Ask the Readers: How Much Do You Spend on Clothes?
Published on - September 16th, 2011 (by J.D. Roth) The “Ask the Readers” feature is well-loved here at Get Rich Slowly, but by far the most popular question I’ve ever asked came at the end of July. “How much do you spend on food?” I wondered, and GRS readers posted 367 comments sharing their buying habits and the costs in their cities (and countries).
Several readers sent me e-mail after this question asking for more. “You should do a whole series of questions like this,” one woman wrote. And she’s right. So, for a while at least, I’ll be posting one similar question every month — a survey of our spending habits as a whole. This is by no means scientific, I know, but it’s pretty darn interesting.
Today, let’s talk about the things we wear. I want to know how much do you spend on clothes?
Because I’ve lost fifty pounds over the past couple of years, I’ve had to buy a lot of new clothes. My method for re-building my wardrobe isn’t exactly what I’d imagined. First, I got rid of the things that didn’t fit. Also, using my one-year wardrobe project, I purged the things that I no longer wore. From the little that remained, I’ve been s-l-o-w-l-y adding new items.
I do this in two ways:
- About half of the time, I buy clothes from thrift stores. All of my pants, for instance, come from thrift stores. (Well, except for a couple of pairs of travel pants.) So do many of my shirts and sweaters. I’m much more selective about what I buy at thrift stores than I used to be, though. I only buy things that I really like. (In the past, I used the shotgun approach to thrift shopping, buying tons of things because they were “cheap”. But cheap clothes you never wear are no bargain!)
- The rest of the time, I buy from outdoor stores like REI. Over the past few years, I’ve become a fan of functional clothing. And wool. God, I love wool. In fact, I recently purged 90% of my cotton t-shirts in favor of a handful of wool t-shirts. I could write pages in praise of Icebreaker wool shirts, but that would be silly. These clothes are expensive when purchased new, so I try to buy as much as possible at sales (REI and Icebreaker both have awesome sales) or at outlet stores.
Last weekend, I bought a new sweater at the Icebreaker outlet near my home. As I paid, I chatted with the clerk. He, too, loves wool clothes, but he’s a student and can’t afford many. “I buy them on eBay,” he told me. “I set up alerts to track the stuff I want, and then buy it if I can get it cheap.” Brilliant!
So, how much do I actually spend on clothes? I don’t know. I’ve been tracking my spending since the beginning of the year, of course, but I haven’t analyzed the numbers yet. Besides, this year is a total anomaly. I’ve essentially re-created my entire wardrobe because I’m now a medium (with a 32-inch waist) instead of an extra-large (with a 40-inch waist). In a normal year, I don’t buy this many clothes!
But what about you? How much do you spend on clothes? How do you shop for them? Do you buy used? Only shop at Nordstrom? Do you have certain brands you’re loyal to? How do you weigh cost versus quality? What tips can you offer for building a wardrobe on a budget? And what role does gender play in the cost of fashion? Last but not least: How much of what you wear is wool?
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I don’t like shopping and am pretty boring, but I’m hard to fit and like quality. I also firmly believe in good quality shoes! I lived in a town where the thrift stores were crap, so I found myself buying on eBay. I have also been saving my clothing budget for quality clothes from small businesses, such as Wear The Shift (http://weartheshift.com), where they make custom-made shifts from vintage fabrics. So I spend about $100/month on average.
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Trying to learn to spend more.
As something that influences how people will perceive me before they have even heard my voice, clothing, I feel, should be a priority among my expenses. It took me 25 years to understand this, as I grew up in a home where we just didn’t budget for clothing. But I’m taking my first job out of college at 53k/yr and setting my clothing budget at 250/mo. Going to build a professional wardrobe over two or three years including a couple suits.
I have one expensive item currently, a 253$ tie a friend gifted me. I thought it was nuts that one tie cost more than another–all previous ties had been purchased at thrift stores. I’ve got more comments on that tie than anything about myself in the past year.
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$2k – a year.
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I budget $250/month for myself for clothes and shoes. I typically go over by about $100/month. This doesn’t include my running gear.
I typically shop on sale, and rarely pay full price. I have favorite stores and I know how high the % discounts can go, and I wait.
I am an Anthropologie lover though and there are times where I will pay full price.
This accounts for approximately 5% of my take home income.
My top value for various items are:
Shoes – $150
Jeans – $150
Casual tops – $50
Dressy tops – $80
Pants – $70
Handbags – I’ll go up to $1500, but am more comfortable around $300-400. I typically don’t put these in my monthly budget, but save over several months as a separate line item.
Dresses – $150-200
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I am a professor and I could dress very casually…but I chose to adopt a slightly more professional look. I don’t go as far as suits, but a business casual look.
