Wardrobe Upgrade, Please
Posted by Cap in Even More Ramblings |I’ve been looking at my partial closet and I realized that I have very little clothes.
Most are the same crap: t-shirts of various colors, and jeans in different shades of blue. I will probably have to get a new wardrobe one of these days.
Thinking about it now… I can’t recall the last time I went shopping for clothes; the most recent purchase was probably some $15 jeans at Ross, and that was over a year ago.
It wasn’t until recently that I remember how expensive clothes can be, and how much I use to spend on clothes half a decade ago. Which is rather funny, because back then… a $40 jean from a brand name store = cheap. When I look at $40 jeans now, I freak out.
Perspective can sure change after a few experiences (namely being broke).
How often do you shop for new clothes? Where at? Budget?
30 Comments to “Wardrobe Upgrade, Please”
Leave a Comment
Are You a Cheap Ass or a Dumbass? Finding that Perfect Balance Between Two Polarizing Camps »
« Free T-Shirts for All My Personal Information? Awesome!
July 8th, 2007 at 8:36 am
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/
Try the clearance section.
July 8th, 2007 at 9:53 am
I usually get my jeans at Old Navy and my shirts at a thrift store or for free. I’ve never spent more than $20/jean at Old Navy.
I have never spent a lot of money on clothes except for a suit I needed, which cost me about $200 for the whole thing.
I was freaking out a few months ago because I gained weight and my jeans were not fitting me good. I ignored it and started to wear only the 2 pair of jeans that would fit. A few months later I realized that these jeans were not fitting me a good as before. I realized I had lost 10-15 pounds and now I fit in my old jeans. What a way to save money, lose weight.
July 8th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
I buy clothes when either I need some more (for an occasion or for work, for example), or when mine don’t fit any more. (I have lost 70 pounds in the last 6 years, in short spurts with long plateaus, so I’ve needed new clothes a few times.) Still wearing some that don’t fit, as my body is still morphing right now. I don’t have many casual clothes that fit well – work clothes and workout clothes. Once I’m the size I plan to stay, then I’ll work on the rest of the collection.
I shop at used clothes places, outlets, Target … sometimes I shop at specific mall stores because they have clothes that fit me well, but only for things that need to fit well (something to wear for an interview, for example).
July 8th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
KOHL’s is your friend. I can hit that store with some discounts in hand, and replace my whole wardrobe (of casual and work casual) for $300. Wait for the sales and get your hands on a card just for the extra coupons they mail you. $12 jeans? Yes please. $15 polo shirts, certainly.
Some is crap, but they do sell name brands and some decent “who?” brands.
I go twice a year. Once for new spring/summer clothes and once for new fall winter clothes. Most of the time, I escape for under $100, including socks and underwear.
July 8th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
I use to be the same back in the day. Spending a lot of money on clothes was all too common.
But nowadays, since I’ve started work… the business attire environment has limited my need for new clothes.
And when I do need something, I frequent those discount clothing stores, like Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls. Their clearance section is usually pretty good.
July 8th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Lands’ End Overstocks. Cheap but very well made clothes.
July 9th, 2007 at 6:11 am
Oh yeah. If you need suits, ties, shirts, all that, K&G rules. We have them in the Philly Area, I dunno if they are nationwide.
Nice modern suit = $129. Saw the same exact one down the street for some $400. Nice ties are $9. Shirts are $20 or so. Wool overcoat, $69.
July 9th, 2007 at 9:06 am
I’m going to dissent mildly here… Suits (and shoes) are one area where you really don’t want to go cheap. I’m not saying you should mortgage the house for an Armani, but spending $600-$800 on a good suit (for interviews, client meetings, meeting the girlfriend’s parents, etc.) can be a good investment.
Second, while i would agree that designer labels are generally a rip-off, keep in mind that some cheap clothes are cheap because they skimped out on quality. A $20 pair of jeans that rips after six months just means you have to spend another $20 to replace it; better to spend $40 on something that will last.
