https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 08 May 2026 18:22:14 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/4#post-686316 Mon, 06 Aug 2012 19:16:18 +0000 Vicki 686316@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>LF, This is the most extraordinary thread and I am saving it to read, because it is so rich with insight, wisdom, culture, practicality and pleasure. I haven't read through the entire postings, but I literally wrote down your sentence, "Can I use this to make at least two new outfits, by combining it with existing pieces?" Brilliant common sense and something we know intuitively, but needs voicing in order to stay focused and directed with trends that both inspire and tease.</p> <p>I loved reading about your various stylings and outfits with the YSL tuxedo jacket and I could just picture each one of them. You drew a perfect example of investment purchases. Buying quality over quantity in clothing, bags and shoes is so very French and reminds me of Inge's book selection, "A Guide to Elegance" by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux, that we read this past Spring. Add Ines de la Fressange and all three of you are helping me to be less impulsive in buying something so quickly.</p> <p>I just want to say thank you for opening up this very informative topic. Now, I have even more questions, like what color is your new Burberry trench coat? (Black, classic neutral, a color?). Also, I'm intrigued about your skin creams and potions, too. Perhaps, some of these have already been answered as I haven't read the entire thread, which I hope to do later today.</p> <p>We all learn from each other and this has been a great gathering with everyone's input. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/4#post-686045 Mon, 06 Aug 2012 13:42:50 +0000 Anonymous 686045@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>RoseandJoan,</p> <p>Although I am pure-blooded French, I was brought up in the UK and studied medicine in Edinburgh, specialising in Gynae/Obs at the Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavillion of the Royal Infirmary. I LOVE the borders, and most of my nicest cashmere sweaters are Pringle or LochCarron! What a small world, huh?? :-)</p> <p>My French forbears were Huguenots who fled persecution, finding refuge in the UK, and then some of them fled again to become some of the Founding Fathers of the USA. I was the first member of the family to move back permanently to France when I met and married my (very) Parisian husband, Thierry who is a professor of oncology here in Paris. We have a home near Fort William though, which we retreat to as often as possible! We also attend the Church of Scotland in Paris. So you'll understand why I had a wry smile when you said on the other thread that I brought 'poetic French to my English'!! I can't wait to share that with my children who think Maman speaks French with a very British accent! LOL! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/4#post-686039 Mon, 06 Aug 2012 13:33:48 +0000 anne 686039@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Just wanted to say that this has been a most fascinating thread!! The Parisien life is very distant from my small regional city Australian one, but you have provided such an interesting glimpse.</p> <p>I have been thinking about it all day and have all sorts of thoughts about how to intersects with my own habits, but since I plan to get up at 5:15 tomorrow morning to run and should therefore go to bed I'll only mention one; that you have resparked an interest in the ethics of clothing and I have been looking into this today. I would be interested in that list you mention from the WCC if you could PM me with it too.</p> <p>Thanks LF and all the posters </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/4#post-685985 Mon, 06 Aug 2012 07:54:48 +0000 RoseandJoan 685985@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>LF, I do apologise if I am gushing but you bring the poetry of the french language to your English writing and it really is a joy to read!</p> <p>I do need to work harder on my budget, it is those pesky sundry items which I fail to calculate, this month it was the L'Oreal Professionel Mythic Oil and a new lipstick.</p> <p>I am also playing with a very small budget of around £30.00 per month so I have to work extra hard to obtain a level of quality which is satisfactory, however, I am blessed to live in the Scottish Borders were a local crafts lady will sew a very fine leather handbag for around £75.00 and there are celebrated mills (with factory shops) which produce some of the worlds finest cashmere.</p> <p>I think it is wonderful to have such a global style forum were I may be inspired by an Indian Kurti one day, the musings of a Parisienne the next and apply the principles of what I have learned to my wardrobe in semi rural Scotland. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/4#post-685842 Mon, 06 Aug 2012 01:21:10 +0000 Angie 685842@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This thread is on it's fourth page! Wow!</p> <p>There is no one way to be stylish and that is a *key* point. AT LAST we live in a fashion era that is a lot more celebratory of varying body types, complexions and style personas. A true break through! I have lived in the Far East, Western Europe (actually in France, LF - I am waving to you :)! ), Africa and America. I also frequently travel all over the globe. It becomes more and more clear to me how style is a celebration of individuality and personal expression, and that there is no one right way of expressing it. I love that! It's so very liberating for us all. </p> <p>I like Shiny's point about her white bag. As a light blonde, a cream, bone or white bag is a slam dunk choice because it picks up the colours in our hair. A tan or beige bag would not have the same attractive and crisp effect. The point is that you have to choose *your* white. For some it's optical white, for others its a cream and for others it's a light tan. I hope that makes sense! