Shopping Tips - The Modern Man's Guide To Bargain Style

Even with the shaky economy these days, fashion likely still isn't as accessible as you'd like it to be. High-quality clothes are too expensive to be a regular purchase for you, and the more reasonably priced ones are of questionable quality. What's a practical yet stylish guy to do in times like these?

Know the Rules
It's common knowledge that mix and match is the critical factor when you're trying to expand your wardrobe. Yet too many guys find themselves unfamiliar with the ins and outs of fashion, of which pieces to wear with which and what colors can go with what.

Learn the rules by heart, enough that you don't even need to think about them when you make style choices. Yes, there are quite a number of them and they're rarely clear-cut. It's not as difficult as you think, however, because those rules work for just about any area of the world of men's fashion. Whether you're trying to buy a new set of shirts or a single new necktie, the same rules for mixing and matching will still apply.

Diversify
A good number of men find themselves in the trap of buying too many pieces that are too similar to one another. No matter how high-quality or stylish the jeans you buy are, they won't be of much help if all the pairs look so alike. If you're going to shop for clothes with wardrobe expansion in mind, go for pieces that are as different as possible from the ones you already have. That'll give you infinitely more options for mixing and matching.

If you have a set of pants made primarily of denim, for example, a common problem in male closets, you might want to explore other avenues like linen, khaki or chinos. They can be just as versatile as jeans, if not more comfortable; it's just that denims have taken the throne of the ubiquitous and ever-present style of pants.

The same goes for all aspects of wardrobe, whether you're considering your clothes in terms of colors, patterns, fabrics or styles. Do you have a hefty collection of white tees? Brighter, bolder colors and a new set of collared shirts will be a great way to invest your money. Are solids the defining theme of your wardrobe? Start snapping up stripes, checks and plaids to give you more room to experiment and try out new combinations.

Accessorize
But it's not just the new combinations of pants and shirts that can make a difference in your wardrobe. In a lot of cases, simply mixing up the accessories you wear with your outfit can already give you a whole new look from before.

Neckties are the most obvious and most versatile of these accessories, and it's no surprise. Aside from being available in an almost limitless variety of prints and colors, each tie can make an outfit look radically different. Stylists are known to say that each pairing of tie and shirt is a different look. Three ties to pair with three shirts, for example, can already give you as much as nine different looks!

Shoes can also be as definitive, mostly because they serve to give your look a 'mood'. If you're wearing business formal, for example, pairing the outfit with white sneakers a la Justin Timberlake gives you a very young, fresh vibe. Similarly, wearing mature driving shoes with a casual outfit exudes an older, more laid-back attitude.

Expanding your wardrobe isn't as hard as it looks, especially if you're already familiar with how clothes can work with each other. In fact, it's very likely that your wardrobe is already sufficiently large as it is. Perhaps you simply haven't discovered it yet.