July 9th, 2007 at 10:01 am
I’m with Eric on the Kohl’s recommendation. I live in the somewhat rural West. When I get to Denver or Minneapolis (1-2x/yr), I plan on spending $100-200 at Kohls. I do have one of their credit cards, so I usually have a coupon for 10 or 15% additional off sale prices. For $100 bucks, I can come away with 6-7 new tops or bottoms, or a new pair of sneakers or dress shoes and 4 tops or bottoms. The most important thing…the quality of the clothes-I find they last years vs. months on some of the stuff I can get locally at Ross for the same price. PS. Kohls online has been a great new friend.
July 9th, 2007 at 10:18 am
New Clothes? what’s that. It has been a while. Since I am not growing no more I rarely shop now. The last time I shop for clothes was at Kohl’s. I paid $15 for a shirt and $15 for capri’s, a $30 outfit!
July 9th, 2007 at 10:30 am
I buy mine usually at a thrift shop..don’t buy it too often. I have lots of clothing…built it up a bit…I didn’t have much when I was younger.
Carolyn:-)
July 9th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
I buy most of my clothes on clearance/sale at Target/Wal-Mart. I stick with classic styles, so while I own a lot of clothes, it was a wardrobe built up over many years. Having a lot of clothes, I can make myself wait until something goes on clearance; if it’s not available in my size then, I can’t buy it. Sometimes it works out quite well for me. I don’t much like shopping for clothes, so often my clothing purchases happen at Target when I’m there buying toothpaste, and check out the clearance rack.
(I have a large wardrobe simply to cut down on how often I have to do laundry.)
July 9th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
I first shop all the stores around me to see what they have in quality first then price. I then shop color and style. If I have navy slacks and want a certain color to go with them I shop for that color. I shop at WalMart (but rarely find anything.)I check out Fred’s, Target, K-Mart AND remember the larger stores wth higher prices and good quality ha ver great sales and ofter prices are better. If I need shoes or a suit I pay more for it to get good quality BASIC clothing. I have several mix-and-match pieces for casual dress.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
my GF works at Kohl’s ;)
July 9th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
I shop for clothes about once a month. I only go to thrift stores (excpet for socks and underwear, which I buy at Target or a running gear store). I almost never spend more than $20/month on clothes. I’m a bit of a label snob, and I tend to buy stuff that has a pretty good brand name – but I never buy it new. I almost never pay more than $5 for an article of clothing (socks, bras, and running shoes excepted), and my favorite thrift store charges $2 a piece for all clothes.
July 10th, 2007 at 4:05 am
I spend way too much money on clothes. And I definitely know what it’s like to have spent $40+ on a pair of nice jeans a decade ago and not feel the sting, whereas now clothing seems painfully expensive. Of course, I shouldn’t talk, I just bought a pair of $156 jeans. And you know what? I’m actually proud that I did that. I’m not proud of the subsequent purchases on a variety of other clothing items that I did not need, but the jeans will (and have already have gotten) be put to good use. I figure that I’ve gone through my phase of shopping for discount deals at Ross and Marshalls, and mostly what I should do now is buy some nice items that fit really well that I can wear for years to come. I have a tendency to buy a lot of items on sale that I don’t really love, just because they’re cheap. So it’s safer for me to buy one $70 shirt I really love than 4 $20 shirts that will get tossed in my closet and maybe worn once.
July 10th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Why not try Ebay? You can get a lot of nice pants for probably $5 a pair. Just look up clothing lots in your sizes.
July 10th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
I haven’t spent a penny on clothing this year and don’t plan to. I rarely buy clothing but between birthdays,Christmas and whatnot I still seem to end up with a surplus of clothing.
July 11th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
I’m lucky to be generally the same size I was in high school, so a good majority of my clothes are ten years old. My dress/work clothes are a bit newer but generally 3-4 years old. I line dry everything as long as the weather’s nice and so my clothes don’t show too much wear, which is helpful.