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/4#post-685827 Mon, 06 Aug 2012 01:02:19 +0000 shiny 685827@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>LF, I'd agree that a beige or nude bag would last longer than a white bag, though my cobbler may say "not much" -- because he made a point of berating me for buying nude/beige shoes for this very reason! He said they are impossible to clean. Even though he did a darn good decent job. </p> <p>But more than that... I just love having a white purse. This one is optic white -- not even cream. And I always get so many compliments on it. It just works with my own personal color scheme (blonde hair). Much better than beige. Beige doesn't like me so much. It's all the rage right now so I have incorporated touches here and there but along *with* white.. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/4#post-685688 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 19:33:18 +0000 DonnaF 685688@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm another person who can't predict which items I buy will turn out to be true workhorses. I've also noticed that I tend to *save* nicer items such that I tend to dress shabbily too much of the time. I'm trying to change that and tell myself that I deserve to look nice.</p> <p>I bought quite a few NAS items and a few more are on the way. I've returned most of them because they don't fit/flatter and/or I have decided they don't play well with my other clothes mostly proportion-wise or don't quite mesh with my as yet undefined style. I am struggling most with blazer alternative jackets. I have concluded that I love Nordstrom because their generous return policy enables me to ask myself for a long time: Is this item a good purchase? Will I really wear it? Is there something about it that keeps me from reaching for it? </p> <p>My quandary: Do I keep or return the red trench I bought? I went for a year or two or maybe even three without wearing my gray trench, which was in shreds and which I must have bought in the '80s because it had huge shoulders and was mid-calf length. But does that mean I don't NEED a raincoat? I hate to use umbrellas so I think I just coped with getting soggy. This trench has a hood so it takes care of my umbrella aversion, but last year it only really rained during one month, so I am second guessing myself. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685606 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 17:15:19 +0000 Anonymous 685606@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>goldenpig,</p> <p>There's absolutely no need to slink away!! I admit I was puzzled an hour ago. Last week you posted a thread on WIW which, if I remember rightly, you said you hoped was a Parisian chic look, and which I highly endorsed as being 'spot-on' Parisian, then suddenly, today, you APPEARED to be ridiculing the Parisian attitude. I'm sorry for my less than gracious response! Forgiven?? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685601 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 17:10:19 +0000 Anonymous 685601@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I simply couldn't agree more, shiny!! May I make just one suggestion? If you had bought that white leather handbag in a light camel, a beige or nude shade, it wouldn't need replacing! (One of the little tricks of this whole 'investment dressing' ethos! :-)) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685591 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 16:45:47 +0000 shiny 685591@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thinking about my spring purchases, it's interesting because what happened is that I wound up wearing these few purchases to death. I really could get away with a much smaller wardrobe. Easily. </p> <p>I bought just four items: </p> <p>1) an "on trend" ponte knit color block sheath (beige, black and florescent citron) from AT;<br /> 2) a very nice, classic light grey lightweight wool sheath from Theory (one of the rare higher-end brands I can sometimes fit into);<br /> 3) another Theory dress, navy blue, very well made in a knit.<br /> 4) a fun AT clutch made out of cork. </p> <p>I have worn all these items constantly, dressed down and dressed up, to work, to play, and out at night. #3 is still going strong this summer; #1 and #2 still work for AC'd office days. They all mix and match seamlessly into the rest of my wardrobe. #1 was just the shot of trendy that I craved. #2 and #3 will prove to be wardrobe workhorses for years to come, as they are both simple and timeless styles in neutral colors. And #4 was just too much of an unusual statement to pass up. </p> <p>This is what happened with my winter and my fall purchases as well, though I am hard pressed to remember what I bought. </p> <p>This summer I've mostly focused on replacing sun dresses. Summer clothes wear out so much more quickly than anything else. I bought the two maxis and a simple, inexpensive black knit dress from ATL. Summer is also my time of year to refresh lingerie and pj's. </p> <p>Last summer, all I bought was the Jcrew metallic flip flops (I don't find flip flops comfortable but wow, these are!) and a Jcrew straw beach bag. That's it. </p> <p>Fall is my biggest splurge season of the year since I live in Boston. </p> <p>I probably need to replace my white leather bag. It's going on 3 years now. I took it in this winter and had it cleaned. They did a decent job but white is hard to get pristinely like-new clean -- I think this may be it's last season. I also took my favorite nude sandals in and a pair of nude heels and had those cleaned "good as new" too. The sandals are going on 5 or 6 years now -- surprising! This is what I love about quality shoes and purses: they can be revived, resoled, cleaned, hardware changed etc to last for years and years... this is one area to spend $ on. