IK, so you are looking at why people dismiss above a certain price point? I know some have volunteered reasons in this thread, but I think for most it's not such a mystery. Below a certain price point, quality becomes an issue, and above a certain price point, quality becomes a moot point.

I strongly believe that I am too poor to afford to buy cheap clothing - but I try to be reasonable in my choices. I recently made a big mistake (spending $70 on a dress to have a pill like no one's business by wear #3) and I am definitely kicking myself in the bum-bum for that.

I am contemplating making a big purchase, so I bought a similar item ($30) to see how much I'd actually use the more expensive item. I can afford to make a $30 mistake. I cannot afford to make a $1200 mistake! Whenever I splurge on an item (lets say, >$50) I make sure it's returnable, or that I have tried something similar so I know for sure it will work on me (fit and flare dresses, usually!)

This is in interesting thread, to say the least. My problem with paying full price has been a combination of sticking to a budget and knowing the stores have a comfortable profit margin in which to operate. WIth a mother making my clothing for the first 27 years of my life, I knew that the cost of making something was far below the cost of buying it retail. That said, I have somewhat changed over the years, and now have certain price points I'm willing to pay for certain items. For example, I sometimes pay full price for really comfortable shoes, but really bargain hunt for knit tops, tees or tanks. I still love clearance sales, and doubt I'll ever get that out of my system--not with a mom that went through the Great Depression and taught me how to be frugal! Still, there's the rational part of my brain that says good quality clothing lasts and is therefore worth paying more for; that quality trumps quantity. And with a seamstress mom, I learned how to spot quality. I know my fabrics, know how to take care of those fabrics, and know what quality workmanship looks like. This knowledge has helped me avoid many a shopping mistake. The bottom line is that my present shopping habits are such that I get enough bargains on certain items to make up for the few items I pay full price for. It all balances out in the end, and I stay within my budget. Hope all this rambling makes sense!

I just read through the entire thread and am finding this discussion very interesting.
If I am shopping for a specific item (example black ankle boots), I will decide what attributes the item must have in order to be considered. Once I have narrowed it down to a few choices, price may be a factor if there is a significant variation between the contenders. I do evaluate somewhat based on price. If the boots are equally comfortable, stylish, and comparable in terms of fabrication, I am more likely to buy the pair that is $150 over the pair that is $250. That makes perfect sense to me.

I am far from a fashion mecca in mid-Canada. If another fashionista buys a pair of boots that are the current season and pays $500 and I buy them at the end of the season for $200 and we both wear them for 5 years, have I forgone anything? I would likely enjoy them as much as the other owner and it wouldn't matter to me if there was a newer slightly different version on the market when I purchased mine. I would also hazard a guess that no one would know that I had spent less - not that I would care. I am actually quite proud of making the best use of the money I have.

I also recognize the value of a quality bra. In Canada, authorized distributors seem to control the price of the items being sold so a bra that sells at Nordstrom for $60-70 will cost $120-150 in Canada. I would prefer to order my favorite bra which I know fits me well from a U.S. online retailer for $60. I still frequent the local shop and do buy from them (both of my panache sports bras) but only when it makes sense to me.

I live in a climate where winter is long and harsh so I value the time I spend away. I have rented a beautiful condo on a beach in Mexico for the entire month of January to escape from -30-40C weather. I consider this to be essential to my health and well-being. I was also able to give my son a significant sum of money to enable him to buy his first home. We all have priorities - they just differ. That is what makes life fun. We are all different but also the same.

Excellent discussion.

I am from India and clothes arent so expensive there.
I can get the best of fabrics and still get it stitched to my size in what would still be considered inexpensive.
Now in Norway where I am currently unemployed its still difficult for me to buy anything thats not on sale because I immediately think why would it cost so much!!!!

So thats my story... India plus currently unemployed:)

I'll be honest - I thought long and hard about whether or not I wanted to comment on this thread. As a die-hard thrifter/consignment store shopper, I obviously do not pay full price for many items in my wardrobe (probably half of my wardrobe). This is due to a couple of reasons.

First and foremost is my budget. Even with shopping bargains, I have spent more on my wardrobe in the last year than ever, including when I went through 5 clothing sizes. I'm pleased with my closet when I look in it but I do have some guilt in that I have taken money away from things that could have benefited my entire family as opposed to just me. This is something I am thinking on. Even with my NAS purchases (which I am absolutely THRILLED with), there is no way I could have afforded to purchase those items at full cost. The bargain of them being on mark down meant I could buy 8 items versus 1-2 items had they been at full price. To me this isn't being afraid of full price, it's smart shopping.

I also purchase items through thrifting when I'm wanting to test out a new silhouette or item for me. It's something I'm not sure of in terms of my personal style so I am not going to spend more on it until I'm sure it's something that is going to work. This equates to the expensive mistake issue.

