Shopping for sundresses while on a budget doesn’t sound like the best starting point, but here are a few practical ways to shine affordably.
For starters, stay humble with colors. Pick tonal colors, whether white or all-black; a monochrome outfit is hard to mess up, and it’s typically more elegant than a multicolor one. Invest in timeless colors, and don’t make the mistake of spending money on the fancy color of the season.
Have you ever considered taking your cheap gear to a tailor? The lower the cost of the garments, the more generic and unfitting they appear. Yet, skilled tailors know their way around it! The gear’s perceived quality is higher when it fits flawlessly, so you know what to do if you want to appear more expensive. Take your latest H&M trophy to the tailor, and make it glamorous cut-rate! Remember that picking a simpler dress makes it easier for a tailor and cheaper for you to bring it to perfection.
Make your summer garment look more expensive by following these well-known, basic yet essential fashion rules: remove stains, repair loose threads, and other flaws that cheapen the appearance of your apparel. Steaming can do wonders for even the most worn-out dresses. Unless it’s linen, then leaving it au natural may also be a good idea. Don’t act like you haven’t noticed what needs to be done, and have the imperfections fixed before taking it to the boardwalk.
The last trick is quick to execute and oh-so-effective: change the buttons! They say the devil is in the details, and the saying makes the most sense in the buttons department. To upgrade your dress, remove the tacky line of plastic buttons and get ones with a more powerful look: made of bone, metal, or mother of pearl. You can buy them on eBay, Etsy, or stationery shops with fabrics, trimmings, and embroideries. If you have old clothes in the closet and you’re thinking about throwing them away, cut off these pretty buttons beforehand. You don’t have to be a skilled sewer to reuse the old buttons for your sundress. Many dry cleaners will provide this service for you affordably. Dressing well influences one’s self-confidence, so ensure your dress gives you a boost instead of unwillingly putting you down.