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LIke one of the other commenters up there, I spend thousands of dollars on clothes a year. I also earn much more than the national average, so perhaps it’s in line from a percentage of income perspective. However, since I did not grow up with money, it’s hard for me to justify (emotionally) very large purchases, so I tend to shop at Gap/BR when they have big sales or percentage-off (which is very frequently). I’ve only recently started to feel more comfortable spending $300 on a pair of shoes. At the same time, I realize how ridiculous that sounds – but the intent is to buy fewer higher-quality items.
For background, I live in a very expensive city, have a professional degree and work in an office as a manager, so a certain level of wardrobe is expected.
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Hmmm. I thought this wouldn’t be a tricky question but it was. I know I’ve bought a fair number of clothes this year because New Look was really close to my university and I had to buy a bunch of sports gear for cheerleading.
I am an impulse buyer with clothes, but I feel it has to be that way because the regular shops change stock so fast nowadays and charity shops (thrift stores) never hold onto anything good. I tend to buy clothes when I’m on holiday too, then whenever you wear it, you’re reminded of your time away. The dress I’m wearing today I got in Portland, Oregon! At $160, it’s one of the more expensive pieces I own.
My wardrobe is a mix of trashed stuff that I can wear while gardening/in the studio/making art/washing cars, work out clothes for jogging and cheer, and nice stuff for work and dates etc. I wear my clothes for a long time- the bonus of being chubby at 12 is that at 21 some of the clothes I bought then actually fit me better now. I’ve found that you can dress up dresses and skirts with the right shirt/cardigan/jacket and make them suitable for work. A lot of my wardrobe is multi-purpose.
I’ve also found that much of the time, price doesn’t matter when it comes to clothing quality. I’ve spent £120 on a pair of boots only for them to fall apart in the snow. My converse get holes in them after 2 months of wear. On the other hand, I’ve got a jacket that I bought for £3 in 2002 that I still wear now and it’s in perfect condition. I’m lucky because I get hand-me-downs too. A work colleague and my mum both offer up stuff for free.
My guess for this year would be about £600 (~$900), but I have bought winter coats. In previous years it’s been more around £150-300.
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Love wool clothing!! I haven’t tried t-shirts yet but wear Icebreakers wool long underwear in the winter. I have a dog walking business in Michigan so I have to spend some money to be warm, dry, and comfortable. In general, I tend to not buy a lot of clothes and try to always buy clothes on sale but I like good name brands (Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, etc. for dog walking), (Lucky, J Crew for non-dog walking). Quality shoes are also a must for me with my business. I wish I could write off dog walking clothes as a business expense on my taxes but b/c the clothes can be worn for other things, I can’t. (I never understand that since I am able to do a portion of my cell phone bill even though I use my cell phone for other things.)
On a side note, I definitely think it pays to spend some money at companies with a great return policy. I bought a Patagonia fleece and wore it for several years until something went wrong with it (the company’s fault, not mine). I thought it was shot and was going to get rid of it but decided to send it back and see what happened. They ended up sending me a gift card for the amount I had paid for the fleece (I got it on sale for about $100).
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Just out of curiosity, does anyone else look at cost per use — particularly when it comes to maintenance? I tend to favour clothing I can launder and repair myself. (I have one “dry clean only item” — a coat.) I’m willing to spend a little more on things that will get lots of use, but not on things that rarely get touched.
I need good shoes for feet problems, but someone once recommend I look for shoes that can be re-soled. Usually the uppers are fine, but $40 is cheaper than replacing a pair of $150 shoes. It’s worth talking to your local shoe repair shop.
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I do! I always consider price per wear, estimating how long I will own an item and how often I will use it before I purchase it.
You are totally right about spending $50 to extend the life of your shoes vs replacing them at $150+ every year or so. That’s why I sought out a fantastic shoe cobbler in my city. I actually take my shoes to him immediately after purchasing them and have him put on rubber soles and toe guards (for pointed-toe shoes) before I ever wear them. Think of it as preventative maintenance, ensuring that the only part of the shoe that wears is the rubber sole that was added, not the original shoe. It really does wonders for extending the life of your shoes, especially if you’ve spent a bit of money on them. Then, once per year or depending on how often I wear the shoes, I take them back to my shoe cobbler and have him replace the rubber soles, toe guards, heel caps (for stilettos), etc, and polish the uppers. I do this with my winter boots at the end of each season to ensure they are ready to wear before I store them away in boxes. Take care of your belongings and you will save money in the long run!
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Good to know I’m not the only one
My cobbler has even helped me outfit shoes with arch support so I can get more use out of them. i’ve been lucky that i’ve been able to find dressy shoes on sale or clearance, but my everyday shoes never seem to go on sale. When I consider cost per use, they’re far cheaper!
I’m very particular about what I buy — will the stitching hold up? Will the seams stay straight? Will the fabric pill? Will it still look good when it’s faded? I make mistakes sometimes, of course, but I’m generally pretty happy with what I do buy.
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Cobblers can also repair leather belts and purses!
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I look at cost per wear all the time to retrospectively justify buying an item of clothing.
