Spending too much on clothes.

shoppingisfun

I've got to say, this forum has not helped curb my habit of shopping. I have spent like $300 on clothes in February (not counting a couple of camis and some jewelry). I am also about to drop $150 on shoes (I do feel justified about the shoes, though, since I don't buy a lot of them).

Does anyone else ever feel great about their purchases, then get to the end of the month and think "ugh..."? I mean, I don't always spend this much in on clothes in a month, but still.

Now I'm depressed, but at least I look fab.

14 years ago

Shopping

13 replies

Latest reply was from modgrl

christieanne

Veteran

Pace yourself and try to think ahead and buy for your majority season (seems like you are doing that with the shoes). Also, don't forget to shop your closet before you buy. I swear if I had been doing that, I would not have just culled out 4 black tshirts.

14 years ago

shoppingisfun

(website)

Veteran

Christianne, that is good advice. I do feel like my purchases this month have been wise (well, not wise money-wise, but wise wardrobe-wise...lol).

For instance, I have been wanting some short sleeve cardigans (having culled a couple of old crummy ones from my rotation), a spring-time blazer, a dressy neutral top, and a nice white button down. I did manage to find all of these items this month, and it was all on sale too (blazer was $31 after tax with coupon, dressy neutral top was $6 on clearance, and short sleeved cardi was $10 on clearance). I also managed to replace my dark bootcut jeans from last year (I wore them to death...they're still wearable, but not really "smart" looking anymore).

However, I also bought a few items (cheaply) that I wasn't really actively seeking to add to my wardrobe: a couple of pullovers and a long open cardigan from Old Navy (each was about $8 on clearance), a sweater vest (on clearance for like $6), and a bright faux wrap top from BR. These items are nice to have, but really didn't fill any wardrobe holes. Then again, I always have trouble finding tops for spring and summer wear. Most of the ones I had in my closet (apart from a couple I bought in January) are from at least two years ago; they weren't the highest quality items to begin with and have pretty much been worn to death.

Look at me justifying everything.

ETA: Oh good. I just realized that $75 of the stuff I'm counting in February's purchases was actually bought in January...I just didn't make the credit card payment till Feb. Somehow that makes me feel better!

14 years ago

DonnaF

Veteran

Ummm, yeah. I'm trying to decide if I need a red jacket, a red-orange jacket, and a red jeans jacket. They fill slightly different needs. . .or is it wants?

14 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

I'm really bad. I'd rather a new dress than a vacation. LOL. But YLF has actually helped me with SYC - shop your closet.

Honestly, I have good stuff. LOL. I love my stuff.

14 years ago

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

Yes. My secret? Making sure there's a 60-day return policy and not cutting off the tags until I wear the garment. It's not a decisive approach to shopping by any means, but it being able to hang it up in my closet, examine the item at my leisure, usually helps me support my decision to return the item. I become picky and have time to see whether I'll wear it.

14 years ago

shoppingisfun

(website)

Veteran

DonnaF, if you were me, you'd buy them all, LOL! I am trying to be better about avoiding duplication in my closet. At last count, I had 17 cardigan sweaters, but I've bought more since then...including two this month. Oops...at least they are different styles than others I have in my closet!

dissertante, I do that too! The tags are still on the white button down I bought earlier this month. I definitely like it, but I'm not sure if I'll wear it a lot, so it's still hanging there...

14 years ago

Beth Ann

Veteran

It sounds like you're shopping more mindfully already -- which is always a good thing. I spent some money when I first joined the forum, too. Try 8 silky and woven cotton sleeveless tops, worn solo in summer and layered for other seasons! I think we all probably started out this way, partly out of a burst of creative energy and new knowledge. Once the wardrobe starts to really "work," I think it's easier to control expenditures. It can be an investment to "rework" your look, which a lot of us do as new YLFers. To "refresh" and "refine" is a much simpler (and less expensive) task. Also, the fact that you keep buying the same thing shows that you've found a couple of dressing "formulas." This is great and makes looking fab easier. Now the trick is to only add to the "formula" options when you find something amazing -- not just OK. And kudos to you for knowing what you're spending! I am so tempted to avoid and practice wishful thinking!

14 years ago

Anonymous

I hear you! I just had a spurt of purchases and it's hard to decide which ones are really sound decisions in the heat of the buying moment! I try to leave my tags on until I wear them out/get YLF approval. Also, I buy with cash or a debit card so there's no end-of-the-month sick feeling. And when I'm out of money, I'm out.

14 years ago

DonnaF

Veteran

I have to be careful of Angie's recommendations and not going overboard: I bought seven (7) of Nordie's layering Ts and three Nordie camis -- and I am someone who has never worn layering Ts or camis, so this was a bit of a risk. I also bought the Jolt red jeans jacket, but the tags are still on. I have a tendency to *save* rather than wear what I buy, so I am trying to break that longtime habit. Also, I am thinking that when I buy out of season when something is on sale, it is not a useful measure of whether I will wear it or change my mind, because by the time I might get a chance to wear the item, the return window will have passed.

14 years ago

Isabel

Veteran

It happens to me. One of the more difficult things, at least for me, was deciding exactly what worked and didn't as I tried new things. So with skinny jeans and ponte pants I bought some very inexpensive ( K mart and Fashion Bug on sale ) and tried them for a while. They are now upgraded and part of my core wardrobe.

I would also keep notes of what it is that you really like and works for you. Just so that you have a record. I do agree that you should pace yourself. I think that having to many things to try out and analyze at once, can be very overwhelming.

The other thing is that with Nordie's you can return forever. I don't like taking advantage of this and being abusive, but you could try to wear a cami or two for a couple of months and if you don't like it, return the ones that you haven't used. Boden just started a 1 year return policy and I think Kohl's is always, no questions asked either. So wear your stuff around the house to get a feel for it.

The single biggest impetus for me was also not to "save" my things. I am a total product of my upbringing on that. So push yourself to do it at least a couple of times a week.

But it is a slippery slope when you want to just start anew and get rid of everything. Very few people can afford that in reality.

14 years ago

Meredith1953

Veteran

I am trying really hard to SYC first and identify and PLAN what is needed to fix the holes that exist. Y

LF has really helped me pay more attention to styling the items I already have! I love seeing the postings of other members but sometimes I just have to remind myself of my budget and what an item is truly worth to me. I find myself looking at thrifting and repurposing items to keep the costs down. That has helped me feel like I have something new to play with!

14 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

When you first embark on a style journey or on a style refresh you will spend money. Making yourself look and feel fab is not a bad thing,it's just important to prioritize it alongside other things that are important in your life. I know I spend money every month on clothes, and to some maybe it is too much. But I love it, and I make room for it, and I do not feel guilty about it in the slightest.

14 years ago

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

I agree with IK about making it a priority in your life. When I first started on my style journey last year, every purchase felt like a big thing. Then I realized that I really needed to update my entire wardrobe not just a piece or two here and there. And I spent alot of money... in fact I just stopped counting for a while because it was making me ill to look at the number but I knew that it was important for me. Now that I have a wardrobe that I am happy with, I am looking forward to some minor seasonal updates. I am keeping a spreadsheet of wardrobe expenses again. It is eye opening! Also, I am trying to figure out what would be a decent budget because it's easy to let things get out of hand!

14 years ago

Category