Fashion Blog » Review: "How to Be a Budget Fashionista"

Today I saw a story about spending sprees on one of those morning shows, where they asked, “Are spending sprees good or dangerous?” The women they focused on admitted to buying things they didn’t really need and would probably never wear. They even gave a statistic from Reuters showing that the average American woman owns 19 pairs of shoes but only wears 4 (15% own 30). That does not surprise me, but it also doesn’t convince me that shopping sprees are bad–it’s the impulse buying and irresponsible spending that are problematic. A shopping spree is good, clean fun if you can afford and use what you’re buying.

I think Kathryn Finney (pictured below), author of the great new book How to Be a Budget Fashionista and creator of TheBudgetFashionista.com, would agree with me. After all, she is the woman who once escorted a friend on a shopping spree and helped her score an entire wardrobe for only $600. And I mean a whole wardrobe:

• 2 bras and 6 pairs of underwear
• 4 layering tops
• 1 pair of earrings
• 2 dress shirts
• 1 sweater
• 3 pairs of high-quality slacks
• 1 pair of pumps
• 1 pair of boots
• 1 suede jacket

No, Finney isn’t a magician, but she’s is one of the savviest shoppers I’ve ever heard of. And she’s not buying crap either–this fine lady tells inspiring stories of 99 cent Jean Paul Gaultier shirts and Via Spiga mary janes for $29.99. Of course, none of these treasures came without investments of both time and a little work, but isn’t a stunning wardrobe without crushing debt worth it? I think so.

How to Be a Budget Fashionista is a great tool for women who love shopping and even women who hate it since it includes tips on how to enhance your shape, find your personal style and signature piece, create a realistic shopping budget and shop without regret. Finney’s voice is completely charming, witty and sympathetic to the material desires of the average woman: “I’m not rich. I’m not a size 2. I’m not even from New York. I’m just a brilliantly normal person who was lured into the evils of credit card debt by an obsession with handbags and designer shoes.”

I definitely learned a lot from this book. I now have a better perspective on when to “invest” a tidy sum–Finney encourages spending more on quality, classic pieces that will go the long haul– and when to slum it at the discount shops. For instance, taking Finney’s words to heart I recently spent a work bonus on a Marc by Marc Jacobs bag. I made this purchase guilt free, though, thanks to The Budget Fashionista because she taught me that quality pieces last long enough to earn their keep and have a knack for taking Forever 21 and H&M pieces to a whole new level.

Click here to buy the book.

Visit The Budget Fashionista website.