Tips for Timeless Mom Style on a Budget

Most moms are like the budget police of the family. I know that a lot of moms are like me–we put our family’s needs first before our own. So more often than not, our style may be likely at the bottom of our list–if it even makes our list at all. Here, I will share with you you my mom style on a budget tips. You can be a stylish mom without breaking the bank and making your husband crazy. haha Even my husband has to practically drag me in order to go shopping because of how kuripot I am.

Mommy’s Happiness

Don’t get me wrong. I am not sharing how to be materialistic, but part of my journey to mommy happiness is taking care of myself. That also included my style. I used to be so frumpy with my clothes. Even my hair was just tied at the back because I only go to the salon for a trim every 3 years.

Being a work at home mom, I neglected myself, thinking that I don’t go to the office anyway. If ever, I would rather spend a big chunk of our family budget on the kids’ activities and of course, family travel.

But I realized that loving yourself is not actually selfish. You nourish yourself so that you have more to give to your loved ones, especially your family. But since I am a kuripot (penny-pinching) mom, I had to find ways and means to reinvent myself at the least cost.

How to Have Timeless Mom Style on a Budget

Here are some mom style on a budget tips for you. Your situation and tastes may be different, as I am already 43 years old and too old for teeny bopper stuff. But I think that you can apply some of the style principles here.

Know who you are and what you like.

This also means knowing the style you want to project. I am the easygoing, casual kind of person. Office wear, which include closed shoes, girdles, and stockings, make me feel constricted. I like to be able to move freely without having to worry about my outfit.

However, I do like dressing up from time to time. When there is a party or a business event, I also try to be ready for such occasions with the proper getup. Because of my personal style, I just have a few dresses. I have more jeans as well as shorts in my closet because I wear these things more often.

Choose timeless pieces.

Following trends will give you clothes that you can only wear for a season. In my case, I choose pieces that do not go out of style. As long as they fit me and look nice on me, I buy them (usually on sale). They can stay in my closet for years and I can still wear them after “resting” them for some time.

Pick some plains and printed garments.

Most of the time, I pick pants or shorts in solid colors. That makes their roles flexible in the pairings. They can be matched with both plain and printed tops. Plus, I can re-use them without washing because they don’t stain easily. A little layer of dust can’t be seen either–you can just shake the dust of the garment and wear it again. That way, you preserve their colors because you don’t wash them after every use.

As for tops, I have some plain ones, especially blacks and a lot of floral ones. That is basically because I love floral prints. I am not sure how many black blouses I have, but I have a number of them because of my work as a production assistant before. The wearing of black continued for me even after my stint. Plus, they are slimming and safe for different occasions and blogging events.

I also have some red blouses and dresses. Being in a Chinese family, we wear red clothes a lot, especially during birthdays.

Consider the fabric not just the style.

A lot of times, I buy clothes because of the fabric. I don’t just check the style and the fit. I make sure that the item of clothing is made of good quality fabric and is color-fast. Some really attractive clothes get faded after a couple of washes. So I inspect the clothes inside and out to make sure that they are not the kind that easily fades.

I especially prefer clothes made of chiffon, satin, or georgette. They are sheer and light, which are perfect for me in our humid and hot climate in the Philippines. Plus, they don’t fade and leach their colors to other clothes! Even after years, the print and colors look the same. Moreover, they don’t need to be ironed, so you save on electricity.

Buy your exact size.

As middle-aged moms, we may have gained weight because of childbirth, age, or some health issues. Many of us had not gone back to our figures before we had children. But we want to. We desire our old bodies.

As a motivation, we buy clothes that are smaller than us. We think that having these smaller-sized clothes will help us achieve our weight loss goals. But after several years in the closet, we realize that we are just gaining more weight and our closet is also piling up with unused clothes that couldn’t fit us. That’s a waste of money because you bought clothes that you never got to wear. I know, I have been there. :p

It’s better to buy clothes that are your size. If ever you lose weight, you can have these clothes altered. If not, at least, you got to wear what you bought instead of waiting for yourself to fit in it.

Stock up on neutrals.

