With the change of season, you may find yourself in need of an update to your daily rotation. This is also the time when many people decide to declutter, organize, and refresh their wardrobes.

Starting your shopping trip in your own closet is a good idea. It provides the opportunity to discover old looks that you can recycle in the name of sustainability. A study from 2018 showed that we tend to ignore at least half of our wardrobe, wearing only a small portion of everything we own.

In the following guide, we explore five ways to freshen up your wardrobe on a budget, work with what you have, and make smart decisions with what you buy.

Purge and Repurpose

Before you can hop online or head to the mall and peruse the shelves for new garments, you need to deal with the existing pieces in your closet. It can be difficult to decide the fate of certain items, especially those with sentimental value. But you need to be honest with what’s really worth holding onto. Consider removing anything that:

• Does not fit
• Is falling apart
• Out of style
• No longer relevant (clothes with a specific purpose)
• Fails to fit in with your color palette

Aside from donating and throwing old clothes away, you can also try selling them on second-hand fashion websites like Depop or the Facebook marketplace. For anything you’re not sure about, keep it in a box of “maybes” for a month and see if you wear any of those items before the month is over.

Invest

There are plenty of ways to score the odd t-shirt or baseball cap for next to nothing, if not entirely free. As exciting as that may be, it’s pointless when the clothing is cheaply made and bound to fall apart after a few wears.

In many cases, it’s better to stretch your budget and opt for investment pieces that are well-made and guaranteed to last well into the future. Cheaper clothing tends to be more expensive in the long run, especially when it comes to staple pieces like jackets and shoes. Quality always trumps quantity when it comes to fashion.

Use Coupons

With price comparisons and coupon aggregators, online shopping proves that fashion doesn't have to cost you a fortune. Of course, you can also find in-store coupons to use at local retailers, but chances are that the biggest savings will be found on the internet. Remember that online options for second-hand clothing are also available.

Avoid Trends

When freshening up your wardrobe on a budget, trends are often a double-edged sword. On one hand, they can help you try new styles that you might not have looked into on your own. However, it can also be risky as you could end up spending too much money on garments that will be out of style by the end of the year.

A safer approach is to choose trends based on your current style and color palette. Stick to styles that you already know look great on you, as opposed to splurging on those that stray too far from your wardrobe.

Accessorize

One of the easiest and most affordable ways to make any outfit feel new again is to simply add new accessories. Whether it’s a statement scarf or some sleek silver jewelry, accessories can be effective and versatile solutions to your wardrobe refresh needs. Go for accessories that match more than just one of your outfits for maximum savings.

As a final bonus tip, remember to avoid paying full price for new clothing. Chances are that the piece you want will go on sale at some point in the near future.