Buying clothing for special occasions

renae

My DH thinks I'm a rare woman because I don't like to buy clothing for events like weddings or Christmas parties. I would rather spend my clothing dollars on items I wear often. And now this article backs me up!

http://www.psychologytoday.com.....e-in-while

14 years ago

Shopping

18 replies

Latest reply was from velvetychocolate

HelenInCanada

Veteran

I like Gretchen Reubens! Positivity queen.

I think splurges are often on "special occasion" clothing like formal gowns and dressy coats simply because they're typically a LOT more pricey, but how many of us have an abundance of those in our closets? So, dollar for dollar, I'm willing to bet most of us spend the majority of our clothing budget on items we wear a lot - numerous pairs of jeans/leggings/trousers, cotton tops, items for work, accessories to spice up everyday clothes, boots, running shoes, sweaters, etc. Things we don't necessarily wear to a wedding or a glitzy party. I do agree though there are women (I've been guilty of this in the past) who buy lots of eye-catching dress-up stuff like cocktail dresses, long awesome skirts, etc. when they encounter them and love them...and then don't have enough suitable events to wear them to!

14 years ago

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I hate to buy something that I will only wear once. But I have embraced the idea of pieces that I can dress down for daily use, or keep on hand for multiple occasions (party/wedding/funeral, etc). I have one dark dress and one floaty skirt that I consider to fall into these categories. It just doesn't make sense to devote a whole lot of money to pieces that I won't get wear out of more than once.

14 years ago

kimlee

Veteran

Khris - I am with you...buying clothing that I will only wear once is not something that I like doing. Last year, our company hosted a Valentine's Banquet - and I had to go out and buy a formal dress. I waited in the last possible day (the night before) to make a purchase because I did not want to invest time or money into something that I would likely not wear again. Thankfully, I managed to find a suitable dress for less than $100.00. But it has hung in my closet every since....

14 years ago

MsMary

Veteran

I like to spend money on things I wear more often, too. I was super psyched to find a fab formal for the cruise for $25 at the vintage store!!

14 years ago

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

I am the opposite. We have very few events where I will see all of my family all together. They happen maybe once every 5-10 years. I view it as an important time to remake my image with my family. This is how they will remember me for a long long time.

14 years ago

bj1111

Veteran

weddings and funerals are easy...i struggle with more formal than cocktail, but less formal than black tie--usually driven by the participants. plus, i have an aversion to standard cocktail dresses, which i find a bit forgettable. and i would rather be a teensy bit underdressed than a teensy bit overdressed.

14 years ago

qfbrenda

Veteran

I rarely buy things for a special occasion because I'm not going to be going to a cocktail party in this lifetime. We just don't run in those kind of social circles. So I need to be ready for a wedding or funeral... that's about it. And I have to make myself shop for those kind of pieces. I would rather focus on regular, every day clothes.

14 years ago

missvee

Veteran

If you're on a budget this is where consignment stores can come in really handy. Also, borrowing from a friend or relative is a great idea too, provided you're willing to reciprocate! And in some cities there are stores that rent gowns/dresses for a fraction of their retail value - worth checking out if there's one near you.

14 years ago

Anonymous

Oh , I love to shop for events. Even if you wear it once ( which I don't , I can either dress them down or wear to multiple events) it's still a nice opportunity to be a little more glam.
I spent a lot of time looking for my prom dress. I wore it to the prom and 3 weddings after. And If I have a black tie event with people that weren't at the prom or at those event I might still wear it. (It's a black gown - with thick bra-hiding straps, ruching and draping)
I like all the fond memories. And I usually buy higher end ( in terms of construction and fit - not money )day dresses( as opposed to ditsy numbers) that can double as cocktail attire if fancified with some shoes. I like thinking about special occasion looks even if I don't shell out big bucks, It's nice to have some special standbys , bought not in a rush and on deep sale, so you're not in a" omg what the hell should I wear" when something a bit more formal happens.

14 years ago

(website)

Veteran

I did buy both a dress suitable for weddings and one I could use in a pinch for a funeral earlier this year on discount. I like knowing they are there and ready and I won't have to scramble last minute. But beyond that, I'm not too keen on lining my closet with pretty dresses for a dream life I don't lead

14 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I like to shop for events IF and I repeat IF I have plenty of advance notice and am not rushing around like a lunatic.

I totally lucked out when we were invited to one of the inaugural balls a couple of years ago. I found a gorgeous red gown that fit me with no alterations, in Nordstrom. Now I just wish I had more occasion to wear it!

Because of my husband's work, we go to at least two events a year that require either corporate dressy or cocktail attire. The bad thing about that is, the same people are at the events each year, and I can't show up in the same dress I wore the year before!

14 years ago

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I have a bad habit of buying new special occasion clothes for each event. Now I have an overflowing cocktail dressing capsule. I do have events to go to, like the opera.

14 years ago

Anonymous

I have a couple cocktail dresses, a couple ball gowns and a smattering of cocktail 'mix and match' as the result of 20+ years of Christmas / formal work events.

A few are pricey never worn again but mostly I feel best in the mix and match stuff (shoes and accessories to match)

If it wasn't part of work I would have one long, and one knee length LBD or whatever colour suits you for all occasions
But like Janet I have several events each year, with the same people

14 years ago

Elly

Veteran

I have a sexy black tie look, but I really don't have anything for most of the "cocktail" occasions in my life, like nicer weddings and things that need a little less sparkle and a little more coverage than my "tuxedo" halter dress.

I'm not 19 anymore and and polyester jersey cannot go everywhere any longer.

14 years ago

(website)

Veteran

I LOVE special occasion dresses (I figured out many years ago that they're often much more flattering to my hourglass figure than a lot of everyday fashion), but I don't like buying things for one specific event. I like having a few lovely things in my closet that I can pop on when necessary, rather than dealing with the stress of "I have to find something for THIS WEEKEND!"

14 years ago

Mellllls

Veteran

I wear most of my special occasion attire to multiple events these days. For the annual work Christmas party I am going to wear a favorite that I just wore for a dinner in NY C.

14 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I'm the opposite! I Love to shop for a special event - even when it means I'll only wear the item a few times.

14 years ago

velvetychocolate

Veteran

I love shopping for special events - and struggle with buying basics/everyday wear. Like Janet though, it helps a whole lot if I have lots of advance notice. I don't like shopping for a fancy dress at the very last minute, extremely stressful!

14 years ago

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