what to buy

Or more to the point How to know what to buy

Teen Magazines

A good starting point are teen magazines. You can search out Teen Vogue on line which is probably leading the charge and has some great articles and whilst it should in no way dictate your personal style it will serve as some great guidelines to what's "in". Never try to replicate an entire outfit, but pay attention to the hot fashion items, like belts or popular colours of the moment. For example if this season the sporty look is very hot, keep your eyes open for a suitably fitting rugby/ sports shirt and then pair it with jeans, and you're good to go. Again look around the internet to see what the stores are stocking and use this as a platform to develop your own ideas for the next time you are out shopping.

Celebrities and your Wardrobe

Turn to some of your favorite celebrities, and let them inspire your look. Do your self a favour and don't try and copy their look but is there anything in particular that you could add to your outfit that would make it fashionable but won't break your limited budget?

Do keep in mind though which celebrity you pick, you have to admire Lady Gaga for some of her fashion statements but possibly not suitable attire for shopping or going for a pizza. Try and think of celebrities that always look super cute in their clothes and take some cues from them and incorporate some of their key items into your fashion repertoire.

Seasonal Effect

The weather has a major impact on what we wear, and can be an important factor when shopping. Sundresses, shorts, tops, and skirts are all key items for spring and summer and once the weather turns a bit colder, try and experiment to see if you can incorporate them by layering. You'll look amazing. Do keep this in mind when buying clothes that we are trying to create a wardrobe that will see us through out the year not just one season.

Personal Style

For me this is the most important factors of choosing what to wear. Yes, you can browse all the major fashion magazines and look at the boutiques websites, look at all the hottest celebrities, and even take dress cues from your friends, but none of it comes close to the satisfaction you'll get from knowing that you're wearing clothes that truly represent you. Consider your sense of style. Do you prefer a glamorous look, or a more romantic one? Are you understated or do you enjoy being the center of attention? Asking yourself questions like these will help tremendously while you're actually shopping. This way, you'll be able to zero in on the types of clothes you truly like, instead of haphazardly throwing loads of items over your arm to take to the fitting room.

Budget

It keeps coming back to money doesn't it? When working with a limited shopping budget, it's important to keep the previous key factors in mind. You may remember earlier the first step was to see what you had in your wardrobe well see if anything will satisfy the four points above. You may find that you won't even need to do as much shopping as you previously thought. Accessories like belts, shoes, and bags can be worn repeatedly, so leave some of your money for key items, like a fabulous coat. Likewise, you'll want to embrace the layering trend. Incorporating a few fashion tricks like these will leave you with enough money to splurge on one or two trend items.