With budgets tight and in many cases stretched to breaking point, as the high cost of living continues to bite, people are prioritising what they spend their money on. Eating out is taking a hit, as are takeaways, going to the cinema and also holidays, surveys show.
Nothing, it seems, is spared as we desperately try to hang on to our hard-earned cash while the prices of food, fuel and other items continue to soar. Even haircuts are on the chopping block, as people trim their own tresses, and alcohol is also being ditched while subscriptions to Netflix and other streaming services are cancelled.
Top of the list of what people are going without during these difficult economic times is clothing, according to polling. In one YouGov survey, nearly half of people in the UK said they had stopped buying new clothes because they could no longer afford to.
Which begs the question: as we’re now well into the new year, is it possible to look your best with what you’ve long had in your wardrobe, makeup bag and jewellery box without shelling out for more?
Looking Good in Tough Times
You don’t have to settle for looking drab just because the purse strings are tight. New outfits and accessories as well as a trip to the salon can be put off when you tweak what you have, experts say.
Perhaps all you might need is some tailoring or alterations to your current outfits, if you’ve had some for a while and they may no longer fit that well, due to weight gain or loss. Some simple cuts and stitching will give old clothes a new lease of life and let you get more out of them.
Shoe repair shops still abound, on the high street or in shopping centres, so you might want to get your heels repaired or touched up, for what’s usually a small cost. And you could do your own grooming or have a friend or family member do it for you, thereby saving substantial sums on new hairdos.
Dealing with What You Do Have
Amber Taylor of online retailer Pink Cove says you don’t need to splash the cash to look good in 2026. By carefully organising what you have in your wardrobe, you can be stylish without spending a penny, she advises.
“Playing with proportion can lift an outfit from everyday to stylish, as can a well-tucked shirt, a rolled sleeve or a cropped pant,” Taylor says. “Steaming or pressing your clothes means they will look more put together and even simple jeans and a T-shirt feel more sophisticated when wrinkle-free.”
One hack, Taylor advises, is to use an “anchor” piece in your wardrobe to construct your look around. She cautions against overdoing it, with too many items in one outfit, saying it’s “the biggest mistake I see”, people who “put together looks that are too complicated”.
And if you want to look elegant, Taylor says, you don’t always have to reach for luxury items, because it’s more about being consistent in what you wear. “You can also replace tired buttons with fresh new ones to give your favourite pieces a designer look. This small change is supercheap.”
Hellana is a London-based personal stylist who formerly worked at world-famous department store Harrods and who now has her own consultancy, Styled by Hellana. She says people should avoid cheap materials in clothing.
“One common mistake I see is relying on poorly made, synthetic fabrics that don’t drape or hold their shape well. When clothes aren’t cut properly, they tend to crease badly, cling in the wrong places or lose their structure, which can make an outfit look cheap even if it’s new,” she says.
“Choosing better cuts and more breathable fabrics, even in small amounts, can instantly elevate a look.”
She adds that another issue can crop up when people fail to properly finish their outfit, and it doesn’t cost anything to do so. “Pressed clothes, tidy hair, clean shoes and a considered bag make all the difference and don’t require spending more money.”
Hellana advises that a “simple, low-cost way to add interest is layering, especially during winter. A silk scarf is also a great versatile piece and can be styled around the neck, in the hair, tied onto a bag, as a top, a dress, or even as a skirt over trousers.”
Resetting Your Wardrobe
Making do with what you have, whether it’s in your wardrobe, accessories box or makeup kit not only makes sense when money is tight, experts say; it’s also good for the environment. The less “fast fashion” that people buy, for example, the fewer resources, such as water and electricity, are used.
You can start by creating a number of default outfits, say five or 10, that you can rely on depending on what you’re going to be doing: working, working out, leisure time and going out. Create a colour palette to ensure the outfit items are properly matched or complement each other, such as black, grey, navy, cream and tan. And then hang them together so they’re ready the moment you are.
If you feel you do need something, thrifting, or browsing charity shops, is a great way to get your hands on what can often be unique items at a fraction of what they initially sold for. And giving them a second home helps to boost your green creds. Plus, it’s fun.