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685589 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 16:35:52 +0000 goldenpig 685589@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>LF,<br /> Please don't take it personally, I wasn't judging you at all. I am just very down right now about my own personal fashion quandary. It has nothing to do with you at all. I'll remove my post since it seems you have taken it in the wrong light. I think you are super stylish and would love to be as stylish as you.<br /> So sorry! Please don't take offense! I'll slink away now. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685588 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 16:31:00 +0000 Anonymous 685588@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>goldenpig,</p> <p>Well all I can say is that leaves you questioning both my personal fashion-sense, as well as that of virtually every chic, elegant Frenchwoman!! I don't know how well you have read this thread, or the one Jayne has started, where I stated exactly where I was coming from, but judging from your reaction I would guess it is only very superficially. Are over 30 million of the best-dressed women in the world so very wrong according to the 'wisdom' of goldenpig??? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685585 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 16:23:42 +0000 goldenpig 685585@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What a great thought-provoking thread! Thanks LF! I love reading everyone's perspective.</p> <p>ETA: removed because it somehow was taken in the wrong spirit. I was just trying to tell my personal story, not pass judgment on anyone else's style! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685584 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 16:22:16 +0000 Anonymous 685584@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Shiny,</p> <p>It's clear from reading you that you have become one heck of a savvy, budget conscious, 'investment dressing' aware fashionista! I salute you! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685570 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 16:08:37 +0000 shiny 685570@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great thread! When I originally discovered YLF, I had recently lost weight. I needed to overhaul everything. I was fortunate to be in a financial position I didn't have to worry about how much I was spending. You don't want to know how much I spent... I bought way too much. Some turned out to be investment pieces, other pieces were inexpensive and more like experiments to get me out of my style shell. Some of these inexpensive pieces worked well, and I then invested in better versions. Others did not work -- but I learned a valuable lesson that they just weren't "me" -- and these items have been released. </p> <p>At a certain point, I realized I had arrived at "enough." But I still enjoyed the hunt. So I established a monthly clothing budget and stuck to it for a long time. Except then something happened: I found that I truly really honestly DID have "enough" -- and I began to discover I wasn't spending my monthly budget. "Oh, I already have something just like that... " and I'd leave empty handed. </p> <p>This is around the time I stopped posting on the forum. I shifted instead to a seasonal, rather than monthly, shopping pattern. I would let the monthly money accrue, then go on one big whopping excursion at the start of the season. I would buy maybe 3-4 new pieces, not necessarily replacements. Just items that gave me a smile and refreshed my wardrobe to feel more current. I admit I didn't even bother waiting for sales, since I had the budget, having waited for several months to build it up. </p> <p>Keeping to a budget has been great -- it's enabled me to save up for kids' college tuition. For the next four years, my budget is going to continue to be constrained by those costs. But there's more to it than that -- it's great discipline and it does make you strategize and think through your wardrobe, what makes sense to invest in, what to add for just the right trendy touch. </p> <p>I will say here that my biggest gripe is that I'm so petite, it's rare that regular size clothes fit me right, without requiring extensive tailoring (if it was just a hem, no biggie... but often I am told it is a total 'remake' and not worth it). My gripe is that petite clothing is made of inexpensive fabrics. I would LOVE to add some high-end designer pieces but they just don't fit me. Don't get me wrong, i do just fine in Ann Taylor and Banana Republic, which aren't cheap -- but they aren't designer either. </p> <p>That said, i do have fun with purses and shoes. However, I have learned that there's only so many of those that I need. </p> <p>I am quite happy with where my wardrobe is at this time. However, there are some pieces now targeted for replacement, and I'm mostly focused on that -- with the occasional trendy whim thrown in. The J Crew coat I bought years ago when I first joined YLF is still going strong, and the cobalt color is even still on trend. That was probably one of my best purchases. There are still a few ever-elusive purchases, like the perfect knee-high boots in a color light enough for spring transition, and the perfect red purse. I am content to wait for perfection on these items. In the shoe department, believe it or not, I have only added two new pairs in about two years (the SW ballet flats and a pair of Jcrew metallic flip flops). </p> <p>I am also focused on dresses lately -- cannot seem to get enough of them. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685567 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 16:06:57 +0000 Anonymous 685567@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Christy,</p> <p>You are clearly 'on track' to becoming a very elegant and chic woman!!!