Stylebook Closet App: Maximize Your Wardrobe Budget (2024)

The thought of having a closet full of clothes you love sounds amazing, but trying to afford it can seem scary. But even onthe tiniest budget, a little bit of strategy and a few simple tricks can get you a great wardrobe without taking the fun out of shopping.I'll help you figure out how much to spend, what purchases will have the biggest impact, how to find quality clothes for a good price and how toget the most out of your shopping trip!

When I go shopping, I try to live by Vivienne Westwood’s motto: “Buy less, but choose well.” I try to treat my shopping like atreasure hunt for the ultimate wardrobe. When I buy new clothes, I make a shopping list, size up my options, and stick to the70/30 rule that Kathryn Finney taught me: “70% of your closet should be classic pieces like a great white top andawesome black handbag, and the 30% should be for trendy, fun pieces like orange skinny jeans. That way, your closet is always inbalance.”

As a result, I’ve been able to find better clothes for my body, personality and budget. I’m building a wardrobe that I love wearingeveryday, and can actually afford. You can do it too! Let me show you how to shop on a budget, but still buy nice clothes and have fun doing it.

Jess purchasing ajacket,from the Athleta store in MarketFair Mall

How to Shop Like A Stylist

Have you ever seen a stylist’s moodboard plastered with magazine pages, fabric swatches, photos of celebrities, postcards of art,and other random stuff? Stylists use these collages to capture a specific mood or style while working on a project. You should dothe same! Before you go shopping, think of yourself as your own personal stylist and improving your closet as your current project.Your goal is to build on what you have, enhancing and adding to your collection of clothes.

Stylebook inspiration library (style inspiration photo courtesy of View From 5ft 2),Stylebook shopping wish list, Stylebook closet feature, MarketFair Mall

• Get Inspired - Gather style inspiration images in one place - like your Stylebook inspiration library.Look carefully for common threads like colors, prints, clothing shapes, etc. Since Stylebook is on your phone, you canreference these images while you’re out shopping. My inspiration above is a photo of bloggerChristine Petric -she makes basics look so good!
• Make a Wish List Based on What You Own - Make a wish list of clothes that complement the favorites you already own.Look at your “Top 25 Most Worn” clothes in Stylebook’s Style Stats feature, to see what yourealistically like to wear everyday. Keeping an actual record of what you wear may reveal some surprising trendsin your wardrobe. While making your wish list, think about items that might pair well with your most worn items.You’ll get the most wear out of new items that look great with your current favorites.
• Avoid Repeat Purchases - Look at the clothes you still have from last season and compare them to your wish list. You may actuallyown similar items to those you were hoping to buy. Unless the ones you own are worn out and need replacement, you can takesome of these off your wish list, freeing up room in your budget for higher-impact purchases.
• Find the Right Place To Shop - Look for a mall, street, or shopping center that has more than one store you want to visit.Athleta, The Gap, and Anthropologie are on my list of places to shop so I’m visiting a mall called MarketFairthat's small but has all three stores. This will help you avoid wasting time (and potentially money!) browsing stores that don’thave the products you’re looking for.

STYLEBOOK TIP: How To See What Clothes You Wear The Most and Least

As you use Stylebook’s calendar, the app automatically records which clothes you wear the most and least. When you go shopping,look at your most worn clothes and try to shop for clothes that you can wear with your existing favorites:

1. Open Style Stats.
2. Tap Most Worn in the Clothing Stats menu.
3. You’ll see a list of your most used items.

The 30-Second Trick To Determine How Much To Spend On Clothes

Determining your budget is super easy! Knowing how much you can spend ahead of time can help you prioritize your shopping.For example, I decided to save for expensive jeans but I skimp on my t-shirt purchases.

The Easy Way To Make A Clothing Budget

According to financial expertPeter Dunn,you should spend about 5% of your take-home-pay on clothes.

