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Cost per wear - is it really worth it?

MsLuna

Veteran

I've been continuously working on my wardrobe through the year and managed to solidify my style goals. One of these goals is to buy items that suit only the following factors:

1) My lifestyle (climate, workplace, activities, etc)
2) My body type (squishy busty rectangle)
3) My personal style (comfy/girly/bombshell/RATE)

So basically, I spent almost an entire year trying different brands of slim leg jeans/jeggings and tall boots - because both are absolute staples in my wardrobe (I just love the tall boot over skinny look!). I have a squishy fussy belly and recently, very fussy feet - so those are the two fussiest parts of my body. I've narrowed my jeans and shoe brands to a few brands...

but there's one caveat...

A few of them are not readily available in Canada, unless I order through various retailers and pay a lot more for shipping and duty.

boo hoo!

So if you find a brand of clothing/shoes/accessories that really work for you but is not readily available in your country unless shipped there - what do you do? Do you feel that it's worth spending for, knowing that you will be wearing these items for days and days to come?

For instance - I found that after all my jean research (and boy, have I tried many), my Karen Kane jeggings (and pull-on bootcuts) stood the test of time and comfort. They never squished the belly (so it's comfortable) and they never sagged and bagged on the bum and knees. They are PERFECT, but with shipping and duties, they are a lot more than what I'd pay for a pair of jeans. I own 3-4 pairs of other brands that were either completely bagged out and hopeless or wrecked (because I would try altering them but I'm not so good at it). I really want to double up and own a few more - and even try their structured knit pants and leggings.

So is the shipping/duty worth it?

Shopping

23 replies

Latest reply was from Lisa

Makrame

Veteran

I think the high price (including shipping or any other other add-ons) is worth it if you are getting a lot of wear out of the item. I bought a $100 pair of pumps this summer, which was not the amount I would normally pay for shoes. My CPW is down to $2 because they are so comfortable and go with everything. Some less expensive shoes have not been worn as much so CPW is still high.

The only thing I have to be careful of is not duplicating something that does not need to be duplicated. Sometimes all I need is one perfect pair of jeans and not more since I only end up wearing one.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I'm in Australia so I don't have much choice if I want certain brands/designers. Yes it's worth it if you know they are far better than the substitutes.

MsLuna

Veteran

Thank you ladies!

I've been trying to justify the jeans purchase for a long time (for almost a year now), but sadly I've put myself in a financially not-so-great position so I really have to think about my purchases.

But what you say is true though - if I will be wearing it a lot, why not? I tend to have brand loyalty, and unfortunately, some brands just cost more than others. Most of the time, what stops me from buying things is that I'm just... cheap... for the most part. But then because I'm such a stickler for fit, I'm starting to realize that good fit and comfort and an alignment with my personal style makes me feel good.

As for doubling - I think Angie wrote about "doubling" up somewhere - where you buy two of the same thing so that you at least have one of the items in rotation (if the other is being washed). I'm kind of thinking about doing that with the jeans I mentioned...

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I'm a Canuck too - I try to keep everything under $125; I find the duties more reasonable even if I get "dinged"

I do order things from the UK and the US though, because I find it's worth it if I absolutely LOVE the item!

I also bug friends who are going to the US to pick up stuff for me

MsLuna

Veteran

@lyn Good idea on bugging friends

Luckily for me, I go to states every 2 years because I have family there (and my partner and I agreed to have 1 Xmas spent with his fam here and the other Xmas with my fam). I wish I had thought of shopping at specific stores though, but I didn't have much self-awareness (or brand awareness) back then.

When you say you keep everything under $125 - do you mean just for one item or multiple items?

Marley

Veteran

Yes! I think CPW is really important - AND worth it! I bought 2 pairs of Paige denim skinnies 4 - 5 years ago -spending twice as much as I'd ever spent on jeans before - and those babies have served me well. I've got both of them down to just above $1.00 cpw - and they're still going strong. So, I say go for it if you've found something that you know you'll wear forever!

MsLuna

Veteran

@Marley: With regards to the dollar figures for your CPW - how did you find this? Angie's blog should have this, right?

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I try to keep my TOTAL order under $125 - because I think duties go up exponentially afterwards.

rae

(website)

Veteran

Well, the former banker in me says to look at the bottom line and the returns on your investment. How much did those 4 bagged out and wrecked pairs cost you? And how much wear, joy, and comfort did they provide?

To me, if you could happily wear your KK skinnies in every situation you'd wear the other 4, even if the the great pair cost as much as 4 cheaper ones combined, it seems logical to choose the good pair. Because then the price and the durability becomes a wash, and the tipping factor is your comfort and enjoyment of the product.

MsLuna

Veteran

@lyn: Gotcha - I didn't know that duties go up exponentially! Yeesh - most of the items I tend to want to purchase are around $150 - boo!

