Keeping up with fall fashion on a budget

As Toronto has seemingly moved from summer to fall overnight, not much time was given in the way of fall style preparation.

Last week I went to move my fall wardrobe out of bins and back into my drawers. While I’m normally pleased to jump back into the sweaters and pants I put away the spring before, this year I was apathetic to see the same chunky knits and black jeans. Every piece bored me. I was uninspired by my black and grey wardrobe and thought to myself “it’s time to change things up”. So while an online shopping spree seemed like the natural next step to take, I reminded myself that saving (the duller option) was in my best interest. So in lieu of telling you the highlights from Aritzia’s fall line, I’m going to share with you three tips to keep your fall wardrobe fresh, while staying on budget.

1. Rework what you already have

Reimagining things you’ve been wearing for two-plus-years can be difficult, but once you have a vision, it won’t take long to get there. Some of my favourite trends this season are sweater-vests and preppy pleated skirts. Neither of which I owned. However, this is where my creativity and fabric scissors came in handy. I took an old grey H&M v-neck sweater I had grown tired of and simply cut the arms off, right along the seam. And voila! A good old

Chandler Bing style sweater vest. The skirt took some thinking, as the only skirt I’ve ever bought myself has been denim. I then remembered I own a genuine preppy school-girl-esque outfit which includes a skirt: my high-school uniform. While I had never been able to see that beige skirt as anything but a teenage identity crisis, I suddenly thought of it as a brand new piece. The perfect addition to my fall wardrobe!

2. Shop your parents’ closet

This is a trick that never gets old. If your parents are anything like mine, they stick to a rotation of a good 2-5 outfits, yet they get to occupy the biggest closets in the house. I highly recommend taking a look through those untouched shelves your parents now ignore. Between one of them, I’m sure you’ll find a few hidden gems. And thanks to oversized styles being hot as ever, drowning in your dad’s old t-shirts and sweaters will keep you stylish and cozy all season. Another trend I’m obsessing over is leather blazers. And guess who happens to have a leather blazer that hasn’t seen the light of day since the 90s? My mother. Goes to show that those boxes in the basement are worth a search!

3. Thrift - Depop is your friend

Okay, now an obvious budget-friendly way to shop: thrifting. I’ve struggled with thrifting in the past - it takes a whole lot of patience that I’d rather save for training my dog. However, I’ve realized that creativity is key to thrift effectively. Referring back to my first tip: rework and reimagine. Don’t think of that t-shirt as the nightgown it is, but rather as the cool cropped tee it could become. My current favourite place to thrift is Depop. People who post on there always know what’s up and a lot of them do the reworking and reimagining for you. It also allows you to search for exactly what you want, saving you from painfully looking through a never-ending rack of white t-shirts. I’ve now sold a few pieces myself on Depop, and it’s a great and easy way to make back some of that money you’re spending. Kind of balances out, right?

Take a look at some of my favourite fall 2020 trends, and maybe you'll be inspired by something you or your mom have buried away.