I hate clothes shopping and I have bought on Ebay and thrift stores, a lot can be found new there and in good shape. For moral reasons however I’ve been planning on making all my clothes in the future since I sew really well, and generally there’s always some fabric sales. My issue is to get all cotton, which is biodegradable, or poly/cotton since I hate to iron but it isn’t so good for the environment. Decisions, decisions…
July 12th, 2007 at 2:31 am
Phoebe: Thanks for the suggestion :)
Kevin: Heh. Saving money is always a bonus to losing weight.
H Lee D: After reading through the thread, I just realized how much weight can affect clothes shopping. Don’t get piss guys but like Barb, I haven’t really changed my size in the past couple of years.
I mean sure, I’ve gained or lost some at the waist line… but that’s easily solved by using a belt or removing the belt. Heh.
Eric: I’ve browse through KOHL’s a few time, but I actually can never find things that fit me too well. But I do grab the socks and etc. for cheap whenever I can.
Dennis: Ah.. TJ Maxx.. why won’t your commercial gingle get out of my head…
mapgirl: Never shopped there but will check ‘em out next time.
Eric (again): Don’t think we have K&G here (although the prices sounds crazy cheap), but in regards to the suit… (see below)
George: You’re probably right that sometimes a quality suit is worthwhile for those special occasions. I’m not real up and up on quality suit, but I think if I do need a new one.. I’ll go find a cheap tailor and have one fitted… just because I’m of an odd shape. Duno about spending $600-800 though. Many friends mentioned that there are quality/cheap shops in Vegas, or have friends of friends that knows someone. So I may go that route.. heh.
Bardea: Hmm maybe I should rethink KOHLs. There’s plenty in my area (or at least down in Southern California). Perhaps I didn’t look hard enough while browsing.
Moneymonk: Hah. Yeah I wouldn’t be considering but some are tearing up. I took care of them too! (Well… moderately…)
Carolyn Ibis: I guess I should consider more local thrift shops too.
JustBeth: Target is a good pick when they have a good clearance/sale. Gotta love the clearance sticker at Target for things you actually need.
Mary: Good strategy. I think before I head for the new wardrobe deal, I’ll plan it out a bit and compare and contrast before I swipe the credit cards away.
Dennis (again): Does that mean you’ll give all of us above that have mentioned KOHLs a discount?
Anonymous: Once a month is actually quite a lot? But then again it doesn’t sound like you’re blowing your savings or anything, so it’s all good. (All good either way since its your money). I have never considered quality used clothings, I guess for certain things it’s not a big deal. I mean, many clothes you buy at stores may have been tried on by someone prior, so I guess it’s not much different. Feels a bit weird though. Hmm.
Her Every Cent Counts: I personally will never get $100+ jeans, but if you honestly will wear them forever or many times, and if they’ll last all those use, and if you can afford it, eh — why not? But you’re right. It’s probably safer to buy a few quality (even if a bit more expensive) items if you’ll really use them.. compare to a bunch of other crap that you won’t ever wear again.
Family Savings: You know… I use to buy almost everything (or was considering) on eBay. I guess clothes on eBay isn’t that bad of an idea… but the problem is on fit. I generally like to see how they feel on me before I dive in (as mentioned, I have an odd shape). Unless its one of those label size that I know will fit well.
Barb: Since highschool! Hah. Hate you? Just kidding. Line dry definitely keeps the wear and tear down on the clothes. I use the lowest setting in the dryer, but for some delicate clothes.. it does add unnecessary wear/tear. That’s awesome that you’re considering to stick with something you believe in, especially a bonus that you can sew well. My sister’s friend can make quite a few nice outfit… unfortunate time doesn’t permit her to work on it some more (for her it was more of a fun factor than other reasons though, heh).
——————-
Alright. Whew. All done. I usually read all responses anyway, but felt like responding to all the comment this time. Thanks for the suggestions guys and gals. Gonna crawl back to bed with my favorite blanky.
July 12th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
erm, I actually spend quite a bit in this category. I shop at Nordstrom, Macy’s, Barneys, you get the idea.
I toss things that are more than 5 years old, I think if you are a woman you have to be waaay careful that you don’t age/date yourself by wearing things that are no longer in fashion (and even “classics” do get dated, as “classics” come in new cuts, materials, etc.)
