Winter Fashion: From Cheap to Chic

Hey Chicago! I’m Sam, one of Billy’s interns, and, you guessed it, winter is upon us! Every Chicagoan knows what to expect around wintertime when it comes to cold weather and warm attire. Not only does your wardrobe have to be updated to fit all the latest trends, but also, the major holidays are in the same season, which means you could be spending a lot! Keeping this in mind, you need to save as much money as possible. So how do you manage great, trendy, fall/winter attire and great gifts for your loved ones? Here are a few tips for this coming cold holiday season.

What are winter essentials? Chunky knit oversized sweaters, leather everything, warm fur jackets and more. What are this years winter trends?

Everything this year comes in twos, matching sets of workout clothes, matching tops and bottoms, matching suit pieces, everything is matching. This means paying more for an outfit in order to complete your entire look. Another hot trend is fur, whether it be faux or real, this is huge trend again this year.

Another major necessity is a nice jacket; your outfit won’t be complete without a killer jacket! Nothing is worse than having an amazing outfit on, then throwing a horrible jacket to ruin the look because you simply just want to be warm. You can have a warm jacket that still completes the outfit on the outside.

Now that you have the trends, you need to figure out where to get the looks for less. My top 5 picks for the best fashion finds for a great price would be: #1 H&M, #2 Forever 21, #3 Zara, #4 Nordstrom Rack, and #5 ASOS. All these stores have awesome looks for great prices. When shopping you need to pay attention to store promotions, Google store coupons, and see if it’s cheaper to order online. This is key to be a smart shopper. When you pay attention to these small savings tips, it will help you save more money for you holiday shopping.

After you know where to buy your looks for less, now you are prepared for some gift shopping. People start their holiday shopping earlier and earlier every year. This could be a good thing because you have a better chance to get it all out of the way and keep your life less stressful! My ultimate favorite place to shop for gifts would be the Chicago Premium Outlets. They have everything there for great prices. I would do a little research before hitting up any stores to see if they offer extra coupons or deals on certain days because stores are all about that! The big key is the earlier the better, that way you avoid all the madness before the holidays!