the chic files: being chic and stylish on a budget

                                

I had a great teacher

I learnt a long time ago, how to look nice on a budget. I learnt this from Nanna, who did not have many clothes, but she always looked amazing. And stylish. A total inspiration. As I keep saying, she taught me that we didn't need a lot of anything to be happy. And, whilst I was living with her in my teens, it was indeed, an affluent life.

I learnt to use what I had, to look nice, and to get dressed to look good, each morning. Not fancy, not overdressed, just nice. I still do these, they are two of my habits. I do think that if we want to be stylish and chic, that looking our best does need to be a habit.

Work out what you are prepared to do, to look nice

Being chic and stylish is not just about what we wear. It's also about how we look after our body.

This is my list, based on being easy to maintain, affordable, and achievable:

• I have a simple hairdo. (As I'm useless at doing The Hair Thing)
• I dye my hair, myself. (I'm not prepared to be greyish, yet)
• I trim my fringe
• I moisturise morning and night, and clean my face thoroughly at night
• None of my skin care is expensive
• I use a simple oil or body lotion after my showers. (With a mini massage)
• I keep my nails a medium length and don't use polish. (Because I never maintain the polish)
• I wear a small amount of make-up
• I wear colours that flatter me, in my clothing
• I wear the shapes that suit me best (which is a bit of a trick, as I am short and need to lose weight)

If I added too much more to this list, then I know, through experience, that I won't do it.

Be savvy with what you already have

On my previous post, I talked about less being be more. And using what we already have, to prepare meals from. So, it was about food. But, this also extends to our way of dressing, too:

• Each season, I have a good look at the clothes that I already have, and see what I can do to have a nice, small but enough, appropriate, wardrobe for that season.
• Then I work out what we need to bring my wardrobe 'up to scratch'. I need only about three singlets to go under some sheer, coloured shirts, for this season.

I am not a fashionista. I'm not creative enough for that, with clothing. But, I don't wear outdated nor inappropriate clothes. I'm currently wearing some clothes that were my grand-daughter's (she's 27).

Looking stylish with less $

I know that when I have just enough clothes, the best quality that I can afford, and, I have had times in my life, when op-shopping is the only type of shop that I can afford, I am definitely telling myself that I matter, I am 'worth it'.

I have found that, when times have been hard for me (financially), I was able to cope with a mostly summer wardrobe, all year round. I did this by layering clothes in winter.

And making sure that whatever I wore, was flattering. Even though this often means having less, with or without having plenty of money for clothes, it does mean that we look better.

Dress for the life that you have

So, what do you need for the life that you actually have? I write, at home. I also do give clairvoyant readings, do healing, and teach private yoga classes. On a day when I'm writing, giving a reading, or getting out and about, I wear jeans. My yoga clients feel more comfortable around me when I wear tights, and it's a lot easier to do a healing in tights. I wear nice tops with the jeans or tights. I don't do the 'old clothes for the house' thing, but that's just me.

So, what do you need for the life that you have?

And don't forget to look after what you already have

• mend where needed
• wash and keep your clothes clean
• put clothes away nicely
• clean one's shoes. 

Not rocket science, but it works.