Thirdly, I have been every size between a 6 and size 22 and I know myself to know that I struggle to maintain the same size for any length of time. I would absolutely hate purchasing a $400 pair of Theory trousers and find 9 months down the line I can no longer fit them. Not only is that a waste of my hard earned dollars, but the trousers would then sit there making me feel horrible about my weight and mess with my self esteem.

I've made a lot of purchasing mistakes through thrifting, it's true, and I'm getting better at knowing what fits well and works for me whether it be a Value Village find or a Nordstrom purchase.

I've learned the value of a good handbag and good shoes and those I'm more likely to pay more for because I want them to last and they will always fit. Other than that, I intend on remaining a bargain hunter.

This is SUCH an interesting discussion!! I have been following every development!!

Not sure I have much to add though.I guess I think of my budget in yearly terms, work out what needs replacing and what new things I might add, and divide it up. I wear orthotics, and buy special shoes for that every two years - bang goes $200+. If I spend say $1000 a year (and I often spend a fair bit less than that) I have to spend only a certain amount on every item. I can't afford to spend it all on a coat even if it does last 20 years! (although I have learnt a lot from Gaylene and am now trying to follow her buy "fewer items with better quality" example) I do have a dress which I bought for $40 about 11 years ago which is still going strong.

I do think that I draw the line at what I consider "expensive clothing" for reasons related to my beliefs - my beauty is not supposed to come from that (but you might not want me to mention that, IK) I have to admit that what I consider NOT expensive clothing has moved up a bit in price tag since I joined YLF and since I realized how historically cheap clothing is!

I'm sure that no matter what my budget is, I will continue to be a bargain hunter. However, I don't feel that everything I buy has to be a bargain. As long as what I pay for meets all my pre-set criteria, and as long as I get a lot of use out of what I buy, I don't think it matters. All that matters is that I'm actually using what I buy and that I'm not going over budget to do it. My mom taught me that there's no economy in buying cheap stuff that doesn't hold up, but that it's also foolish not to hunt for bargains. I also make sure that what's in my closet actually works for my lifestyle. For example, I paid full price for a cocktail dress to wear on my 25th wedding anniversary cruise because (1) I don't have a cocktail dress and (2) the dress I bought can be worn for other occasions. I refuse to buy a long evening gown for such an occasion, even though many women wear such dresses for the ship's formal night, but I can't see me ever wearing that type of dress for any other occasion in my life. The cost of such a dress, even on sale, would be high because I'd only wear it once. This is but one example of how I rationalize what to splurge on.

I hope no one feels attacked by me starting this conversation. I guess money conversations are always loaded. For the record, 90% of my wardrobe is used off ebay. I remember the day I realized I didn't have a single pair of shoes that hadn't been worn by someone else first. Upside: they were $500 shoes, and I paid maybe $50 plus shipping. Downside: Not to be all man about it, but sometimes it's nice to be first.

MPJ: I am finding it interesting how different people come to your equation.

Anne, I like your point that beauty comes from the inside. That is always true!

Downside: Not to be all man about it, but sometimes it's nice to be first.

Ok. That's funny (!)

**
I will try to keep a lid on my own fire. Money is always a hot issue, whether you've got it or not. I was raised spendy, but I was also raised not to be greedy. I've had to work on not getting on people's nerves with a reluctance to accept when they suggest buying something for me. Reject the gift, reject person - or so life has implied it to me.

Anyways, continuing on about being raised spendy... This has been what my life's experience has suggested:

There IS a point of diminishing returns. A threshold above which a dollar's increase in price brings less and less in terms of value to hang your hat on. The threshold, however, is not universal for all items. Different things have different thresholds. $1000 of food is not the same as $1000 in rent. $1000 dollars put towards food could last you several months. A $1000 put towards rent - I'm not sure you can even get into a place with only $1000, considering you need to put down deposits etc.

So I would fly to another city for a meal prepared under the auspices of one specific chef in this world, but I will not spend more than $30 bucks on a suitcase ever again. Suitcases used weekly will need replacing at the same rate, whether $30 or $300. And, frankly, when the monkey back in baggage handling is done jumping on it, you will feel less distraught over the loss of the $30 one. No beauty has been destroyed.

But you know, go to Vegas and have this one meal - and honey, you're done. Life is complete ;>

Great points, rachylou! We all have our items for which we will splash out the big bucks. For example, I've spent $1,000 for a pair of theatre tickets and $1,500 for a pair of basketball tickets and was blissfully happy to have done so both times! Whereas I still can't imagine spending that much money for a single piece of clothing even though the piece of clothing would presumably last much longer than an evening at the entertainment venue.

Crazy, huh?

It is funny the way it works. Then again, our hearts lie in different places. I mean, what, am I gonna buy fish food when I have dog?

