SAVE OR SPLURGE: SUMMER EDITION
Summer’s fading quick, but we still have a ways to go before the fall weather takes over and our wardrobes switch over to jeans and sweaters! If you’re anything like me, you probably require constant updating for every season, but summer can be tricky. We only have a few months of the sunny beach days, music festivals, barbeques, and patio parties, so it’s important to be on your A-game style-wise for all of them. But with this short time span, it’s often not worth investing in pieces you’ll only wear a few times and then throw to the back of the closet until next summer, when you realize that palm leave print dress is so last summer. Here are my tips for when to go cheap, and when to stretch your budget for the season!
SAVE
Sunglasses
To save or splurge on sunnies is always controversial because they seem like a piece you should probably invest in, just like eyeglasses. However, I like options, and if I can get the same look with a no-name brand for a fraction of the price of the designer–SOLD! I don’t want to have to worry when I’m out on the boat, or at a festival that I’m going to lose or break my sunglasses. I`d rather have a decent collection that I can just grab from depending on my mood or style.
Swimsuits
I love to have choices with all my clothing, but when it comes to swimsuits, the more the merrier! Bikinis and one-pieces, high-waist or athletic look, there are so many options available, it’s really not worth putting all your eggs (dollars) in one basket (swimsuit). Swimsuits are the one thing you can’t really dress differently. Sure you can throw a different cover up or a long tassle necklace with it, but it’s still going to e the same old swimsuit. On top of all that, chlorine, sunscreen, and frequent usage all wear the heck out of swimwear. Who wants to wear the same bottoms a summer later when they’re sagging and the colour’s fading? Not I!
Tops
Generally, the tops you buy one summer are going to be phased out by the next. I tend to spend less on my T’s and tanks, and put more $$ into the items that will last me through the test of time. Shirts are so seasonal, it’s just not worth it to invest in pieces you’ll only wear for a few months. Before long, the fall collections will come out (AKA now) and you’ll want to start spending money where you should, on pieces like jackets, wool sweaters, and vests – the pieces that you actually need to spend money on in order to get good quality items. Plus you’ll get longer use of them since the fall-winter season extends so much longer than summer (sighhhh).
SPLURGE
Beach Bag
A solid beach bag is high-key so important. I swap my handbags around constantly, but a beach bag is the one thing I tend to pick out and continue using from summer to summer, and vacay to vacay. You can find cheap beach bags, but why??? Who needs MORE bags to find a spot for or awkwardly shove on a shelf… Get one that you’ll stick to, that has everything you need like pockets for your phone and cash, and a zipper to keep sand out. Straw bags are all over the place right now, and I think for good reason. Whether you want something simple or stylish, the straps, pompoms, and tassels make these bags so personal and so perfect for summer!
Face Sunscreen
If there’s anything worth spending money on, it’s a good face sunscreen! I tan really easily, and never burn so it’s so easy to skip the SPF and work on my bronze, but I’ve come to realize how important it so to keep your skin protected from the sun. Sure in our 20’s it seems like no problem, but once sun spots and wrinkles start coming in, you’ll be so happy you did! Find one that works for you, I prefer ones that are oil free and feel more like a moisturizer than a sunscreen, but there are so many in the market right now from tinted SPF to powdered SPF to liquid foundations with built in SPF!
Sneakers
There’s nothing like a good pair of sneakers to have on hand throughout your summer adventures. I want to be able to slip these on and know I’ll be comfortable from morning til night, so I want a pair thats good quality, and not just pretty to look at. These slip ons are versatile, and can go with anything from jeans and a T, to a t-shirt dress, or whatever else you’re wearing this summer. Spend the money, and the use you’ll get out of them over just one summer will be well worth the price tag!
