5 More Quick Tricks for Saving Money on Clothes

For tips 1-5, see the original post.

6. Not everything that says "Dry-Clean Only" has to be only dry-cleaned. Some of it will survive a wash on the delicate setting just fine. But you have to be very careful with this and know the fabric you're dealing with. Silk should always be dry-cleaned - and your best bet with wool is to dry-clean, it, too. But if it's some sort of blend or knit and you have something similar in your closet that says you can wash it on the cold cycle, then chances are you can wash this garment on the delicate setting too. I've found that a lot of higher-end brands tend to put "Dry-Clean Only" on their tags, but I have yet to come up with a satisfactory explanation for that practice.

7. Never buy anything full-price. It is very, very rare for an item to sell so well that it is never discounted. If you're willing to play the waiting game, it is almost guaranteed that you can get any item you want at 20% or more off the original price. I can't remember a piece of clothing I've purchased in the past 3+ years that I paid full-price for.

8. Only buy clothes that fit and look good on you now. Don't buy something that will fit once you lose the 5 pounds you're planning to lose in the next 3 weeks. Don't buy something that will look good once you start doing 50 crunches a day and have toned abs. Don't count on those things happening. If you don't have the body to wear the clothes at the moment you purchase them, they should stay in the store and your money should stay in your pocket. There will still be clothes around to purchase after you lose that extra fat or gain some additional muscle.

9. Figure out what your style is so you can instantly decide whether or not an item will fit with the rest of your wardrobe. Don't buy pieces that don't go with anything you already have. You shouldn't have to purchase a whole new outfit every time you buy a new shirt. Figure out if you enjoy wearing bright colors or if you prefer neutrals with splashes of color, and then buy items that fit with that aesthetic.

10. Buy fewer, higher-quality pieces rather than many, low-quality pieces. In my not-too-distant teenage years, I bought most of my clothes from stores like Target, Aeropostale, and Old Navy. Unfortunately, most of their tops are not of the best construction and don't last very long. Over the last few years, I've purchased most of my tops from stores such as Ann Taylor Loft, Gap, and J. Crew and as a result I've spent a lot less money because the clothes last longer and I have to replace them less often. The phrase "you get what you pay for" is particularly true when it comes to the quality of your clothes. Catch things on sale and you'll hardly be spending more than you would at the lower-end stores.