A good way to keep your style is to have several neutral colored garments. They never go out of style plus you can mix and match them with other items.

Collect accessories.

Accessories can change the look or presentation of an outfit. It could be a belt, a statement necklace, a stack of bangles or dangling earrings–all these make a difference.

In my case, I have collected many earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets over the years. They are made of different materials like gold, silver, stainless steel, pearls, gemstones, beads of many kinds, etc. Sometimes, I don’t get to use them immediately. But they are just there because eventually I will find use for them.

Moreover, I have two girls that I know will eventually use my accessories. Actually, they are already using some of them–especially the pearls.

About bags.

I am not an expert on bags. While I like them, I don’t collect. That is because I know my style and my needs. Having so many things, I need a big bag. And a lot of times, if I change bags for a different occasion, I would forget some of the things that I need because they are in the other bag.

So I just have one regular bag which I carry most of the time. It can last for years with me. If ever, I just change bags when I need to go to a formal occasion where a more dressy clutch would be more appropriate. With this practice, I don’t get to spend thousands just on bags.

No Branded Stuff for Me.

But it’s just me. My philosophy is, I can have the same thing in unbranded shops. For example, a Php1,500 top in a branded shop could get me 4 to 5 pieces from a nameless store. It’s all about variety for me. And sometimes, I have found that the unbranded ones have better quality in terms of fabric and craftsmanship. You just gotta know how to choose.

Buy Stuff That’s Out of Season.

If you buy stuff in season, like jackets for winter and swimsuits for summer, that means you get the latest styles. And with that, you have to pay full price, sometimes premium prices, for these hot items. In my case, I buy stuff that’s out of season.

For example, I buy swimwear for myself and the kids during the rainy season. We love to go on swimming outings and have pictorials by the beach or pool. So swimsuits are like our wardrobe staple. More often than not, I get nice brands at 50% off. I don’t care if it’s not the latest design, as long as it fits me and my style, I buy it.

After swimming, I immediately rinse the swimsuits in order to remove the chlorine.

Have a pair of shoes for different occasions.

Shoes are very important for me. While I can scrimp on clothes and bags, I cannot do that with my footwear. I have to use shoes that allow me comfort as well as balance. It’s for health reasons because I  have finicky feet and a weak back. That is why I end up buying branded ones.

What I make sure that I have are:

• Havaianas flip flops for very casual outings
• Slip on strappy sandals like Havaianas or Grendha
• FitFlop for a dressier match
• Slip on rubber shoes (like Alberto, Nike, or Skechers)
• Pair of 3-inch heels (like Bata shoes)

These five pairs are important for me. They all serve different purposes and they go to different events. As a Bacolod mommy blogger, I get to go to at least a couple of events per week. Plus, they have carried me everywhere, including during my pregnancies and travels. These footwear are in neutral colors so they can match anything in my wardrobe.

Make a Decision.

You can make that decision when you will shop for new clothes. It can be twice a year, like during the giant mallwide 3-day sale at SM. Or you can decide to buy one piece of clothing every two months to update your wardrobe. If you get a gift of clothing, then skip buying this month. It’s really up to you and how deep your pocket is.

But you have to make that decision and observe that schedule of purchase. It will keep you from impulse buying whenever something attracts your attention at the store.

The Hairstyle to Match

I used to have long hair but I don’t take care of it very well. Most of the time, I just tie may hair in a bun, even when it’s wet. Doing that to my hair made me notice that my hairline is starting to recede. Additionally, the hair fall is getting scary because I don’t regularly get trims at the salon. I think I only go to the salon every three years. That made me look really frumpy. haha

So I now opted for a short, pixie cut. You may call it mommy hairstyle or whatever, but it’s so easy to manage and so chic, too. I love it! Plus, my different dangling earrings are clear to see. hihihi Eventually I will write about Earrings of the World. That’s my collection.