Your Clothing Budget = (Take-Home Pay) x 0.05

4 Ways To Prioritize Your Wish List

Your next step is dividing up your budget and striking a balance between what you need and what you want. Thoughyou might want a new rose gold watch, it might be more important to your overall wardrobe to replace your worn-outflats. Knowing your total budget will help you figure out what you can buy now and what you should save up for.

1. Narrow Down What You Want - Once you figure out how much you can spend, you can focus your wish list on items thatyou can afford and that will make the biggest impact on your wardrobe. It’s all about quality, not quantity.
2. Consider Wardrobe Gaps - For me, these are pieces I frequently wish I owned, but don’t. For example, if you’realways dissatisfied when going out because your pumps always hurt your feet, you may wish you had a better quality, morecomfortable pair. Consider filling that gap while making your wish list.
3. Beware of The “Investment Piece” - Don’t spend every penny of your budget on an “investment piece”.I’m serious - don’t! And, if it’s an item like an “it bag” - we need to have a talk. That is notan investment, that’s a trendy, expensive handbag you’ll probably be embarrassed to carry in six months. If you werethinking more about classic items like a quality trench, leather jacket, pumps, LBD, etc., they go on sale EVERY season. This isnot the last time you’ll see it. Instead, create a savings goal (say, $500 for a leather jacket) and create a savingsenvelope (virtual or physical) and stick your leftover clothing budget money and pocket change in it. When you have enough,go shopping for your classic item. If it’s a true classic, you can wait until you have the money.
4. Buy Your Most Needed Piece First - Concentrate on items that will make a big impact on your everyday wardrobe. If youhave ill-fitting basics, look into upgrading your most worn pieces. If you have your basics under control, look at specialitems that take your outfit to the next level. Search your Stylebook closet for any clothes that have the “Should Replace” status to seewhat items you’ve considered repurchasing in the past.

STYLEBOOK TIP: How To Search For Clothes Marked “Should Replace”

Over the season, you can mark worn out clothes with a “Should Replace” status in the clothing notes. You can then easilysearch for these items before your next shopping trip.

1. Open the closet feature and tap the magnifying glass.
2. Select “Should Replace” from the status field on the search screen.
3. You’ll see a grid of all the items marked with this status.

Jess’s spring purchases:1.classic striped tee2.comfortable stacked heel sandals3.lightweight jacket4.adjustable necklace5.quality pair of black jeans

After reviewing my closet, I discovered my basics were a little lacking, so I assessed my most worn items to see what was mostin need of replacement. I need to replace my black skinny jeans that are stretched out and developing thin spots;I want a pair of comfortable heels for my boot-cut jeans, a long delicate necklace, a striped t-shirt, alightweight jacket, and a dress to wear to my cousin-in-law’s wedding.

How To Buy Quality Clothes On A Small Budget

The first thing you should remember is that building a wardrobe takes time. You’re not going to be able to buy everythingat once. If you’re patient, you can take advantage of sales and discounts that will allow you to buy better quality itemswith a small budget.

• Classic Styles - Look for repeated or signature styles that go on sale every season. DVF wrap dresses, True Religionskinny jeans, and Rebecca Minkoff cross-body bags are all examples of items that are reintroduced every year in both classic andtrendy colors. That means every time new styles come out, the “old” selection goes on sale, but they’reessentially the same item.
• Department Store Sales - Larger stores have better sale sections with more frequent sales. Sign up for their emails and trollthe sale section for your wish list items. You may even find items that are still full-price at other stores.
• Get Really Specific - I’ve had success when I look for a very specific item (for example, Paige Skyline skinny jeans)because I can compare prices at multiple stores and set sale alerts. This enables lightning-strike shopping, but it onlyworks if I know in advance that a particular item is a good fit for my body.
• Natural Fibers - When you go into inexpensive stores, look for clothes made of natural fibers like cotton and linen,especially when it comes to basics like t-shirts and ribbed tanks. Sometimes, you can find real gems that look justas good as more expensive versions.