I think what makes sense is to shop strategically and think when you find a new item how many things it will go with, or, better yet, have an ongoing list you take with you that has a list of “desired items” that you are on the look out for.
I think it’s fine to go cheaper with some items, but the ones where quality trump price are, imo, shoes, bags, belts, and, for women, jeans.
The older a woman gets the more she has to be very, very careful about how she looks in jeans (and pants in general) and likely should spend more $ here to get a good fit and good quality material.
July 13th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
all depends on how much ur willing to spend…at any given time every store is having a “sale” pick and choose…do 2 yrs worth a shopping all in one day!
July 15th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
I hate shopping. And as a receptionist, I’m a total drone. But it’s high profile drone work so I have a challenge of having to look polished on a not fat paycheck.
So, about once a month, I buy good, quality clothes online and ALWAYS on sale (Ann Taylor, Spiegels). I also mix it up with more affordable pieces from Old Navy and Target. I budget about $200 for this.
And I don’t buy just whatever looks cute to me. I’m very deliberately building my wardrobe and trying to make sure to buy versatile pieces that will compliment each other. It’s a bit of a pain. Total pain actually. A lot more fun to just buy random cute things but then you have a wardrobe that doesn’t work for you.
I also have a tailor. I want these clothes to last!
All and all, I do think it’s money very well spent. I try to remember to “dress for my next job”. Meaning, wearing clothes that reflect where I want to be, not where I am.
You know, dress for success and all that. Rah, rah! I really think there is something to it. I get compliments here and there and I’m not broke. So it seems to be working for me.
Just my two pennies!
July 16th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
what ever happened to the good ole’ fashioned birthday suit? it never goes out of style and cheaper than all yall’s sh** combined.
July 24th, 2007 at 6:07 am
This sounds like a strange suggestion from a guy who lives in T-shirts and jeans, but I highly recommend Brooks Brothers wrinkle free dress shirts at $50 a whack.
They’re normally about $75, so you can get them at that price only at their outlets, but they come out of the dryer looking like they came out of the cleaners. And if you factor in $1 a week in dry cleaning expense or the time spent ironing during the week, the shirts become worth it.
(I don’t work for Brooks. :))
July 24th, 2007 at 10:00 am
Brooks Brothers shirts are great but I found even cheaper ones at Lands End. I now get most of my husbands clothes there, and some non-iron blouses for myself there as well. The mens non-iron shirts are around $45 and you can even get them monogrammed (I know, posh right?) for like $5 or something.
August 5th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
h&m works for almost anything but jeans, there you have to go quality. I am 26 but smallish and thin so chain stores for teenagers fit me and my budget well. I just go for the simple black/one colour styles and skip the trendy prints and stuff.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
these are all good suggestions, sierra trading post, target, ross, h&m, tj maxx. i confess to buying some fancy jeans recently also. i just felt like i deserved them & that i was a little too classy to be walking around in ratty, faded jeans. but i’m still cheap, i went to a warehouse sale & got 3 t shirts & 3 pairs of jeans for $250. saver’s is my favorite thrift store, you get a huge bag of clothes for $50! i got an anne klein suit (both pieces!) for $15 bucks!
August 10th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I buy all of my clothing at thrift stores or off ebay (excluding a suit my mother got me before going to college and a suit a friend made for me). In general I like styles from the 70s/80s or just anything that has a unique design. I hang out with very liberal people, many of whom work at college radio stations and are into indie/electronica/ska/funk/folk music. In my social environment shopping in this manner is a very trendy thing to do these days – however, it also works with my lust for being frugal. And more importantly, the women love it.
September 17th, 2007 at 9:35 am
The one thing that I absolutely refuse to do is spend more than $30 for a pair of jeans. Hence, Old Navy has become my denim Mecca, as they have a wide selection of cuts for a decent price.
When it comes to jackets/sweaters, I don’t mind spending some extra money. I love the styles and cut of Express clothing – just plain smooth.