Quick Makeup Tweaks That Make a Difference
With salon costs often running into the hundreds, many people are either delaying their next cut or colouring, or doing it themselves. What if you have a special occasion coming up and want to be professionally made up at a salon but are worried you can’t afford it?
Dominique Tufa of the Global Makeup Awards, an international beauty awards programme, says you don’t have to worry. “There are easy ways to up your grooming game without laying out a fortune,” she says. “A five-minute routine should do the trick: Cleanse, use a light moisturiser and add a tinted SPF for glow.”
She adds that “it’s more important to be consistent every day than to be perfect every once in a while. Keeping your brows groomed and your lips conditioned will add to the look.”
Make sure to keep your beauty products organised and within easy reach, so when you’re heading out the door early in the morning, you’re able to quickly apply what you need and you won’t be looking dishevelled, she advises, whether that includes everyday essentials or browsing options like botox for sale from MeamoShop.
And the latest must-have items may not always be the best for you, she says. “A common mistake is loading up on trend-driven products rather than quality essentials that actually help play up your natural features. fancy skin-care routine, but just a drop of facial oil can be massaged into the skin before makeup.”
Sara Cemin from Helio Cure, a retailer of red light therapy devices, says looking your best starts with the basics: your skin.
“Healthy skin is the best foundation to show off a polished look, (even more) than any high-priced foundation or concealer,” she says.
Cemin advises that “the best thing to do to get good circulation to eliminate puffy eyes and define your jaw line is to do a two-minute lymphatic massage on your face each morning.
“Also, establishing a regular sleep routine allows your body to naturally fix damaged tissues, so you won’t have to pay for all those products to cover up the tired look, which always ends up causing us to overdo the makeup.”
She said problems arise when people try to “cover up their dull skin by using too many layers of product, and ultimately these products settle into our wrinkles and make us appear older.”
People will look refreshed if they hydrate properly, she advises, “helping the cells to be healthy, instead of just covering up flaws”.
And she says that a “silk pillowcase is an inexpensive investment to help reduce frizz in your hair and prevent lines and creases from forming on your skin as you sleep”.
An Easy ‘Look Great’ Fix
One of the most overlooked aspects of any outfit, say experts, is ensuring you wear the right shoes with your clothing and have a bag to match too. It not only helps to set the tone but can also complete the look, as both lie at the edges of an outfit.
Whether we realise it or not, we look at what people are wearing on their feet when we meet them, say stylists, whether it’s a pair of white trainers with jeans or towering stilettos worn with a dress. So it pays to pair the right shoes with the right outfit, and stylists advise that a simple rule is to match them with the level of formality of your clothing — ankle boots go better with a blazer, for example, rather than old trainers you wear to the gym.
The combination of the right shoes and a bag signals to people that you’ve made the effort with your outfit and that you look sharp, and you don’t have to spend anything extra. One caveat, however: don’t neglect the socks, and ensure they’re not mismatched colours that don’t complement everything else, or that they’re too loose because they’re old and have lost their shape.
Revisiting Your Bling
Some pieces of jewellery may go out of fashion, and so what works for this season may not for the next, and you could risk looking dated and certainly not on-trend. But there should be pieces in your jewellery box that are timeless and that you can wear anytime, anywhere. Selecting what’s right to wear with what type of clothes is another matter, however.
“The right jewelry can take an outfit from plain to polished,” says Shirlene Tsang of OBJKTS Jewelry, “the wrong jewelry can make a great outfit look like a mess.”
Tsang says she personally favours different kinds of metal jewellery for a great look, but that caution is required or it could ruin the look. “I love to mix metals, but one common mistake is to carelessly throw gold, silver and bronze all on at once.”
If you’re planning on an event that involves travel, she advises leaving the diamonds at home.
“There are a number of reasons cubic zirconia stones are recommended for travel rings, which I love to recommend.They will still allow you to enjoy the sparkle without the same anxiety over misplacement that a diamond might create.”
Overall, advises Tsang, “opt for timeless styles of accessories that will quietly enhance your look on a daily basis.”
There are so many ways to get more out of your wardrobe and accessories this year without having to spend much, or anything at all. Appraising what you already have and seeing how items can be better paired and elevated will allow you to look thoroughly put together throughout 2026.