</p> <p>OF COURSE you spent a lot the first year at the NAS. In the situation you describe, it makes perfect sense. The fact that you took a joint decision with your husband this year, and stuck to an agreed budget is very wise. Well Done!!</p> <p>I too have been delighted with my NAS purchases. I stuck strictly to what I needed to replace, like my 20-year-old Burberry, and was thrilled when it arrived, and I found that even with shipping and taxes, I had made several hundreds of dollars of savings., The same with my Diane Von Furstenberg silk dress. I just love it, and it, too, was a great purchase. Would you believe that until I joined YLF I had no idea what the NAS meant?? LOL!! Thanks for responding so thoughtfully! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685538 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 15:27:37 +0000 christy 685538@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This really has been a terrific read and so thought provoking. I must confess to being one of the people who had a major "haul" from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, both this year and last. Last year I was in the midst of a major wardrobe renovation - a huge closet edit (with Angie's help) followed by (hopefully) thoughtful and purposeful investments in new items. This year, I've found that my style is continuing to evolve. Many of the pieces I bought last year are the mainstays of my modern classic wardrobe. This year, I've wanted to try to "edge" up my style a bit and have added pieces that will help accomplish that goal, but still work with the other items. </p> <p>My career requires that I dress professionally and has provided me with the means to do so - I recognize that I'm quite fortunate in that regard. But that doesn't preclude me from needing to be thoughtful in how much I spend. Last year, budget kind of went out the window at NAS (and after) as I rebuilt my wardrobe. This year, when NAS came around, my husband and I discussed what would be a reasonable amount to spend and I've been carefully tracking my purchases and it has been quite interesting to see how that budget has forced me to think more carefully about each purchase. I have taken back many less-than-perfect items that I might have kept if I didn't have that budget holding me accountable. </p> <p>I also have to say that Nordstrom is simply the store where I consistently have the best luck. They have a great petite department; they have everything from lingerie to business to casual to shoes. I'm most consistently satisfied with the quality of my Nordstrom purchases and if I'm not, back it goes and I've never had a problem with returns. That's is the type of dedication to customer service that I will reward with my clothing dollars. Therefore, I save my pennies for NAS and much of my budget goes toward this sale. Not only that, but I now have an alterations budget there that will allow me to get my Nordstrom pieces altered (many for free, since often it's just a hem or shortening sleeves). I just took in four items that have been languishing in my closet because the fit wasn't quite right. Three of those pieces are going to require some fairly extensive alterations and I might have balked at those alterations if I had to pay for them. I essentially just added four practically new pieces by having the alterations done - for free to boot! </p> <p>My goal now is to do another major closet edit, get rid of any not-perfect pieces and enjoy what I've purchased! Additions from now on will be *very* thoughtful and likely include some of the "investment" pieces that you've referred to. </p> <p>Whew - didn't mean for this to turn into a novella! But very useful for me! :)Thank you for the excellent topic. </p> <p>ETA: I hope this doesn't come across as "defensive" of my NAS purchases! This was a timely post as I've been wondering a bit about how much I have spent this year at NAS and this has helped me define the value of my purchases. I feel good about where I am! So truly a thank you! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685536 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 15:17:05 +0000 Anonymous 685536@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Nancylee,</p> <p>It seems as if you have an excellent grasp on what works for you. If this thread has helped just a wee bit to hone your unique style, and to start 'investment' dressing according to your own priorities, then that's just great, too! Thanks for the feedback! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685441 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 13:58:32 +0000 nancylee 685441@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This has been a most inspiring and informative read. Thank you for starting the conversation, LF.</p> <p>Like many, I struggle to find the balance between maintaining a reasonable clothing budget and building a workable yet fashionable wardrobe. I've been fortunate to have found YLF at a time when I could afford to spend a little more on clothing than I had in the past, but even so I've been feeling it's time to rein in the spending a bit. For the first time in my life, during 2012, I've kept track of how many new items I've purchased and how much I've spent....and it's higher than I would have predicted. I haven't put our budget in peril, but I have decided that to continue to spend this much on a yearly basis would be wasteful when there are so many other things my money can do.</p> <p>I do love the 'concept' of a very small wardrobe, but my extremely varied 4-season climate really requires a larger collection than the 33 items Vivienne suggests. I also think I would become bored with such limited options. Before I found YLF I actually had a very tiny closet of neutral basics (dresses, denim, tees, and blouses) that I perked up with scarves and jewelry. It was fine, but I am much happier with my now larger wardrobe that allows room for the prints and patterns I love so much.