Easy Ways to Save Money on Clothes and Fashion in Switzerland

Clothing is a big expense for many people in Switzerland, but it does not have to be that way. Here, moneyland.ch lists easy ways to cut your fashion spending without compromising while remaining well dressed.

1. Find your own style

The speed at which fashion trends change is constantly increasing, driving us to constantly buy new clothing to stay in style. No matter how cheap the clothes you buy may be, constantly keeping up with seasons and influencers will end up costing you (and the environment) a pretty penny in the long run. Escaping the expensive trend game by ignoring the fashion industry in favor of wearing the clothes that you actually, genuinely like is one of the easiest ways to save money on clothing.

2. Switch to slow fashion

The true cost of fashion items goes much further than their price tags. Put some thought into things like whether clothing is made in a fair, sustainable way, and its impact on the environment. Special apps (like Good on You) provide sustainability ratings for numerous fashion brands, and provide a good reference point for determining how clothing is produced.

A quick look at the tag – specifically information about materials and where items are made – reveals a lot about the sustainability of an item. Labels like Oeko-Tex Made in Green and Fairtrade Max Havelaar Certified Cotton can also be helpful in determining whether clothing meets environmental or social standards, although the exact criteria vary between labels. Coop and Migros have their own labels for social and environmentally responsible clothing (Naturaline and Eco Textiles respectively).

Avoiding short-lived fashion trends in favor of more timeless styles lets you avoid having to constantly buy new clothes. Getting quality clothing that can be used for many years may require a bigger initial investment, but over the long-term it may work out both cheaper and more sustainable than buying clothes which wear out quickly.

3. Set a minimum number of uses for each item you buy

The more you use a dress, shirt, pair of shoes, or other item of clothing, the more you can justify your spending (and the impact on the environment). Try setting a minimum number of uses which applies to all the fashion products you buy. For example, you could aim to use a dress or a shirt a minimum of 30 or 50 times before you can buy a replacement.

4. Consider a capsule wardrobe

In the capsule wardrobe model, you take care to only buy clothes which match with all of your other clothes. You can then create almost infinite combinations even with relatively few pieces of clothing and accessories. The capsule wardrobe model not only saves you from stressful hunts for matching clothing, but also means you can stay well-dressed with much fewer clothes, which saves you money.

5. Plan your fashion shopping

Buying clothing, shoes, and accessories impulsively as you come across must-haves or sales is one of the surest ways to overshoot your budget. Make a point of planning your fashion shopping in advance. This is as true for online shopping as it is for shopping days in the city or mall. Make a list detailing the items of clothing you need or want, and the amount of money you are able to spend on each. Planning in advance gives you time to research the best deals and helps you avoid overspending.

6. Use coupons

Redeeming coupons is an easy way to save money. You can find numerous coupons for fashion stores on the coupon pages of popular newspapers like Blick and 20 Minutes. Dedicated coupon websites like Deindeal and Veepee are another good place to look.

The golden rule: Find the best deal on the clothes you want first – then look for coupons for that store. Never buy something which you would not otherwise have bought just because you have a discount coupon. Always compare prices (accounting for coupons) with those of other stores because you may find the same item cheaper elsewhere in spite of the coupon.

7. Check out brick-and-mortar stores

Physical shops are often under more pressure to sell out their stocks to make place for new merchandise. Because of this, you can find many sales and markdowns which are not available online. A shopping day out also lets you catch sales at small boutiques and specialized clothing stores which do not have online shops.

8. Avoid shopping on credit

Many big department stores and other fashion retailers offer store credit cards or installment payment options which let you shop and then pay off your bill over time. Doing this makes your shopping more expensive because you have to pay interest. Invoice billing and monthly billing normally do not cost extra if you pay your bill in full and on time, but you carry the risk of not having the money to pay your bill when the time comes. 

Paying in cash or using a debit card is generally the safest option because you cannot create debt. If you use a credit card to pay, it is a good idea to “load” the amount of money you will spend onto your credit card account before spending. By doing that, you can take advantage of credit card benefits without creating credit card debt.

9. Use your credit card’s shopping benefits

Some Swiss credit cards give you price protection (often called a best price guarantee in Switzerland) as a complimentary benefit when you use them to pay. If you find something which you paid for with your card being sold cheaper within a certain amount of time (14 days, for example), you can claim the price difference back from your card issuer.

Other credit card benefits which can save you money include:

• Credit card reward programs, like cash back or points which can be redeemed for vouchers.

• Delivery insurance which covers online or mail orders while they are being shipped.

• Shopping legal insurance which covers legal issues (if your online shopping never arrives, for example).

• Purchase protection which reimburses you if stuff you buy is accidentally damaged or stolen.

You can easily find out which benefits your credit card includes using the sort tools in the Swiss credit card comparison on moneyland.ch.

10. Rent instead of buying

The bridesmaid dress for your friend’s wedding, the tuxedo for that formal dinner party, an evening gown for a cocktail party, heavy-duty outdoor clothing for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure: These are just some examples of usually-expensive clothing which you may only wear once. Renting these often works out much cheaper than buying new, and prevents you from cluttering your closet with clothes you will never wear again. Renting is also a good option if you find yourself getting bored of clothes, handbags, shoes, and other fashion items shortly after buying them.

In addition to conventional brick-and-mortar and online clothing rental services, it is also worth checking out platforms like Ragfair and Limalou (baby clothes) which offer plans with unlimited rentals for a flat monthly fee.

11. Buy used clothes

Using secondhand shoes or bathing suits might be kind of gross, but that is not the case with things like jackets, dresses or jeans. If you are willing to buy secondhand, you can stock your wardrobe for less than it would cost you to buy three or four decent pieces of clothing new. Buying secondhand is particularly sensible for children’s clothes, as kids grow out of clothes very quickly. Many Swiss communities organize exchanges on which you can buy used children’s clothes for a few francs a piece. Online platforms like Kleiderberg and Kleiderkorb let you buy secondhand clothes and other fashion items directly from private sellers, and can be a useful addition to secondhand clothing shops, flea markets, and classified ads.

12. Swap off clothes you do not need

Swapping clothes is a simple way to keep your wardrobe fresh and alive without spending any money at all. Swapping with friends is a simple option – assuming you have similar clothes sizes. Alternatively, you can trade clothes using online swap communities like Walkincloset and physical clothes exchanges (like those organized by Kleider Tausch Rausch).

13. Sell unneeded clothes

Reselling clothes which you are bored with or have grown out of lets you recover part of the money you spent on them – effectively discounting the price you paid. In addition to social media groups, platforms like Kleiderberg, Kleiderkorb, Marko and Vide Dressing make it easy to put clothes up for sale online. Exceptional clothing can also be sold on classifieds websites or auction sites like Ricardo. You can find useful tips in the guide to selling secondhand stuff in Switzerland.

14. Follow washing and drying instructions

Taking proper care of your clothes is a simple way to get the most value out of them. Separating lights and darks, for example, only takes a few minutes, but keeps clothes looking good for much longer. Air drying clothes as opposed to fabric-assaulting machine drying, is another simple way to make clothes last longer. As much as possible, follow the washing, drying, and ironing instructions shown on the tag. Wear aprons when doing housework to avoid staining your clothing. Keeping your clothes in near-mint condition means they can remain useful for longer, and boost the chance of your being able to resell them down the line.

More on this topic:
Online shopping payment methods in Switzerland
How to save money on furniture in Switzerland
Saving tips for restaurant dining in Switzerland
How to save on grocery shopping in Switzerland