10 Affordable & Suggested Style Resolutions for 2011
Note: Waiting around for the big ball to drop isn’t really the best way to go about making a (hopefully) positive change. But, since it is awfully front of mind this time of year, now’s as good a time as any to list off ten potential affordable style based New Year’s resolutions. If you have some you’d like to add, hit the comments section below…
1. Get a Tailor that’ll be your tailor
It is the single biggest difference maker when it comes to dressing well on a budget. Getting something tailored can make an inexpensive item look pricey, but having a trusted tailor that you can go to consistently? That’s stylistically priceless.
2. Dress a little better than you have to at work
Clothes on the job can equal power. If you’re a manager, dress like one. If you’d like to be one one day, dress like one. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to channel Gordon Gekko
3. Also dress a little better than you should while traveling
By plane, train, or automobile, it can be a pain getting from where you are to where you need to be. It’s a lot more fun when your dressed like it’s going to be a good time.
4. Take shorter vacations… more often
Shorter jaunts cost less, are less stressful, and are more often than not, more fun than a standard week away from home. Death to the week and a half trip. Long live the three to four day weekend.
5. Keep your waist size stable. Unless it needs to be reduced.
Yep. The dreaded get in shape or stay in shape resolution. But think of the money you’ll save on not having to get your pants let out. Or think of the new clothes you could justify getting if you dropped that extra 10 pounds.
6. Create a “Laundry Day” and stick to it.
A suggestion: Sunday nights. Start mid afternoon when a game is on, and get your laundry going. Iron during the night game, and get it all washed, dried, and put away before you turn in.
7. Consider killing your Cable TV
It’s an easy way to save $50 – $100 a month. Plus, you can still watch HDTV, and you’ll be all the more ready to pick up a book, a magazine, or even (gasp) get out of the house.
8. Invest in a Summer suit
Remember Summer? There’s hardly anything better than being cool, comfortable, and dressed to the gills in a killer summer suit when it’s hot. See you on the deck with a gin and tonic come June.
9. Purge your wardrobe… twice.
Getting dressed should be effortless. Clutter = effort. Get rid of the clutter. Here’s how.
10. Don’t take the “rules” of fashion so seriously.
If you feel your best in it, and it looks good on you, forget the so called “experts” and go with it. Most of these lists of rules you see (even the ones you read on this website) are more suggestions than anything. 99.9% of you already get this, but it’s worth mentioning. There are much bigger things to be concerned about.
From everyone here at Dappered.com, thank you for making 2010 such a success. All the best in 2011.
If you follow number 7 then number 5 will come easy. And number 9 will become necessary. Good list. Thanks.
All good rules and all rules that I plan to follow except number 7. There is so much good TV, nowadays, that you will be pulling cable out of my cold, dead hands!
Everyone in Baltimore is at the mercy of Comcast. 98% of high speed users are with comcast, and if you have to pay through the nose for internet, they’ll throw in cable pretty cheaply.
Skip the cable, and end up paying even more for internet.
All of these suggestions are worth striving for but I am LOVING number 10!!
Have a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
I would add, find a sport you like and then make it an obsession.
I started biking and now many thousands of dollars latter number 5 and 7 are afterthoughts. There are some side effects like going from thinking “who would spend $3000 on a bike” to “that frame is a steal at only $3K”, but I have never been happier and I can easily see myself biking well into my 80s or 90s.
love the list. have read it a few times now… totally done with cable. Going to kick up the dress at work a notch as well this year. thanks for the list.