined that I really, really lack a lot of basics and truth be told, I never owned most of these basics ever. Which I think ( I hope!) has solved my dilemma of having tons of clothes but nothing to wear.

Now that my closet is clean, it's time to shop! Here are the items I'll be looking to add to my wardrobe based on the check list)

Black Tank
White and black T's (short sleeved and long)
Black turtleneck sweater
Crew neck sweater
Black pants
Heavy sweater
Cashmere hoodie
Gray Flannel pants (I might choose another fabric aside from flannel)

I also decided to add a few things to the checklist:

Black round-toe pumps
Black knee high boots
1-2 additional pairs of neutral pants such a pin stripe
1-2 dressier blouses

I have to admit the first thing I want to do is run out and buy all of these items and then some more items i "need." Of course that would be incredibly expensive. Because the next important step in this wardrobe re-hash is buying quality. Now quality does not necessarily equate to expensive, although they typically will be pricier. Some items you don't necessarily need to spend on as no matter what, they will eventually wear out, such as white T-shirts. Here's another great guide from Real Simple which details what to save on and where to spend.

For those items where it's worth it to "spend" eHow has a great article which helps you determine quality. This is a must read. And of course most important is that the fit is impeccable on you. If you have a hard to fit body, it might be worth it to invest in a tailor for a few key pieces such as black pants.

I'm determined to have a complete and classic wardrobe eventually and I'm well aware it make take a few years to eventually save up all of the money I need. Therefore I am prioritizing items. I'll start by purchasing the cheaper items such as the t-shirts and tanks. This will immediately allow me to create several different outfits at a relatively low cost. Next I really need a pair of black pants and black boots. So I will be on the hunt for those and splurge on them instead of 5 new tops that I'll rarely wear.

Next week we'll examine how to save money on these quality items.