Written by Menswear Style in Tips & Advice on the 19th March 2018

Winter is finally over and as we ease into the warmer temperatures of spring and summer, it’s time to start thinking about how to make the most of the new styles in the upcoming months. We’ve already covered our predictions of what will be new and exciting in our 6 Trends We Are Anticipating for SS18, but now we're here to give you a helping hand on how to save as we go into the new warmer seasons, while also staying on point with all the latest trends.

Save on Basics 

It’s been said a million times before, but it can’t be overstated how important this is. Saving on basics like underwear, socks and loungewear, doesn’t mean that you have to neglect what’s on trend, but it does mean that you should probably give those branded boxers a miss, and instead go with the generic version that can look just as good for nowhere near the price. The most important thing to remember when buying basics is that you’ll be wearing them a lot, and we mean a lot, so don’t skimp on quality, but find a balance between practicality and cost – remember: just because it’s an expensive brand doesn’t mean that it is a higher quality product. By saving on the basics you’ll have much more to work with for everything else.

Buy Now, Not Later! 

It can be a little intimidating to take the plunge and buy items pre-season, I mean what if the trend predictions are wrong? The thing to remember here is that you’ll be able to buy more items, at a lower cost while also being one of the early adopters right as the trend kick in. Buying pre-season doesn’t forbid you from buying your threads during the spring and summer, it just means that you get a good chunk of your seasonal wardrobe spending done beforehand. The best bet is to have a look through ours and other’s trend predictions, see what might be coming up, see what suits you and then have a good dig around. It might be a little harder to find some of this stuff if the trend isn’t in full swing, but a little more time will translate to a lot more savings. This is also the perfect time to jump on any deals you can find online or to take advantage of some savvy savings from Groupon for example.

Recycle Your Wardrobe 

Use the continuing reworking of older styles and trends to your advantage by breaking out some of your older clothes, or spend some time digging through your parent’s wardrobe and the local charity shops for vintage timeless classics. I’m not going to lie, you’ll find a lot of stuff that is way too over the top or that highlights the wrong element of the upcoming trends (dad’s neon yellow short-shorts, we’re looking at you), but with a bit of digging and patience you’ll be able to find stuff that is more or less exactly what you’re after. Try to not feel too weird about digging through old clothes, if your goal is to be on trend, what does it matter where you got that Hawaiian shirt?

You don’t have to fully commit to these tips for everything you buy for Spring/Summer 2018, you can pick and choose when to use them and there’s no shame in buying a new pair of kicks mid-season, but even if you only pick-up a few things now, you’ll already be saving. Remember, these same tips will be useful when you’re preparing for any new season, so be sure to take the same approach when we’re heading back into winter. So, there you have it, by sticking to these tips you’ll be more than sartorially ready for the new season without taking out a second mortgage.

We discuss Low cost men's basics, buying pre-season and recycling clothing in this guide to 3 Great Ways to Save for SS18.