How To Get Your Wardrobe For Less!

Like me, I'm sure a lot of you are students wishing your money would stretch that little bit further! I always lust after the latest must have items and I wish I could justify spending large amounts of money that I should really leave in my bank account. So when I find similar items that has a student friendly price tag I just can't resist!

As students, although as much as we like to believe, we don't have unlimited money to spend on clothing but we don't always see the difference between needing something and wanting something, especially when there is so much temptation living away from home and retailers trying to entice us to spend. Thankfully I've become a lot more savvy since starting University; I determine whether I *really* need something to avoid impulse buying something that I will never wear as well as researching online to find the look I want for the best value for money. I've made a list of the best websites that will help you get the style you want for a lot less than you thought!

1. The high-street one - www.newlook.com

Now I have a lot of love for New Look, especially their student friendly prices! I always used to pop in after work to see if I could pick up anything new to update my wardrobe with or get a few key on-trend items without having to spend a lot of money! On my recent holiday to Cancun, I did get a lot of my holiday wardrobe from New Look's holiday shop due to their summer inspired Aztec collections. You are always guaranteed a bargain at their sales as well, I have often picked up a new pair of high heels or dresses for under £10, as well as jeans and trousers; when these items are usually £30/£40+, you really end up saving a lot of money on staple items! Throughout the year they offer 10% student discount, but around student loan payments this can be 20%. New Look also run offers on party wear, denim and shoes occasionally where you can get up to 30% off; So if you need a new outfit for Saturday night or some wardrobe updates that won't break the bank then New Look is the place to go!

2. The online one - www.boohoo.com

I was a bit apprehensive about buying off Boohoo at first as I couldn't see or try on the clothes before buying, but I bit the bullet a few months ago and have never looked back! They specialise in offering young trend-led fashion inspired by the catwalk; but at a fraction of the price. I love the fact I can get a dress that is similar to one in Topshop or River Island for about £10-£20 cheaper but is still of a decent quality. Boohoo also have some sort of offer on their new collections such as 15% off or free delivery; Their current sale is also up to 75% off where you can get jewellery from £2 and tops from £4! There are some absolute bargains to find on Boohoo, and with new items almost every week; It's an absolute must for fast fashion!

3. The members-only one - www.secretsales.com

If you are not familiar with Secret Sales it is a members-only website that offers flash sales on designer products at a discounted price; depending on the products you can get a staggering 80% off! Featuring brands such as D&G, Converse, Missoni, Ray Ban and Valentino, there will always be a designer must have; but as the concept of the website is to have flash sales you will have to be fast! To get even more value for money, Secret Sales offer e-vouchers for your next purchase if you spend over a certain amount and if you invite your friends to join, you could get £10 for each friend who signs up and purchases something, so encourage your friends to try out the website as well to get even more out of the website!

4. The discount designer one - www.theoutnet.com

If you lust after designer collections season after season, but don't have the celebrity bank balance, the The Outnet is the website for you! With over 200+ designer brands under their umbrella, the people behind Net-A-Porter launched The Outnet which sometimes offers up to 70-80% off the brands; it is probably the most fashionable place to find designer bargains; obviously you are still looking at a £150+ price tag, but if you really want a designer investment piece that will be in your wardrobe season after season then go for it! The Outnet also runs events on their site regularly, so if you need a little bit more of an incentive to click the checkout button, then sign up to the newsletters and watch out for these events.

5. The charity shop one - www.oxfam.org.uk

If you want something unique for your wardrobe and want to do your bit for charity; then take a look at Oxfam! If you do a bit of looking, there are some real high street gems as well as vintage clothing, Oxfam also has a festival collection for key summer pieces. With thousands of products online as well as in store, you can be assured when you find that item you've been looking for that you are helping others less fortunate than yourself; so you will feel even better about buying your latest garments!

6. The voucher deals one - www.fashionvouchers.com

Before you buy anything online, make sure before you do anything that you visit Fashion Vouchers first! Never miss out on a sale again as Fashion Vouchers lets you know which brands are offering money off and when they are running sales as well as other offers such as free delivery or money off your first orders. You will find all of your high street favourite as well as some brands you have yet to try, so Fashion Vouchers will make sure you are always in the loop with where the hottest fashion deals are. If you were going to buy it anyway, why not save yourself a bit more off the price by going via Fashion Vouchers?

7. The bidding one - www.ebay.com

Now I have to admit I only signed up to Ebay a few days ago and I am already an addict! You can literally find anything on Ebay that you can think of and there are endless options for clothing, shoes, accessories and beauty products!In the space of about 3-4 days I have already bought 14 items off Ebay, I love the feeling of bidding for something and it gets me really excited when I actually win! On Ebay you can also find pages for brands such as ASOS and Boohoo which offer some of their clothing at outlet prices ready to buy. Some of the bargains i have found so far are a Zara kimono jacket for £22, a Clinique beauty set for £3.76, an Oasis dress for £3.21 and some Jeffrey Campbell inspired spiked boots for £3! It's a great way to try and experiment with new styles, if you buy something that you don't like and the seller doesn't offer returns, you can always put it back on Ebay to sell for free! If you refine your searches you can find some real designer gems and hot pieces for a lot less than buying them in the shop.

What are your favourite websites to find fashion bargains? I'd love to find out more ways to get the latest looks for less :)

Amie xx