Use Stylebook to look up the clothes you already own while shopping

6 Reasons You Should Go Shopping In Real Life

Some people hate going to the mall and I get that - it can be frustrating. If you just drive to a mall on a Saturdaywith no budget or shopping plan - you'll end up settling for the best clothes out of what you happen to see, rather than thebest items for your personal style - just because you don't want to leave empty-handed. But if you do a little research inadvance and take advantage of retailers' websites, you'll have much better results. If you have a plan, going to the storein person has A LOT of perks. Below are my top six reasons you should go shopping in real life.

1. Find In Store - Before you go to the mall, use the “Find In Store” feature on the store’s website tosee if your local store carries the items you’re looking for. If you go to the store with a specific item in mind,you’re less likely to blow your budget on impulse buys. Even better, you won't have to pay for shipping!
2. In-Store Hold - Some store websites (like Banana Republic) have a button that lets you put a hold on a specific item.The salesperson will put the item behind the register for you so no one else can buy it before you! I love this becauseit combines the advantages of in-store shopping and online shopping: you can try on an item and decide if you want tobuy it without getting distracted or worrying about an item selling out!
3. True Fit - Some stores (like Lord & Taylor) incorporate a program called True Fit on their website that allows you to enter informationabout your measurements. It can then suggest items they think will be an “excellent” fit. This gives you a starting pointwhen trying to decide which jeans to try on before even going to the store. If you look at the store’s selectiononline first, you can choose several of your True Fit matches to look for when you get to the store.
4. Free Tailoring - Ask your store if they offer free tailoring - many stores like Nordstrom offer complimentary or veryinexpensive tailoring, which can help you save money that would have otherwise gone to hemming your new pair of jeans.
5. Free Shipping From Store - Many stores, like J.Crew, Athleta and Banana Republic, will give you free shipping if youplace your order in the store. Even if you know the store doesn’t have your size in stock, go check out the itemand make sure it’s the color, shape and quality you were expecting. You can even try on the size above and belowyour expected size and see if they work. Then ask the salesperson if they offer free shipping for ordering in the store.Don’t waste your hard-earned money on online shipping! If you don’t like the quality or sizing, you may endup having to pay for return shipping or restocking fees PLUS the original shipping cost.
6. Free Personal Shoppers - Share your measurements, favorite colors, style inspirations, and wish list with a personalshopper and let them find merchandise that fits your needs - FOR FREE. Nordstrom, Anthropologie, J.Crew, and Topshopoffer complimentary shopping services. Show them your Stylebook closet and outfits so they can quickly get an idea ofyour style and they can help you find things that look good with the clothes you already own.

STYLEBOOK TIP: How To See All The Clothes You Already Own While Shopping

You can easily look up what you clothes you have at home with Stylebook. This can help youmatch new purchases to what you have or help you avoid purchasing items similar to something you already own.

1. Open Stylebook’s closet feature and select the category you want to view
2. With the category open, tap the thumbnail of the closet item you want to see
3. You’ll see a full screen version of the clothing item

Your Mall Playbook

When you get to the mall or store of your choice, it can be difficult to stick to your original plan. Pretty windowdisplays and amazing sales can be distracting and lead you astray from your budget. Here are 6 tips to help you stayfocused and get the most out of your trip.

• Develop Tunnel Vision - Use Stylebook to bring your wish list and style inspirations with you when you go shopping andstick to what you came for. If you want a new pair of jeans, only shop for jeans.
• Bring Your Closet - It’s easier to buy clothes that look good with what you already own if you can look at themtogether. Since you can’t drag a suitcase full of clothes to the mall, use your Stylebook closet to compare newpurchases with what you have.
• Minimize Distractions - Wear a simple outfit that is easy to change out of in the dressing room, eat before you shopand leave your coat in the car so you don't have to worry about carrying it around.
• Be Picky - Don’t buy the first thing you see. If you know you want flat gladiator sandals, check out severalstores (both full-price and sale sections). Compare price and fit. Your goal is to find the most flattering versionthat fits your budget.
• Assess the Clothing Quality - Going to the store means you can carefully look at the clothes to make sure they lookjust as good in real life. If you see tears, pulls, pills, or other damage in the store, chances are it’s onlygoing to get worse. Here is agreat guideon assessing clothing quality.
• Try Before You Buy - Try on several sizes to get the best fit. Don’t be stubborn about trying a differentsize - no one can see the size tag inside your clothes, but they can see if the item doesn’t fit you correctly.Sizes can vary from store to store, so forget about the specific number on the tag. If you skip the dressing room, there may be achance you’ll end up stuck with a mediocre fit, just because you won’t want to go through the trouble of exchanging it.