@rae: I had no idea you were a banker I keep thinking of you as a rockstar - Anyway, thanks for the advice!

The 4 bagged out pairs lasted me a couple weeks each (seriously). And I didnt' feel pleasant wearing them. Emotionally, it wasn't good for me. I mean I can keep wearing the bagged out pairs, but I wouldn't be feeling good about myself. I guess to me, I hold my personal feelings about myself in high value.

Sylvie

Veteran

YES!! It is so worth it to spend on items that are 10's, so long as you forgo all the items that are 8's and below.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I had an order for $127 from Modcloth and duties were $45. I'm not joking. $45!!!! I nearly had a heart attack.

I just had an order from Modcloth come in for $122 and duties were $19. Makes a big difference, although still sucks :p

Tis the price we pay for awesome clothes, I guess!

DonnaF

Veteran

With me, I don't always know which items will be 10s. I spent a mint on Dansko sandals for my fussy feet. The left side is a 10, but the right is painful since my right big toe seems to have gone wacko in the last year. . .But basically, I'm all for keeping those dogs from barking. . .But just a warning: Bodies can and do change (so fit may change) and manufacturers' lasts and fit models sometimes change as well.

MsLuna

Veteran

@lyn - I can't believe that $7 made a difference in duties! Thanks for letting me know this! I don't frequently order from the states (unless it's via eBay, which most of the time, I do not pay for duty), so it's good to know!

I'm actually looking into buying some stuff at Nordstrom or Bloomingdales, if a few items I like ever go on sale. At least they calculate shipping and duties on checkout!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

It sucks to be a Canuck sometimes, eh?

Then again, we've got health care.

That over with...I think, given your very specific needs and your clear knowledge of them, it makes perfect sense to order jeans and other much-worn items from wherever you can get them. Just don't buy the three or four sub-standard pairs any more.

If you're close enough to the border it might make sense to try "My US address" or similar to have items shipped and that way you can avoid paying return postage; you get to try on the item at the place where it is delivered and send it back right away if it doesn't work. A once a year shopping trip to the US might not be money badly spent either, especially if you can order in advance, try on, and leave whatever doesn't work.

MsLuna

Veteran

@Suz - healthcare is one of the many reasons why I returned to Canada after living in the states for 7 years. Despite not having access to these fabulous brands for a lesser price, in the end, I still love it up here

I'm thinking about going on a shopping trip when I return to the states to visit family this Xmas. It will be crazy though (but probably the sales will be crazy too!), but hopefully there will be stores that carry Karen Kanes and Earthies around

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

Yeah; it was crazy different for duties ... I also find that DHL is terrible for duties. I get duties 100% of the time with them.

I suppose health care is important for my job and health I'll pay my duty.

Ariadne

Veteran

I find I get hit with duties if an item is sent Priority (or whatever the faster version is) via USPS, and I never get hit with duties if it's sent First Class International. UPS and DHL and so on all guarantee duties. That said, ModCloth uses First Class International for their $7 shipping, so if you used that option and still got duties, my point is moot.

ETA: It's Ruche that uses FCI for $7 shipping. Don't know if ModCloth does the same (are they the same company?).

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I have got duties on Ruche purchases and ModCloth purchases. They are not the same company, although they often stock the same things (with different names) - Ruche is usually $15 to 20 cheaper than ModCloth.

Maybe I just buy too much :p

bj1111

Veteran

for me the questions are...

can i afford it (really?!?!?, without going into cc debt?!?!?) -- yes
does it look good on me (really?!?!?!? did you look at the rear view?!?!?) -- yes
do i love it (really?!?!? L-O-V-E?!?!?) -- yes (this question is more important as the item price goes up and possibility of frequency of wear goes down)

then i buy it!

Kim

Veteran

MsKatieKat, if you are going to the States for holiday why not shop online and get your orders shipped to your families U.S address close to the time when you'll be arriving. That way you can try things on when you get there, make sure they work, (return what doesn't, look for free shipping both ways) and then bring them back with you to Canada. If you stay more than 48 hours I believe the duty free amount is now $800.00.

And yes, I'd pay more for the perfect item since I know how much I've wasted getting the "almost good enough" and how it makes me feel less than fab to wear them. So not worth the money!

I would order 2 pairs of the jeans as they will be in heavy rotation. The Earthies might be hard to find so I'd order what I wanted to try from them as long as they provided free shipping (Zappos or Amazon maybe).

That way you won't be rushed during your holiday trying to find the places that might carry your brands.

MsLuna

Veteran

@Kim - Thanks for the advice! Shipping to my parents' address actually would be a great idea! Saves me time from going around and looking for stores! This is one of the reasons I shop online in the first place!

Thanks for this advice!

Lisa

Veteran

I spend more on my core items because I know I will whittle the CPW down. I think the key for items that will cost more because of shipping is to make sure they are going to be wardrobe workhorses, if yes, then I vote buy.