Five autumn wardrobe revamps for £10 or less
As I often say, you never really need to rush out and replace all your clothes when the season changes, even if you’re a total clothes horse. Here are five quick and cheap ways to tap into some of the hottest trends for the coming season.
1. New tights
Style up a plain outfit and tone, clash or embellish according to your mood. Pick up fashion tights from as little as £2 in larger supermarkets, high street stores like Topshop, ASOS, or specialist online retailers like MyTights or Tights Please.
Go for block colours (burgundy, teal, purple, navy, grey), spots and dots a la Marc Jacobs, or slashed/bondage patterns to ring the changes.
2. A scarf or two
Try the cheaper high street stores, market stalls or eBay. If you’re handy with a needle and thread you can also buy a length of fabric and make a rolled-hem scarf, or cut up an old garment and give it a new lease of life.
Look out for Navajo or prairie prints, Gucci-like silk squares to tie into pussy bows, or large wrap-around numbers like Haider Akermann’s. I got lucky and managed to find a couple of beautiful new (with tags) patterned silk scarves on eBay for under £4 each.
3. New belt
Cinch in dresses or coats at the natural waist with a skinny belt from Primark or Peacocks, or hunt around car boot sales or charity shops. If you need a couple of extra holes adding, most nice shoe mending shops will do this for free if you smile sweetly and say please, especially if you’re a regular customer. Go for classic black to get the most use out of it, or try a tone-on-tone colour to make a chic outfit.
4. Add a collar
Sew up a few scraps of fabric to make a new collar and give an old dress or coat a new look. Try a white cotton rounded collar or crochet/lace for a festish-y governess twist, or go with shaggy fake fur or fringing to tap into the boho/rock trend.
5. Try a parka
Hunt down a second hand parka to throw on over girlie dresses, to make the look edgier. And, let’s face it, keep the rain off. A quick glance shows loads on eBay after the end of festival season, many well under £10 delivered.
Do you have any fash tips-under-a-tenner of your own for the coming season?
Say yes to Parkas! I got one in the Uniqlo sale for £9.99 (!) and I love it. You’re right, it makes dresses look so much cooler and protects me from the rain. I will be wearing it on a birthday ramble later today..
Yes to tights too; mustard yellow is my colour of the season. Brilliant tips as always! 🙂 X
I Have just unravelled a cardi I knitted a while ago which was now too big so I have now knitted it into a stylish short one and added some Swarovski buttons to jazz up the plain white. I now have to knit my daughter on (good job there was plenty of wool!)
Oooh I love a parka too – I’ve got an ancient old one that the collar’s going a bit mangy on but I love it. I must try and brush it or replace it. Need to work on my sewing skills though!
DaisyMae – I’m loving the sound of your blinged up woollens! I’d never have thought of adding some Swarovskis to my knitwear! Shame my knitting is even worse than my sewing skills… 🙂
So was mine but I have improved recently due to recovery after an operation. It gave me the time to concentrate on it. I also think that choosing a nice pattern helps. My grandson wanted a Horrid Henry jumper and there were no patterns available so I had to brush up on how a knitting pattern works too.
As for the buttons I will certainly be using things like that when I do alter my wardrobe
DaisyMae – unravelling old knitwear is a brilliant idea, especially as yarn is so expensive these days. It’s a while since I “recommissioned” any wool like that. Must do so again.
Some good tips there!
I love buying new brooches that can be picked up cheap at Charity Shops and Boot Fairs. They make jumpers look a bit different and I wear them pinned to berets as well.
One word: mustard. Mustard coloured tights or a mustard coloured scarf and you’re well on the way to getting Autumn/Winter 2011 pretty much nailed.