When you look in your closet what do you see? A thoughtfully planned wardrobe rich with investment items and peppered with those less expensive items that bring in a dash of style? Or do you see a hodge-podge of items bought on the clearance rack or a budget store that don’t actually go with anything? 

 Many women go shopping without any real goal in mind, drifting aimlessly from store to store in search of that ‘perfect something’.  Oh, you already know that you’d love to have those perfectly tailored camel trousers that could be worn 12 months a year and would go with just about every top in your closet, but they’re $150 and that’s way too much to spend on a pair of pants.  So instead, you buy things to temporarily satisfy your desire but, like a craving for food, it never really does the trick. So you buy more to fill the void. You end up overspending (much more than the $250 those pants would have cost) but all you have to show for it is a closet full of sale items that are just ok. Help!

 Well, the good news is you’re not alone. Most women don’t grow up knowing how to build a wardrobe so they do the best they can. Trust me, I’ve been there too. Instead of carefully planning out your wardrobe you end up with a random assortment of items that may (or in most cases, may not) go together. It can be an exercise in frustration to get dressed. But the worst part is how much money you throw away.

 Really, when you think about what you have in your closet versus what you actually wear, the truth might surprise you! Next time you go out shopping, think long and hard about what you buy. Because going cheap is costing you WAY more money than actually investing in a nice wardrobe would.

 Here are some tips to help you plan your wardrobe and get the most bang for your buck:

 1/ Buy items you truly LOVE and can’t wait to wear. You’ll relish each time you put them on and ensure that you get your money’s worth.

 2/ Do a cost-per-wear analysis – Figure up how long you might keep an item and how many times you might wear it during that time. For example, if you bought a $250 pair of pants and kept them for 5 years, wearing them 50 times per year, that’s 250 times and comes out to be $1 per wear – a real bargain! Conversely, if you spend $40 on a trendy top that you keep for 1 season and wear 4 times, that’s $10 per wear. Not such a bargain!

 3/ When you buy something ensure that it goes with at least 3 items you already own (and wear).

 4/ Learn your best colors and styles so you can be assured that you’re buying what’s right for you.

 5/ Plan your wardrobe. When you look at your wardrobe as a comprehensive whole rather than just what you’re wearing at any given moment, it brings a new perspective to it and helps you to approach it more effectively. 

 You’re going to buy clothes, so why not spend your money wisely and ensure that you always have something wonderful to wear?