You would think that running off a student budget and staying stylish might be difficult, but this isn’t always the case. Students can stay with the latest trends or create their own style while saving money simply by finding a sale, thrift shopping, getting a retail job, or rummaging through their parents’ closet.
Finding that sale
If you’re a shopaholic with a passion for fashion but are shopping on a low budget, then it’s most important to keep an eye out for the upcoming sales. The typical retail store lets a new item hang on the shelves for about six to eight weeks before it is marked down. Generally, stores overhaul their merchandise at the start of a season so by the time that season ends there are a bunch of items that haven’t been sold. So if you’re in need of a winter coat but the winter season is almost over, buy that winter coat anyways! This is Canada, who knows when our next snowstorm will be? But if that cold weather decides to leave early, you’ll still be set for the next winter season and you just saved yourself 50 per cent.
Popping some tags
Like the American rapper Macklemore preached to us shoppers, if you only have 20 dollars in your pocket and you’re looking for a come-up… then head on over to a thrift shop. Where can you find one? Chances are there’s a thrift shop or two just around the corner. In fact, there is a Value Village on Ritson Road North, a Hand Me Downs Oshawa on Simcoe Street and many other second hand stores you can find throughout Oshawa. If you have never been thrift shopping before, you might be overwhelmed with the endless racks of unorganized clothing. If you have been to a thrift store before, it may seem like the place is full of dust and old clothes from every decade. But with some patience and luck, you’ll be walking out of there with an outfit for just 20 bucks!
Getting a retail job
Let me guess, you would have never thought getting a job would be the key to being “broke” and stylish? Well, in this case getting a retail job can help you out. A retail job may not be able to get you all of the clothes you want to buy but it does keep you trendy. Working retail also has its benefits with discounts says previous DC student, Alyse Chung, who currently works in retail. “I have been working retail since I was about 16 and it has saved me money,” said Chung. “I worked at Ardene and had a 30 per cent discount that kept me fashionable while on a student budget.” Chung also said that sometimes retail stores give you free garments when you start so that you have a company-approved wardrobe.
Raiding the parents’ closet:
Rummaging through your folks’ closet can save you money and give you a classic style while staying fashionably “in”. If your parents decided to keep most of their wardrobe from when they were teens, you might be able to find rock band T-shirts and vintage blazers. You might be surprised what you will find. With the 80s trends making a comeback in the fashion scene with styles like Madonna’s neon spandex and The Breakfast Club’s Bender’s washed jean jacket, you might have just saved yourself roughly a good $300 because your mom or dad had fresh style back in ’86.