</p> <p>There is beauty in restraint and balance, though, and now that my wardrobe is in such lovely shape (thanks to YLF) I think it is time for me to start a new phase of more thoughtful wardrobe cultivation. Thanks again LF and all for the insights on this topic. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685427 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 13:33:20 +0000 Anonymous 685427@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>JR,</p> <p>If you are really interested in learning to know how to privilege 'fair trade' and refuse cheap goods at the cost of exploiting other more vulnerable people in some of the poorest countries, the World Council of Churches maintains a regularly up-dated list. I can get one for you. It's what I use, and it's why I singled out H&amp;M and Zara as two of the worst culprits, because the WCC along with concerned individuals have lobbied and petitioned them to no avail. As far as I'm concerned their practices are as obscene as those of the slave-traders in the past!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685422 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 13:21:19 +0000 Traci 685422@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm not even sure if it was overtly said, but this thread has also inspired me to take some items in that have been needing alterations. I think sometimes we buy multiples of things because we're looking for the one that fits perfectly right off the rack, when it may just need a nip or tuck to be perfect. I also located a cobbler very near to my place of work who I will be visiting soon for a little stretch to the toe of a pair of beautiful booties and a coating on the leather soles of my new oxfords.</p> <p>I think the upkeep of our clothes is a huge thing we've lost sight of. I've only recently learned how much kinder it is to my clothes to hang them up after a wearing if they are not terribly soiled, rather than washing and drying everything in the machines every time I wear them. I know that my clothes that need mending tend to get forgotten because I have so many replications. Having only one perfect thing and then losing or ruining that one perfect thing is definitely something that holds me back.</p> <p>I've been living with a more limited closet capsule lately, but I'm thinking of culling it down to around 30 items to see how it feels. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685417 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 13:09:06 +0000 JR 685417@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>La Française, that is an excellent point. I boycotted chocolate for a long time (unless it was fair trade) for this very reason. I gave up in frustration when I realized that I would have to boycott almost everything to eliminate unfair and destructive practices. The amount of research involved in knowing what to buy and what not to buy was simply overwhelming.</p> <p>That said, I would be very glad to spend more responsibly if I knew how to do it. So if anyone on here can share the names of brands - especially lower-end ones - that do not use sweat shops, I would be very grateful. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685414 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 12:50:42 +0000 cheryle (Dianthus) 685414@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is a very interesting thread. I am in the process of customizing the plan for my new home and while reading through this thread realized that I am applying many of the principles espoused to my new home purchase but don't apply them to my wardrobe. For example, I added a 7' addition to the kitchen and redesigned the cabinetry at an incremental cost of $12,000 because the kitchen will be an integral part of the home for our planned lifestyle. I am making decisions based on the use of the upgrade and putting the money towards items that will give the greatest utility. </p> <p>I have followed the spend until I am running low on money for the period philosophy but find that much of my wardrobe languishes unused and unworn because I lack discipline and planning. When I gained weight this winter, I bought fewer basic pieces and found that even then, only about half of them were worn with great regularity. My great downfall is that I lose interest in pieces fairly quickly and use shopping as recreation. Perhaps by reallocating that time to my fitness regime, I can keep my weight more consistent and avoid the over-shopping issue.</p> <p>As I read through this thread, it gelled that I need a plan AND a budget. I am turning 50 this fall and plan to retire when I am 55 (6 years). My wardrobe needs will be much different after retirement. </p> <p>Thanks LF and all of the posters for your insight. It has been very thought provoking. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685411 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 12:39:38 +0000 Anonymous 685411@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have not read every single post yet, but I intend to do so. This post has really inspired me. I have always watched my clothing budget, but it never occurred to me to include beauty/hair costs as well. I think I should. I am going to sit down today and look at what has been spent to date (for this year) and plan on what I should spend for the remainder of the year. Thank you so much for this post. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685224 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 01:14:04 +0000 ironkurtin 685224@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>LF, I am glad to hear that you look at the labels. I do it too. Ir's one reason why I refuse to shop at Old Navy (just as an example) and prefer smaller independent designers, especially those who make their clothes in the USA or their own country of origin. Angie always says that style is available at every price point, and it is true, but I am lucky enough to be able to afford choice, and so I vote with my wallet. Even with used clothing! