Thank you for all your comments in relation to my styling posts. I really enjoy being able to offer style advice that I use myself and know will assist you in developing your own style.

But there is a part of fashion that I don’t like and I feel that I should reveal it to you. And that is the pressure to constantly buy something new so that your wardrobe is on trend. I feel as a stylist, I have a responsibility to lead by example and sometimes I think I have to wear the latest styles because that’s what a stylist should do. But I can’t afford to. And I know that a lot of you who read my blog can’t either.

So how do I spend my money when it comes to clothes and what do I look for and where do I go?

Well firstly, I rarely buy designer clothes at present because

1. I can’t afford them
2. My size is fluctuating from having children and I don’t want to spend money on something I won’t be able to fit into
3. I have a three year old and a 9 month old. Grubby hands and snotty noses end up being wiped on my clothes.

So I try and spend middle of the range and only buy what I need and LOVE.

The key here is love. How many times have you bought something just for the sake of buying something and you haven’t really liked it? I have done it so many times and I did it a lot in my pre-children days because heaven forbid I wear the same outfit twice to church or to a function.

But when you are reduced to a smaller wage due to having children and bills take higher priority, there isn’t much left over to spend on clothes.

I usually buy my clothes online or from Witchery, Target and other high street stores if I see something I fancy.  I keep an open mind on all sorts of stores when I’m hunting for something new.

Just recently I bought a new black tee, white tee and orange tee from Target ranging from $9-$15 each. They are staple items for my wardrobe and can be worn with jeans or patterned pants.

While I was at Target I saw a gorgeous Black and White Polka dot cardigan reduced to $20. I bought that too knowing I will get good wear out of it in Autumn and Winter next year.

I was also on the hunt for a pair of coral sandals and brown sandals. I ended up getting both pairs from Target for $25 each.

Pre-children I would have overlooked Target because I had more money to burn and labels were important to me. But now, style and comfort at a lower price is what I look for. And I am impressed with the quality at Target.

I shopped up a storm when I went to Melbourne. This was pre-children of course.

Accessories are also a great way to incorporate a trend without spending a fortune. You can never have too many accessories, but smart shopping means most accessories can be worn time and time again when the trend pops back up.

For example, I have a fabulous leopard print scarf from Witchery that I bought 3 years ago and it makes an appearance every winter because leopard print interweaves itself in the trend cycle. Some stylists argue leopard print is a neutral and therefore a staple but I disagree. It’s a print and prints do go though a trend cycle.

Smart buying is really what a Stylist should be doing for you when giving you advice to update your wardrobe. Yes, you want to be stylish, but you also don’t want a wardrobe full of items that are trendy for one season. Your wardrobe needs to be workable and wearable for future seasons.

So tell me, do you have a budget for clothes shopping? Where do you go to shop?

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.