It’s so tiresome constantly hearing about the recession but unfortunately, there’s just no getting away from it; most of us just don’t have much money these days. However, that doesn’t mean we should have to scrimp when it comes to fashion and style. Although some fashionistas are tired of the Street Style blogging craze, it is the perfect example of how budget and designer brands can be worn separately or together to demonstrate true style across the varying scale of budgets. Whilst some fashion writers have decided that fashion should return to being a world of elitism, where photographers clamoured for shots of the stylish magazine editor on the front row, rather than the queuing blogger who is wearing the most stand-out outfit to a show at fashion week; I for one believe that fashion should be accessible to everyone and there is always a way to be stylish and/or on trend, no matter how much you pay for the pieces you choose.
Although some of these recent style stars go out of their way to wear the most outlandish outfits to get noticed, it is the original eclectic mixes of pieces that first drew the attention of bloggers and magazines; when asked what brands their outfits were made up of, it was quite common to notice one big designer piece with some High Street items and the odd vintage find from a market, car boot or even a charity shop.
Of course we all know that you get what you pay for most of the time, but why insist on paying a large amount of money for something that is currently on trend, when it could very well go out of fashion within a month or so, resigning your piece to the black bag resulting from your seasonal wardrobe clearout? There are some perfectly good designer-inspired pieces available on the High Street that will very well last as long as the trends and will mix perfectly with basics and key pieces that are worth more of an investment.
It is true that great style will never go out of fashion, so a capsule wardrobe of pieces that transcend fashion and seasons is important and can be adapted to fit the seasons and current trends. It is definitely worth spending a little more on items that are going to be required to last a long time; like jeans, a little black dress, a classic white shirt or a blazer. However, that’s not to say you can’t still get a great bargain on key pieces; if you are willing to spend the time looking in vintage or charity shops, you can pick up items that would otherwise be more expensive, for a snip of the original price, thus gaining your wardrobe a quality item, on a budget. You can then take these basics and classics in many different combinations and inject a little trend with a bold High Street piece that you might not otherwise have been inclined to try, had it come with a hefty price tag. So you can see that, no matter what your budget, there is no reason why you cannot have fantastic style.
By Louise Hayward