Mommy’s #TimelessStyle

Bottomline is, you will be able to maintain your mom style on a budget if you really know yourself and what you want. You will not easily be swayed by trends or the new arrivals that you will see at the mall or online. Or even the mallwide sales. We can do this, mommies! We can have #TimelessStyle. 😀

How I Take Care of My Outfits

We are moms, so not only do we keep a budget as we maintain our style, we also want our clothes to last longer. If not forever. Like I said above, we look for timeless pieces. But how can they be timeless if they are no longer usable after only a few washes because they have faded or worse, are torn?

Care for Your Clothes

Remember the simple acronym: W-A-S-H.

• Wear with care. Our most often blunder with garments is food. Food can easily soil our clothes. Flavors and aroma make them attractive to insects. I don’t think anybody washes clothes as soon as they take them off. They usually stay in the hamper for several days. If there are crumbs or oils on the fabric, they will attract ants and other pests. Next thing you know, there are already holes in your freshly laundered clothes. But if there is a clear food stain, take care of it as soon as you get home.
• Adhere to washing and ironing instructions. Good quality clothes come with care instructions on the label. Meanwhile, washing machines also have a manual. Follow them because they are there for a purpose. But there are clothes that do not have labels, so you will have to base everything on experience. If you have a piece of garment in your closet that has about the same material, then chances are, the care should also be the same as the unlabeled one.
• Shaken but not stirred. A lot of times, the clothes we have worn do not have to be washed. They are not exactly soiled–just used for a couple of hours. When you get home, hang them up properly so that they won’t be wrinkled. Then give them a bit of shaking before wearing it again another day. This also applies to our sleeping clothes. You can always wear them another night (unless, of course, you sweat buckets while sleeping). That way, you don’t only save your clothes from an entire laundry process, you also save on energy, soap, and water. It has environmental impact.
• Handle and store with care. Always clean your clothes properly before storing them. Fold and arrange them neatly in your closet. Use hangers for clothes that easily wrinkle.

My General Laundry Guidelines

Below you will find a simple infographic on my general rules on how I do our laundry. I don’t have a nice washing machine yet, so I make do with what I have.

Loading Laundry in the Machine

You may notice that I hand wash my delicate garments. That is because I don’t have an #ElectroluxFashionCare machine. It is still a dream for me to own one, so as to save me from hand washing further.

Meanwhile, Electrolux also has some words for you about how to properly load your laundry into the machine. Watch the video below:

Ironing

Most of our clothes undergo ironing, even some of the delicate ones when they are too wrinkled. Since we don’t have a steam iron, we have another layer or two of cloth on top of the garment before ironing on low heat. For those that do have a steam iron, it is widely considered best to buy distilled water to use in the iron as it prevents the build-up of calcium and can extend the life of the iron. 

When the weather is not so good, we use a fabric conditioner. When we do that, we don’t need to iron some items anymore.

#ElectroluxFashionCare: Vapour Care

We are all busy moms and so most of us have washing machines in our homes. This technology has made our lives so much easier.

But Electrolux has brought our laundry time to the next level. They have made our washing more effortless with the development of the vapour care washing machine that ends each wash with a gentle whoosh of vapour. This delivers clothes that are less wrinkled. Oh my gosh, I can imagine washing my clothes in distilled water using this machine. Check out the video below and see the difference:

Oh my gosh! This is just so nice for all homemakers, especially those who don’t have household helpers. Saves us a lot of effort.

Additionally, clothes washed using Vapour Care are 99.9% allergen-free. It means better health for our families, too. This is #ElectroluxFashionCare, which is endorsed by respected Filipino designer, Rajo Laurel.

Additionally, the inverter motor gives you reliable performance that is quiet, has less vibration, and is also energy-saving. The vapor care line is available in different capacities. They have top load and front load units as well.

Amazing Holideals

This coming season, you may avail of amazing holiday deals when you shop for Electrolux washers and dryers online. Take advantage of this offer because you can get up to 25% discount as well as freebies! I will have to set aside budget for a new washer and dryer and experience #ElectroluxFashionCare in my own home.

It’s a very Merry Christmas for us budget-conscious mommies. 🙂 To know more about their promo, click this link: www.electrolux.com.ph/promotions/amazing-holideals-laundry/