With a blog that has “Thin Wallet” right in the title, I clearly don’t shy away from the fact that affordability is top of mind when it comes to shopping, especially for clothing. I know I’m not alone in this, because let’s face it, plus size fashion can be pretty expensive and finding budget friendly plus size clothing can be difficult, but not impossible.
Given the fact that we are in full blown holiday season and the new year is on the horizon, this seems like a great time to share some of my tips and tricks for budget style shopping. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or a friend, here are 7 ways you can get the most for your money on dia.com!
“Yes I do liken affordable plus shopping to war.”
Do your research.
Considering the inconsistencies within the plus size fashion industry from issues with sizing, to fabric quality and obviously cost, it’s practically impossible to do any shopping without being fully armed with at least some knowledge when entering unknown retail territory. (Yes, I do liken affordable plus shopping to war.)
Start in your own closet, and create an inventory for yourself. Focus on what style staples you have and/or need as well as the areas you wish to expand. Then go online to Dia.com and find out which brands fit your personal style and consider joining our mailing list so that you receive notices regarding new collections and of course sales. After that, turn your attention towards taking down your measurements. This is an essential part of your shopping arsenal as it will help you figure out if a brand and/or collection carries items in your size for you to consider.
Try on EVERYTHING.
The fact is that you won’t know how something fits until it is on you. Even when you find something where you like the print but not the silhouette, give it a shot. Trying things on has dual functions: You get a chance to give something new a real try and you get to familiarize yourself with the sizing. Once you become familiar with your sizing, it will make it a bit easier to shop for plus size budget style. Like those moments when you are on break at work, just casually browsing through the Dia&Co website only to find yourself absentmindedly adding items to your cart. Don’t deny it. We’ve all been there.
Have a fashion splurge fund.
I’m the first person that will tell you that I don’t believe it is fair that plus size people need to “invest” in fashion if they want quality. The mere suggestion of this implies that only one set of people are meant to have access to fashion, being those that are “well-off” financially. I tend to work 2-3 jobs at a time just to be able to make ends meet, even still I splurge on occasion; mainly on things I know I will be able to wear many different ways. Statement pieces like blazers, special occasion dresses, handbags, and a good bra are things that I will put down a bit more money for.
For this I highly recommend setting your splurge limit. My splurge limit ranges from $50 to $150 depending on the item and I make sure that it isn’t for something frivolous that I would only use once. I can’t afford to consistently purchase items at a high price even with a “splurge fund,” so I try to make these kinds of purchases really count.
Build your accessories drawer.
As you can imagine being a self -identified “recessionista,” I see nothing wrong with repeating outfits. I mean, if you really like something why not wear it often? Sure, popular social media platforms, like Instagram, have created this unspoken rule that something can’t be worn again once it has been showcased “on the gram.” Personally, I find it is much more interesting to repeat a look while also showing how you can change it up and the best way to do this is with accessories.
I don’t wear much jewelry but I do have a collection of hats, belts, scarves, broaches, neckties, sunglasses and gloves that I incorporate into my outfits to change things up whenever I want. What accessories you decide to include into your wardrobe is up to you and they don’t even have to be designer for you to stand out.
“I have friends that always laugh about this but all of my swimsuit purchases have been made in the dead of winter.”
Consider Afterpay.
I do a lot of shopping reconnaissance as much as I can though I don’t always have the funds available to make a purchase. I’ll say this once: there is no shame in paying for something in installments. There’s always the shop now/pay later app, Afterpay, to consider which allows you to break down a purchase to 4 interest-free payment installments. Just be sure to keep track of when you use this option as if left unchecked you may end up finding yourself in debt which is the opposite of budget shopping.
Take advantage of rewards programs.
If you haven’t checked out the Dia & Co rewards program you are definitely missing out. Here you earn points for each time you shop that can be redeemed for exclusive discounts. Not only that but being a part of the program gets you access to sales, early access to new collection drops and even coupons for your birthday. I find these perks incredibly handy because oftentimes you can combine them with sales and you end up getting more for less.
Shop out of season.
I have friends that always laugh about this but all of my swimsuit purchases have been made in the dead of winter. I’m not exactly sure if this is something that only occurs in places like NYC that have 4 seasons, but I’ve found that with the cold winter weather prices tend to get lower on summer items like swimsuits but remain higher for sweaters, scarves, gloves etc. And obviously the opposite is also true once the weather starts warming up. This is the perfect opportunity to stock on things you may need for your next summer vacation.
Of course there may be trends that have probably passed by the time you make your out-of-season purchase, yet fashion is more about style than actual trends and having something that was once popular can also give you a chance to make it your own later on.
Give these tricks a try during your next visit to dia.com. Happy shopping!
