This is really interesting. I've always taken the opposite approach, stalking designer items and only buying them on huge discount or at consignment stores. That works well for me, but I've been noticing more and more haphazard purchases from the Gap etc that are good but not great. It's rare that I spend $150 on anything, but I bet I can come up with some similar rule to prevent the thoughtless purchases.

It is an interesting idea, but similar to Elly, I can't think of a wardrobe item I have ever bought -- wedding ring and dress included -- that cost > US$150. And most of my favorite, most worn items were not the most expensive.

I look at things when they first come out, and decide if they're worth the price. If so, I wait for them to go on sale, and then buy. I'm trying not to buy much this year, though.

I think it's definitely easier for men. Gentleman Friend spends $200 on his custom made dress shirts, but they last a very long time and are of beautiful quality. Plus he only needs one or two styles and just varies the fabric. (He still wears suits almost every day because he is in court or with clients.)

I really like this idea for myself. The concept of intentional-purchases, rather than such-a-good-deal-purchases appeals to me. My closet is full of lots of Target merchandise because it was "cute" and a good price. I'm really, really tired of that! Need to think about this concept more - but I'm leaning towards trying something like this for myself.

I do this already_
buy 3 items for $150 and soon find that 2 out of three don't work, so the spreadsheet is amended to show 1 item for $150- this isn't cheating right?

I do find that if something is too cheap (like a $10 T-shirt), I will not buy it, because I know that the quality can't be that good if it's only $10. The only time I will buy something cheap is if I am looking for a placeholder for a HEWI or want to try out a new style.

I like the idea of considering whether you would buy something at full price rather than on sale, and asking yourself why you wouldn't pay full price if that is the case. I am pretty good at making good purchasing decisions, but this should help me even more.

Interesting article, and thanks for sharing it. When I shop, I don't look at price tags right away. I look the item over, check the fabric, quality of construction, etc., and then decide on a price I would pay for it. If what I've decided is close to the price tag, I might try it on.

When I was younger (and not yet married), I only shopped department stores (we're talking 1980's). If anyone remembers the old Strawbridge and Clothier in Phila., that was my favorite. After getting married, I started buying lesser quality, cheaper clothing, but have since started returning to my department store-loving roots. I'll probably still shop F21 for a few trendy pieces (or maybe not after I finish the article) but I'm now more interested in quality of garment construction than price point.

I read this article earlier today and it resonated with me for reasons already mentioned, namely that it encourages conscientious consumer and style habits. Coincidentally, $150 is around my magic number for jeans and blouses. I don't earn much, but I also don't regret purchasing my relatively expensive staples. I am happy with my fewer, higher quality and timeless items.

That said, what the article neglected to mention is hedonistic adaptation. The more frequently you buy expensive items, the less pain you'll experience in parting with money, even if your salary remains unchanged. Same goes for gambling, drinking, etc. Our use of credit cards compounds this effect, because money seem less tangible than when we pay for items in cash. I can now more easily part with $150 on a clothing item than ever before, but being financially accountable to someone else certainly prevents this figure from increasing significantly.

I love this idea. I gave up my Old Navy habit because I was tired of things that looked ratty fast. I'm also becoming a wardrobe minimalist (six tops, four bottoms for a work wardrobe). My price point is closer to $75 though, because I can't imagine spending $100 for pieces for my business casual office and mom casual home. (I'd spend more for shoes and coats, etc).

I still love a sale, especially since I keep a list of what I'm looking for and can wait.

This was a thought provoking article. Thanks for posting it, Jenn. Unfortunately, now I want a loopwheeler sweatshirt, LOL.

Increasingly, I find I can't tolerate the smell of the stores with lower end clothing. I need to leave and breathe fresh air. It really kills the desire to have one of the items on my body. This didn't used to be an issue so I don't know if I've changed or the clothes have changed.

I play sort of a shopping game with myself and try to find the highest quality I can at the lowest price. I love it when high quality basics can be worn for several years and still look and feel good. Not to get too "woo woo", but for all types of shopping I try to only buy the items I perceive as having "soul".

I've been thinking about this idea, and I've decided that if I were to set a minimum, I'd set mine at $50 for most clothing items and $100 for shoes, bags and outerwear. If I wanted to get more specific, I'd add $75 for jeans and blazers. That's high enough that it would cause me a little hesitation before I bought something, but not so high that I'd feel like I was wasting my money.

When I started my 'less but better' project this year, it was based on my totals for shopping in 2014, in which my average cost per item was around $20. That included a lot of secondhand and thrifted items, which obviously drives the average cost per piece down noticeably. This year I've been aiming at a average cost per item for twice that, so $40 - which is still not a really big number compared to what plenty of people spend on things in my area. I haven't run the numbers for the whole year so far (I'll do that at the end of fall) but just looking at my late summer purchases and budget, I'm pretty on target with an average cost of $38.

This idea is intriguing. It makes a lot of sense. Too often, consumers are seduced by "sale" prices and we don't always make the best decisions.

$150 per item probably wouldn't work for me. Laura's numbers seem more reasonable.

I like the idea of not looking at price tags before trying something on - this is going to be my October/November challenge. Thanks to all of you that suggested it - I would have never thought of it. I also like the $150 Challenge, but would probably modify it for different items.

My fussy feet have set my minimum shoe amount at over $100 unless on sale.

This makes a lot of sense to me. When I first lost weight and needed everything, I went thrifting and bought based on price. I got over that and have spent much more money, but am pickier and more likely to choose wiser and make returns if not exceptional. I don't make mistakes when I spend more because there is much more thought before purchasing. Pricing is no longer the first motivator.

Very interesting article. Basically he is trying to short circuit his reward center that gets a thrill from a cheap find and leads to impulse shopping. The trick is to find a different barrier to impulse when you are a second hand shopper!

Interesting article - thanks for the link.

I'm a bit like Betty Crocker with shoes - for those I wear a lot I am restricted to expensive brands.

Interesting. $150 would make me think twice and drop my levels of consumption, but there's a lot it wouldn't do in terms of fair economic distribution...

I had a thought experiment I played for a while when buying at lower price points, particularly when I found a real bargain, which was: how much more would I be prepared to spend on this if I had the budget? €100? €200? It didn't always work but it was fun to play.

It's clear the economics of the fashion business are completely skewed, with €5 shirts at one end and black tulips at the other. Price is not an indicator of quality, transparency or sustainability. It just reflects what people are willing to pay .

I can identify with his approach though. None of us likes being on that treadmill of constantly buying crap we use twice and then throw away, so we all need to find how to filter that. Setting a lower limit on the price point is a good way of doing that. Personally, I'm always very suspicious of disposable garments that seem too cheap for the maker to have been paid a living wage. And I rarely shop the fast fashion emporia.

Agree - a genius idea. Just a self management technique really isn't it? Great. Im going to try it.

I liked this article alot and have to think of how to impliment it. I tend to loose my mind when I have those sales goggles on. I am just so afraid, I make so many mistakes, or love something only briefly.

Wow Lyn D and gradfashionista, your comments were eye opening not else!!:-) Thanx for thread and the vise feedbacks, I learned a lot just reading!