When most people discuss fashion, both women’s and men’s, they’ll often use the phrases ‘in season’, or ‘on trend.’

Personally, these words appear to equate to ‘spend more’ and ‘look rubbish at a certain point’. It’s always boggled my mind as to why people feel the need to look a certain way at a certain part of the year. It’s a financial drain in an economy that means we have to save every penny.

Believe it or not, but there are ways to look fashionable, all year, by making one big clothes shopping trip at the start of each year. Hit those January sales and pick up some long-lasting bargains! Yes, if you balloon up or shrink down, you’ll have to go shopping again. But barring any major changes to your size, you should be ok 365 days a year with these fashion tips.

Formal

In the modern age, there’s a fine line between ‘smart’ and ‘smart-casual’. It’s such a fine line in fact, that you can get away with the more casual side a lot more often. This means you won’t have to suit up fully in the summer, and can wear a lighter, casual blazer to combat the heat. We’ve all seen those tweed-style suits; they’re incredibly light and look great when paired with a shirt and tie. For the women, a dress is the most formal way to go - usually. In winter, this is often deemed too cold, but pairing it with some skin-coloured tights, or regular tights, helps the heat somewhat.


Casual or smart-casual? // Source

Casual

As previously mentioned, smart and smart-casual are becoming one and the same. Casual has connotations of tracksuit bottoms and snapback caps, but the reality is much further from this. A clothing range like Superdry encompasses this notion, carrying the casual label but looking just as smart as anything else. The great thing about smart-casual is that they’re generally light items, too. Button down tops, t-shirts and airy jackets are the order of the day, for both sexes.

Hot and Cold Weather

Ever seen somebody strolling around in Nike pumps at winter? In fact, how about pumps of any kind? They may look ridiculous, but in reality, it’s a great idea. Couple this piece of footwear with some jeans or chinos that are tight around the ankle and your bottom half is set for both the hot, and the cold. If you’re concerned about your top half, fear not. Knitted cardigans are becoming more and more common, for both guys and girls. And, because they’re warm, but at the same time have a lot of holes for air, they are suitable all year round.

So, at the end of the day, you don’t have to sacrifice style for comfort. They can go hand in hand, especially when you’re concerned about your wallet. So whether you wear lego clothes or real clothes, mind that cash. It’s important to both look and feel good in our clothes - after all, we wear them every day! At least, I hope you do. It’s fine if you don’t, really. As long as you stay inside.