But also funny... ya know, I do believe Americans pay less for food as a percentage of income than anyone else in the world. On the one hand that means we don't pay a fair price; food is subsidized for everyone. On the other, it's reflective of a social sentiment - a fair price means that everyone can pay it when they go to the store.

Some goods are kinda universal. Some have select audiences. And some audiences are held hostage... which is bad, very bad.

MaryK, great point. I only hesitated for a fraction of a second when my husband told me how much box-seat tickets for the Orioles-Yankees playoff games would cost, because this is the first time in 15 years I've had the opportunity to see such a thing, and the first time in my life I could afford such a thing. Were those hours in the rain delay, the crowds leaving the stadium, etc., all worth it? Oh my, yes, *to me* the entire experience was priceless. To someone who is not a lifelong Orioles fan (or a baseball fan at all), the price would have been one in a long list of reasons not to go to the game.

I have spent nearly as much on an item to wear, and I anticipate it will serve me for years and years to come. I expect I'll get as much enjoyment out of that garment as I did out of our playoff tickets, just in a different way.

I also understand when someone balks at the price of an item, even if they could afford it in theory, if they know that buying the item would make it tricky to purchase many other pieces of clothing. For example, if someone loses/gains weight and has to replenish their wardrobe with a finite budget, or moves to a radically different climate and needs to add lots of new clothes at once, I see shopping for sales/deals as a smart way to get the most bang for your buck.
Now, I get in trouble when I get excited BECAUSE something is on sale-I personally make way more mistakes that way!

IK's question has made me aware of the complexity that is inherent in my decision to purchase, or not purchase, an item.

Just a couple of the thoughts that might enter into the decision as to whether or not something was worth the price:

Should I pay full price or is it more sensible to wait for a sale? What proportion of my income do I want (or can I) devote to clothing myself. How much variety do I need in my wardrobe? How big a wardrobe do I want (or need)? How important is it to me that I try new trends and experiment with new looks? Does my body shape tend to change or stay the same over a period of time? Do I feel I need to account to others when I spend money on myself? How do I determine something is "quality"--and when does it turn into "luxury" or "wastefulness"? Am I willing to investigate alternatives to traditional B&M shopping such as thrift stores, online re-sellers, and craft sources? How much time do I want to spend sourcing out my clothing? And the list could go on...

The thread has made me realize that my answers to these questions form the basis for deciding what I will be willing to pay for an item. And it is probably not a bad idea for me to realize that my responses are unique to my own background and experiences-- and are unlikely to be shared by the next person. Maybe this is an occasion where we need to agree to disagree instead of trying to convince others of the merit of our own approach?

I am not 100% sure if I am on the same page here, but I'm interpreting the question as whether or not clothing has the capacity to hold infinite worth - in other words, is there or isn't there a price at which an item can be considered "not worth the cost"?

I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all answer for this one. I'm sure you can find some billionaire out there who would trade it all for X. And someone struggling with money who would still trade it all for X. But we aren't all going to go all "Rosebud" over a piece of clothing, no matter how awesome it is. You have to factor in enjoyment/emotional attachment as well as the "usefulness" of an item when considering pros, but you also have to consider a lack of particular bliss when evaluating cons - this is on top of the budget conversation, because I feel like this is more of a philosophical question, myself.

I commented earlier but have come back & read through all the posts. One extra thing to add to the mix is how concerned are you with ethical fashion? It is one reason why a lot of people in Australia thrift shop (or go op-shopping as we say). We used to have a strong manufacturing base in clothing & footwear in Australia but our manufacturers have mostly gone overseas because they couldn't compete with the price of cheap imports. Do you think about where & how things are made before you buy them? I know I try to but it is difficult when the price difference between ethically made & everything else is so huge. I also know this is one reason people love Hermes.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sust.....n-business

My family was very poor growing up, and my mom clothed us with garage sale purchases because most thrift stores were too expensive. When we were older and could afford new clothes, they always came from Target on sale. This is how I grew up. Even with food, we planned meals around what was on sale that week.

Now that I am the breadwinner in the house, and make a decent living, I find it VERY hard to change that mentality. It doesn't help that so many retailers have trained us on sales. Several retailers I used to frequent would start discounting items after they had been in the store 3-4 weeks. Had to make room for the new items coming in. I have started to wonder if most retailers know they aren't going to get full price and just mark everything up 25%. That way, they can always run some special or promotion back down to what a fair price would have been.

I just read Caro's post and wanted to agree wholeheartedly with her.

I was going to treat myself to a new handbag and had really liked one from a designer who was known for making their bags in the US. I had never bought a $500 bag before, but it was a special treat after earning a bonus and I really, really liked the bag. Until I saw it was made in China. Sorry, not giving $500 for a designer item made in China. I expect craftsmanship for a $500 bag, not the lowest cost producer.