Everyone wants to look hot in the summer, but high fashion comes at a high price. The cost of some of those designer pieces are more expensive than what a minimum wage worker brings home in a forty hour work week! So how can a sleek and trendy look be managed when there’s only a little room to wiggle in some shopping? There are a few ways, actually. But before going any farther, what is trending this summer?
Women’s Trendy Looks
This Summer, fashion is much more relaxed and focused on comfort than in years passed.
Maxi dresses and skirts with a tiered look are definitely in this season. So are knee length and shorter t-shirt dresses in solid colors. Probably the top dress this season, though is the above the knee, button down dress especially those that features bohemian accents. Some of the most popular outfits for women feature big floral prints, faux camo or sassy phrases. Neutral tones paired with unconventionally bold neon green, orange, pink or yellow seem to have resurfaced from the 80s in animal print and geometric patterns.
Trending Looks for Men
Skinny jeans are still gaining popularity, although relaxed fit and bootcut jeans haven’t gone out of style just yet. Distressed and tattered or ripped black or blue denim pants are must have men’s fashion items. Vertical stripes in natural, desaturated earth tones are also in this season. If a solid color is preferred, then military green, heather grey or rich chocolate brown is the way to go. Grey is also trending in camo prints with vibrant and colorful accent features such as a logo or phrase. Finally, a classic white and a timeless black button down and t-shirts are absolute staples for his wardrobe this summer.
Ways to Save on Shopping for Summer Styles
There are countless things to try that have the potential to save a pretty penny or a dapper dollar when you’re shopping for summer trends. Here are a few that have a great chance for anyone to succeed with:
- Thrift and Consignment
- Clearance and Sales Racks
- Clubs and Memberships
Shop for Second Hand Styles
The main difference between a thrift store and a consignment shop is that thrift stores typically run off tax deductible donations and often support a charitable cause such as a local homeless shelter or even a national charity like St Jude’s Hospital for Children. In consignment shops on the other hand, sellers pay a certain percentage or fixed amount of the profit to the shop when that individual’s item sells. Both types of venue, however, offer fantastic deals on articles of clothing for every season. Thrift stores tend to offer better or at least lower price. Consignment shops are usually more likely to find higher quality and name brand clothes. This is not infallible;le advice, albeit a solid rule of thumb. These types of venues are aften tucked away in shopping plazas or little side roads off of major roadways. There are some larger chains such as Goodwill and American Thrift but tye best place to look is a local business directory. Even shopping online is a possible avenue. Find gently used or pre-owned but never worn items using platforms like eBay, ThredUp or Facebook Marketplace. Finally, most local newspapers will have a classifieds section or something like it that lists yard sales nearby. These are awesome for second hand styles and brushing up on your negotiation or haggling skills.
Clearance and Other Mark-Downs
Almost every retail chain or department store has this somewhere in there. The tags or stickers have been covered with a new sticker with a lower price. The items may have very different manufacturer’s labels among them, but all the markdown stickers or price tags will probably be uniform in appearance.When retail locations have clothing, shoes, fashionable accessories or other items that aren’t selling as well as they hoped, they mark down the dollar signs trying to avoid loosing money on those things. They also discount stuff- especially clothes- that are soon to be out of season, even if they’re still selling occasionally. They do this to clear out space for the upcoming season’s trends with as smooth and profitable a transition as they can achieve.
Company websites also dedicate a page of products to discounted products. Just like at the physical store, when items need to be sold and the seller or manufacturer has pressure of loosing profit or the next season’s inventory needs somewhere to be stored, then the shoppers benefit in the form of clearances. .
Throughout the year there are many opportunities to score lower prices on sizzling styles at sales events as well. These happen at the stores’ physical locations, but often these places will have exclusive savings for online sales events as well. The ideal times for events like this are just before and just after holidays, whether its a major celebration or one that’s made up.
Join the Club and Save Money
This has become increasingly popular over the past decade. Retailers and even local merchants have begun little loyalty communities for frequent and first time shoppers. These clubs offer insider access to information about upcoming sales, privileges to extra savings ond other similar incentives to their members. The best part about this is that they’re almost always free to join. They even offer an extra boost to the discount percentage on or around the date of member birthdays. Anyone can ask cashiers or management at their most frequented style shop or chain store if that company offers such a program. A company website is another excellent way to search and sign up for these clubs, or just to find information on the rewards, requirements and policies for joining if such a group is available from that company. Even thrift, consignment and other local shops might offer these club memberships.