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685138 Sat, 04 Aug 2012 22:19:25 +0000 Anonymous 685138@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yes, Makrame, there is. The French word for three-quarters is trois-quarts. Hence, a three-quarter length coat is often referred to as a 'trois-quart'. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685136 Sat, 04 Aug 2012 22:15:54 +0000 Makrame 685136@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>LF, I related your story about the Max Mara coat to my mom, and she was amazed that this level of service/care still exists.</p> <p>The conversation about coats/trenches led her to reminisce about a "summer coat" that her mother used to have, which was custom made by a tailor and worn for many years (as were most of my grandmother's clothes). She also remembered that her grandmother (my great-grandmother) used to own a lightweight summer coat that was called (in Russian) a "truacar". I looked the work up online and apparently it comes from a French word meaning 3/4 (as in jacket or coat that covers 3/4 length of a dress). Is there a similar/related term for a item of clothing in French? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685133 Sat, 04 Aug 2012 22:00:05 +0000 Anonymous 685133@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>JR;</p> <p>All you say there makes sense, BUT Gaylene raises an interesting point when she says that it is only in recent years that clothes have become 'cheap' in the developed world. That raises more than a sartorial issue: it introduces a moral one too. I'd love to ask the advocates of fast, cheap, here-today-gone-tomorrow disposable 'trendy' fashion to look at their labels. I guarantee that in the overwhelming majority of cases this is because it has been made in developing world sweatshops working 24/7 and employing sweated labour to produce it. </p> <p>Now, I spend 3-4 months of each year in some of the poorest countries of the world. I am a great advocate of rich-world manufacturers sourcing their raw materials from countries for whom cotton, to name just one example, is the only cash crop. I think it is immoral that the US government hands out subsidies to cotton farmers that exceed the GDP of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso combined (the leading African cotton producers). I rejoice when top labels make a conscious decision to favour these countries when importing their raw materials, which they then turn into well-made clothes, paying their employees a good salary for their cutting skills or their craftsmanship. BUT, I DESPISE stores like H&amp;M or Zara who sell the fruits of sweatshop labour, and I invite all YLFers who buy such things to examine their consciences! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685078 Sat, 04 Aug 2012 20:59:16 +0000 JR 685078@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think there's a way to meld these ways of thinking. No matter what your lifestyle, it makes sense to spend on quality for those items where it will be cost-effective. The details of that will vary from one person to another, but the principle holds.</p> <p>When I was the young mother of five children, that pretty much meant my winter coat, a couple of blazers, a pair of good pants. Winter boots I preferred to spend a bit more on too, because in our climate, it really matters if your cheap ones don't even make it through the season. I didn't buy white pants, because grubby little fingers always had them dirty within fifteen minutes. And most of my clothes were cheap, both out of financial necessity and because they were going to get stained so quickly anyway.</p> <p>Now I am in another phase of life, and I will be able to start thinking a bit differently. But I am one of those people who has been going through a complete wardrobe overhaul because of my changing body, and I will stick to cheap for most things until it's over. Except for the things that I can keep for a number of years.</p> <p>And it really is true that sometimes you buy "cheap" and get lasting quality anyway. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/staying-on-top-of-the-fashion-budget/page/3#post-685064 Sat, 04 Aug 2012 20:41:12 +0000 qfbrenda 685064@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I love the idea of buying better items vs. buying lots of lower quality stuff. I haven't been able to live it out that well since I've had to replace my entire wardrobe in the last 15 months. My plan is to upgrade through attrition. As certain items wear out I hope to buy better items. For example, when my basic black cotton sweater needs to be replaced, I plan to buy a decent quality cashmere version. </p> <p>And some items just cry out to be relatively inexpensive, for instance white t-shirts. I'm going to stain the expensive ones just as fast as the cheap ones so I might as well save my money for something that will last longer in my closet.</p> <p>There's no way I could have followed this philosophy from the beginning of improving my wardrobe, but I can lean more that way as time goes on.</p> <p>For what it's worth, The Vivienne Files has been discussing this exact topic: <a href="http://theviviennefiles.blogspot.com/2012/08/project-333-redefining-normal.html" rel="nofollow">http://theviviennefiles.blogsp.....ormal.html</a></p> <p>I don't see me ever getting down to 33 wardrobe items, and tend to think it's almost impossible for those who live with four true seasons. It would also be very difficult if not impossible for someone who spends their days in an office and takes care of young children at home. But being more mindful about the amount we buy makes sense to me. </p>