Get Yourself In Shape

Taking something to a tailor isn’t just for those who have a valet to do it for them. We’re talking about an alterations tailor, not a Savile Row house. For the sake of a fiver here and a tenner there, you can make relatively inexpensive items look a million bucks: suits, shirts, even T-shirts.

In the same vein, even the spendiest of threads will look like a sack of cut-price shit if they don’t fit you properly.

(Related: 9 Ways A Tailor Can Make You Look Better)

Don’t Break From The Normcore

If you want to lay solid wardrobe foundations, then avert your gaze from look-at-me colours and patterns. Yes, it’s a little bit basic, but the simple fact is that plain pieces in neutral tones are much more versatile. Plus, people are much less likely to notice quite how often you’re wearing them.

If you have to wear tailoring and your workplace will tolerate the slight informality of separates, then you might want to buy blazers and trousers instead of full suits, at least to begin with, as you’ll have more combinations.

(Related: How To Get The Most Out Of Your Suit)

Unfollow Fashion

It goes without saying that timeless style classics are the smartest buys, but we’ll say it anyway. There’s no escaping the latest trends, so if you do find yourself itching for a contemporary fix, restrict yourself to a designer, ahem, tribute from a high street retailer.

It’s a little down and dirty, but least you’ll minimise the hit when the fashion changes in six months.

Hunt An eBay Bargain

It’s possible to save money on eBay, but it’s equally if not more possible to get carried away in the heat of a quickly escalating bidding war. Plus, you can’t try before you buy or always return, so you can end up with an expensive alteration or an unwearable lemon.

Set yourself a strict limit of what you’re prepared to pay, and use software such as Auction Sniper to automatically place bids on your behalf seconds before the item ends. That way, you can still gazump other bidders without being tempted to overshoot.