Jess walking to Banana Republic in MarketFair Mall

Shopping With A Grain of Salt

Don’t forget this is YOUR wardrobe! Friends, salespeople, and random shoppers will have strong opinions aboutyour clothes but at the end of the day, you have to wear them and pay for them. Be honest with yourself and stick toyour style and budget.

• Take Flattery with a Grain of Salt - I’ve bought so many items that didn’t fit my style or my bodybecause another shopper or a salesperson told me “That looks amazing!” and it wasn’t really true.They were just being polite or didn’t really get my personal style. To truly get a good idea of how somethinglooks, take a photo in the dressing room mirror instead. It’s easier to see potential flaws in a photo. Ifyou feel a nagging doubt, put it back.
• Shop For You - You’re shopping for yourself, not to impress anyone in the store. Don’t be embarrassedto leave a store without buying anything and don’t get discouraged if you don’t find your perfect fitright away. You’ll be so glad you waited when you do find that perfect fit.
• Don’t “Just Get It!” - Don’t spend all your money on an expensive splurge, like a pair ofLouboutins, just because a friend tells you to. Sure, you probably do deserve them, but if you can’t affordthem, you’ll regret the purchase - and you may have made it more difficult to get an item you really needed.Wouldn’t you rather have an entire wardrobe instead of one pair shoes you can only wear on special occasionsbecause they were so expensive?

“Should You Buy It?” Quiz

Determine if a piece of clothing is right for you with this quiz. If you agree with three or more statementsfrom the “yes” column, then it's probably a good choice for you.

Tips For Online Shopping

Sometimes you can’t avoid online shopping. If a store you like doesn’t have a location near you or if your style isjust unique, you may find that you need to shop online. Here’s how to stick to your budget when shopping online.

• Shipping Fees Can Quickly Eat Into Your Budget - Check the store’s return policy and confirm that there are noexpensive restocking fees or excessively high shipping costs. Look for the piece on several sites to see if any offer free shipping.
• Online Chat Is Your Friend - Some stores can give you detailed measurements on their merchandise, which can helpyou determine if the item will fit or not. While you’re chatting, you can also ask if there are currently anypromotions you don’t know about.
• Promo Codes - Sign up for store emails (many stores will give you a 15% off coupon just for signing up) or checkRetailMeNot for promo codes. I often find either free shipping or 10% off. Don’t pay full price unless you have no choice!
• Set Sale Alerts - Websites like ShopStyle let you set up sale alerts on specific items so you can get exactly whatyou want at a discount. Since there’s a chance a specific item may sell out in your size before it goes onsale, be flexible. Increase your chances of landing a sale by putting several alerts on similar items.

Other Tips

• Don’t forget about your tailor. If the sleeves are just a little too long or you think a top would lookbetter with darts, definitely consider altering an item, but don’t depend on this totally. In my experience,basic alterations typically cost about 20% of the item’s original price.
• Be wary of fast fashion. While fast fashion stores can definitely supplement your wardrobe and help you find on-trenditems for an awesome price, sometimes they’re just too cheap. If everything you buy falls apart after a few washes,you’re going to exceed your budget, so proceed with caution.
• Sometimes you can cure your shopping craving by just going to store to see an item. It might not fit quite rightor it might look cheap in person.
• Don’t think of shopping on a budget as depriving yourself. Skipping a $300 top you spotted on your favoriteblog will actually help you buy a more complete wardrobe in the end. Planning your wardrobe as a whole will give youbetter everyday style.
• Happy hunting!

Special thanks to MarketFair Mall andAthleta Princeton!