Episode 25 Fashion on a Budget: Looking Good While Becoming Yourself

In this episode of My Life in Heels, we’re talking about something nobody prepares us for — how expensive becoming yourself can be.
Building a wardrobe, learning your style, experimenting with presentation, and finding confidence in your identity often comes with financial trial and error. Many of us have closets full of outfits we loved when we bought them… but never actually wore.
Today, I share my own early fashion mistakes, what finally worked, and practical tips for building style and confidence without overspending.
This episode also introduces my upcoming website series, Fashion on a Budget, where I’ll be sharing affordable outfit ideas, shopping tips, and lessons learned along my journey.
Because becoming yourself shouldn’t mean emptying your bank account.
In this episode we discuss:
• Fashion mistakes we all make early on
• Building a wardrobe that actually works
• Shopping smarter on a budget
• Learning what suits your body and style
• Confidence beyond price tags
And I’d love to hear from you:
What was the first thing you bought when you started expressing your real self?
Join the conversation and share your story.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Hello, my beautiful people, and welcome back to My Life in Heels. This is the space where we talk honestly about life, identity, confidence, mistakes, growth, and everything that comes with becoming who we really are. And today I want to talk about something I wish somebody had told me years ago. But nobody tells you how expensive becoming your true self can be. Not just emotionally, but financially too. Clothes, makeup, shoes, hair. Learning what works, buying things that don't, and trying all over again. It adds up fast. And let me ask you something, and be honest with yourselves. How many clothes in your wardrobe still have tags on them? Outfits you've actually loved in the store or even online, but never actually worn. I know I'm certainly guilty of that. And here's another question I'd love you to think about while we talk today. What was the first thing you bought when you actually started expressing your real self? Was it a dress? Was it heels? Was it makeup? Maybe a wig? Or was it something small that felt huge at the time? Because for many of us that first purchase wasn't just clothing, it was permission to start becoming ourselves. And today we're going to talk about how to build your style, your confidence and your wardrobe without draining your bank account in the process. When I first started embracing my femininity, I honestly thought I needed to get everything all at once. New dresses, new shoes, new makeup, and of course accessories. It was a whole new closet overnight. And because I was excited and honestly a little desperate to finally look how I felt inside, I just bought things impulsively. Dresses that looked amazing online but terrible on me. Shoes I couldn't even walk in. Makeup shades that were completely wrong for my complexion. And of course clothes that didn't fit my body type. And so much of it never even left the closet. I remember one night in particular, sitting on my bed surrounded by clothes, feeling really silly and thinking, why is this so hard? Why can't I just get this right? But the truth is, nobody starts knowing how to dress themselves in a new identity. We're all learning from scratch. And the money mistakes? Well that's all part of the learning curve. Still, it hurts when you're on a budget. And many of us are already stretching finances just to live authentically. Presentation, grooming, transition costs, replacing wardrobes, it all adds up. So when we spend money, we need it to count. So here's the biggest lesson I learnt. You don't need more clothes, you just need better basics. At the beginning we often buy statement pieces because it feels exciting. Flashy dresses, bold outfits, things that make us feel glamorous. But what do we actually wear again and again? It tends to be comfortable, flattering basics, like a good pair of jeans or pants, a skirt that suits your shape, simple tops that mix with everything. Shoes you can actually walk in confidently, a jacket or perhaps a cardigan that pulls a whole outfit together. And once you start building outfits from basics, getting dressed becomes easier and less stressful. You don't stand in front of the closet thinking I've got nothing to wear. Instead, things start working together. And another lesson, you almost never have to pay full price. Sales racks, thrift stores, resale apps, clearance sections, they're lifesavers. And honestly, brands like Sheen, well it's like a treasure hunt. You might try four or five things that don't work, but the one piece that does becomes a firm favourite. And here's another secret nobody knows where your clothes come from. People don't see the price tag, they see how you carry yourself. Confidence is the thing that sells the outfit, not the brand name. And experimenting with brands like Sheen removes a lot of the pressure. If something doesn't work, you haven't wasted a fortune. I've got a dress I paid£180 for and I've worn it once. I've got some other things from Sheen that were really inexpensive and I love them. The next thing you need to look at is to learn your body and not just trends. This changed everything for me. Not every trend suits my body or my shape. And that's okay. Many trans people go through a stage of trying to force trends on ourselves that make us feel feminine but don't really flatter us. And we do it because we feel that's what femininity is supposed to look like. But femininity isn't just one shape or one style. Once you learn what cuts, shapes and lengths work for you, shopping becomes much easier and much cheaper. Because you'll stop buying things you'll never wear. And your confidence will grow because you're working with your body instead of against it. So remember, confidence isn't about price. Let me say something important. Confidence doesn't come from expensive clothes. Confidence comes from feeling happy in your own skin. Some of my best days weren't when I was wearing something fancy or glamorous. They were when I felt comfortable and authentic. Because when you feel good, people respond to you differently. You walk differently and you talk differently. The goal's never to impress strangers. The goal is to look in the mirror and think yes, that's me. And that moment is priceless. And this leads me to something exciting I want to share. So many of you have asked me how I build outfits affordably, or learned what works for me. So I'm setting up a new website which will be launching shortly, and I'll be doing a series fashion on a budget. So keep an eye on the channel and I'll let you know when it's live. I'll be sharing outfit ideas, budget tips, beginner wardrobe guides, mistakes are made so you don't have to, and styling ideas for different body shapes. Because figuring it out all on your own can be exhausting. And honestly, this community works best when we help each other grow. Before we finish, I want to remind you wherever you are right now, experimenting privately, transitioning publicly, or still figuring things out, you all deserve to feel good about how you look. You deserve clothes that make you smile. You deserve moments when you walk past a mirror and think, yeah, that's me. Style takes time. Confidence takes time and mistakes happen. And if you do get down, just remember, today's mistakes will be tomorrow's funny stories. So be patient with yourself. You're on a journey to becoming who you really are, and that's beautiful. Before we wrap up, I'd love to hear from you. What was the first thing you bought when you started to express your femininity? And how many clothes have you in the wardrobe that still have the tax on? If you send me your stories, we could share them in a future episode. So thank you as always for spending time with me. And remember, no matter where you are in your journey, you're valid, you're worthy, and you deserve to shine. In heels or out of them. So until next time, keep walking proud.