What is affordable Fashion? Affordable is a relative term so my definition of affordable is an accessory or piece of clothing that you find at a “reasonable” price, can be worn during several seasons and can be easily mixed and matched with various other pieces to make new outfits.
Can you find a piece at $100, $200 or more and call it affordable? The answer is yes. I like to think of affordable in terms of wears. What does that mean? Ask yourself before you purchase something…How often am I going to wear this?
Let’s say you found an item on sale at $20 or $50 (or more) and purchased it because it was on sale and/or a “steal!!” But…you never wore it or only wore it once. I wouldn’t consider that affordable because if you never wore it you wasted your money.
So often people buy things because they were on sale or were a great deal but if it was never used the purchase wasn’t a great deal. Now, what if you spent money on a great piece that was a little more than you would usually spend on yourself but you wore it year round? That would be what I call affordable fashion because you are wearing it and loving it and the more you wore it the lower the cost would be per wear.
For example, there is a top I purchased from Cabi two years ago and it was around $90. Some gals would consider $90 pricey for a top but I considered it affordable because I knew I would wear it. Actually, I have worn the top during every season in the year and I have mixed and matched it with cardigans, jackets, jeans, a skirt, and a suit. While the initial price may have been more than some women are willing to spend the cost per wear was next to nothing. Affordable fashion if you ask me!
Another example, a few weeks ago I found a cotton skirt at Target that is a light weight material for less than $20! Yes…$20! The great part is I will wear the item through the rest of the Summer and easily mix and match it with other pieces in my closet to carry me through the Fall. The skirt is a neutral cream color so I will mix and match it with lightweight tanks and tops for Summer and more earthy tones for Fall. It can also be worn with flats, heels, or boots. Affordable fashion at its best!