How to be stylish and financially savvy this winter

Mastering the art of being stylish and financially savvy at the same time is actually easier than it sounds, and it doesn’t have to involve shopping sales or discount outlets. Unless you are a shopaholic and you really do get a rush out of walking out of a mall with shopping bags, the key to style within a budget is to shop smart and shop items that you can wear from day to night, from the office to the weekend and even better from season to season.

With winter around the corner, and temperatures dropping rapidly, the temptation to swipe swipe swipe is real. As a general rule, warmer pieces for colder weather tend to cost more, so when it comes to shopping for winter the recommendation is to invest in some classic winter essentials like:

• A pair of simple leather boots, because in life when you do something, do it right the first time. Boots will always be a winter staple, so if you are going to buy boots, whether they are knee high with a heel, ankle boots or flat rider boots, spend a little bit more and buy them in leather so you can wear them year after after year.
• A good quality versatile tailored coat in a neutral colour like black, grey or tan so that you can throw it over any outfit and still look well put together.
• A selection of knits that range from light to heavy or chunky because winter is all about knits, and having a variety of knits in different weights means that you can layer your knits in an intelligent and stylish way.

Once you have some winter essentials that you can wear beyond the trends, the next step to being stylish in winter whilst being financially savvy, is style and layer the items that are already hanging in your wardrobe for colder weather.

Layering is one of my favourite fashion or style hacks, because in a climate like South Africa, layering allows you to wear your summer favourites all year round. You can wear your favourite summer dress with a turtleneck underneath it to make it winter friendly, or layer different outwear pieces like a coat over a blazer to stay warm or wear a turtleneck over a shirt for a look that’s stylish but warm.

Being stylish and financially savvy this winter is definitely not mutually exclusive. You just have to shop and style smart.

Photography by Paul Ward and Phenyo Keitheile