Affordable DIY ideas for updating your style on a budget
Most men's style advice focuses on aspirational or historical ideals, showing expensive clothing that the average guy can't afford or replicate easily. But maintaining a cohesive, versatile wardrobe on a budget is just as important!
All the different types and quality of clothes need to work harmoniously together throughout our daily lives without becoming too costly. But practical tips for putting together a versatile wardrobe rarely get discussed. Why? This article will do just that: sharing some underrated strategies that can help streamline the process of upgrading your style on a budget. Focusing on timeless basics, quality over quantity, and smart pairing and layering techniques, allows you to get more mileage out of each piece.
With a little planning, it's possible to build a wardrobe that looks put together without breaking the bank or requiring constant replacement. This advice focuses more on real-world solutions rather than aspirational ideals that are unrealistic for most men's lifestyles and budgets.
Fashion tape is a versatile and affordable solution for common style frustrations. Made of double-sided adhesive, it's designed for lightweight fabric and skin. Women have long used it to ensure low-cut dresses stay put. But fashion tape has many other practical applications that are often overlooked. For example, it can help prevent no-show socks from slipping down and bunching underneath shoes. Simply applying a small piece of tape along the top edge of the sock seamlessly holds it in the desired position all day.
This simple hack eliminates aggravation from scrunched or slipping socks, as well as potential blisters. As an added bonus, fashion tape is very affordable, so it's a low-cost solution. Its adhesive power makes it suitable for a variety of wardrobe challenges faced by both men and women. By keeping clothing seamlessly in place, fashion tape streamlines outfits so you can focus on more important things than sartorial struggles. Fashion tape is also useful for securing neckties that are prone to slipping out of place. For occasions that involve a lot of movement or challenging knots, necktie ends can become disheveled. A small piece of fashion tape applied discretely on the underside can prevent this: place the tape along the narrow end of the tie, attaching it to the wider end portion that sits above the collar. This anchors the narrow section in place against unwanted movement.
Avoiding yellow pit stains. Many believe yellow pit stains are caused by sweat alone, but the culprit is often an unlikely offender: antiperspirant. While sweat itself is odorless and colorless, the aluminum compounds found in most antiperspirants can chemically react with sweat to produce unsightly yellow stains. Stain removers can help lift some markings, but prevention is preferable to treatment. Look for aluminum-free antiperspirants labeled safe for dark and light clothing. These formulas avoid the chemical reaction that causes staining. With the right product, you can feel fresh without fear of permanently damaging your clothes. Small changes go a long way toward avoiding ruined shirts!
Staying wrinkle-free. This can feel like a losing battle, no matter how quickly items are removed from the dryer or how neatly they're stored. Cotton especially seems prone to creases. While a garment steamer remains the gold standard for deep-set wrinkles, spray-on wrinkle-releasing products provide a handy solution for light touch-ups and on-the-go wrinkle busting. These affordable aerosol sprays visibly reduce surface-level creases with just a spritz and smooth. Rather than just redistributing moisture as a water spray might, wrinkle releaser uses formula chemistry to relax fibers and relax creases. It eliminates the loose wrinkles and roughness that often develop naturally during wear or storage without requiring an iron.
It’s a fast, easy refresh without extra equipment making wrinkle releaser a worthwhile addition for maintaining a smoother look with minimal effort.