Say I fell in love with a dress and was hesitant about buying it because it was £60. At first I barely wear it because I worry so much about ruining it (I am the stain QUEEN!), but after a while I start to wear it more and more regularly and then do some maths and work out it’s cost me less than £1 per wear to wear and therefore was a good purchase. This is also my reasoning behind shelling out a little bit more to get an item I love and will wear hundreds of times, rather than buying something that’s cheaper but I end up wearing less.
I also recycle my clothes at the end of their life- they become quilts! Or if they’re really raggedy, they get composted or go for textile recycling.
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I still have the problem of wanting to save the “good” clothing and shoes so they won’t get damaged or worn out. I think it’s a sign that I’ve achieved some financial stability that I’ve adopted a “use the good dishes” approach to life. If it’s going to be too fussy to maintain or easily damaged, I don’t buy it. I’d rather wear out a favourite shirt or sweater than stare at it in the closet. I’m less afraid of my “dressy shoes” now that I know how to take good care of them.
That being said, buying dresses is really hard for me. I tend to find ones I like when I don’t have a need for one, yet when a special occasional arises there’s never anything in the stores I like! I think next summer I’ll take the opposite approach — if I see a dress i like, I’ll make an excuse to wear it
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I completely agree with your “no time for fussy clothes” philosophy! I only own 1 item of clothing that’s dry clean only, and that’s a silk dress. I’ve got a couple of woolly jumpers that are hand wash only, but I usually increase the number of times I can wear them by wearing cotton undershirts.
I love your last point there. Never be afraid of being “overdressed”. I have the magical ability to constantly look like I’m heading to a wedding instead of a pub/club, and I find all it does is make doormen nicer to me and increase my confidence. My friends say that I dress classy to make up for my unladylike behaviour (they’re probably right!)
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Nice
I feel better when I’m “put together”. I refuse to buy or own clothes that I don’t feel good in. (Except for cleaning or painting, that is!)
I don’t mind hand washing items, but I have a hard time justifying dry cleaning a basic item like a blouse when there are washable versions readily available. Alas, my building has coin laundry so I’m acutely aware of what it costs to launder things. $2 a load is still cheaper than dry cleaning. For items like coats or dresses, I’m happy to pay someone to help me preserve the life of the garment. (I’m lucky that my lifestyle doesn’t require a lot of fussy clothes, but I don’t except these strategies work for everyone.)
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I used to spend hundreds of dollars on designer clothes. Now I just have too much clothes. It’s easier for me to replace things on at a time, then to be shopping every month or so.
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I don’t shop every month either. I tend to work in seasons and clean out my wardrobe as the weather changes. then I’ve got an idea what I’m working with and what I’m missing. I think your approach is a smart one
I tend to buy a lot in the fall because 1) because fall colours suit me and 2) it’s a good time to pick up two or three season items — like a pair of pants that will work from fall to spring again.
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I spend about $2000/year on clothing and accessories for myself. Typically, that means about $600 on 2-3 pairs of shoes, $600 to keep my work wardrobe fresh, $300 on casual clothes, $150 on a couple of jewelry items, $200 on underwear/bras/socks etc., and the rest on special occasion or trendy items. I never buy used items, but will only buy clothing that’s on sale.
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I’m probably going to get killed for this, but in the next year I’m budgeting $5K for new clothes. I may not spend it all, but I have it set aside. It’s more than I think I’ve ever spent on clothes in my whole life added together.
This year, due to a potential health issue, I’ve focused on transforming how I eat and live. Healthy food and an hour’s exercise every day is radically transforming my shape, and sometime next summer I hope to have reached my goal weight, which means I’ll have lost 120 pounds (I’ve lost 35 of them already). I’ll be at a healthy and appropriate weight for the first time in 30 years, and for the first time, too, regular sizes in regular stores will fit me.
So, just once, I want to do it up. A friend and I are planning to go to Manhattan, stay in a great hotel, get ridiculously overpriced haircuts from artists with only one name and shop for a new wardrobe that will allow me to truly celebrate my achievement.
Could I get a great new wardrobe on E-Bay and at thrift stores? Absolutely. And that’s likely how I’ll shop in future. Just once, however, I want to go nuts, and I’m more than willing to pay for it!
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Good luck with your goal
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Good for you! Very inspiring.
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My husband and I spend $2500-3000 per year on clothes for the two of us, including sports gear as well as every other kind of garment, shoes, etc. Most of that is mine. We both work in academia; I am a dean who has to look sharp most days, he is a professor who can wear khakis and a button-down shirt and look just fine for the job. But to be honest, I love clothes and really enjoy picking out things that look great and are well styled and well made. I am quite tall, and it’s not easy to find things that fit. I shop online, mostly, and almost always buy on sale. Usually Nordstrom, Banana Republic, Sierra Trading Post, and Zappos for me; Land’s End and Eddie Bauer for my husband. Oh, and I always comparison-shop on Amazon.com, which often has the best prices for major brands. When I go to an actual store to shop, it’s either Marshall’s, or the twice-yearly sale at a local boutique.
We spend money on things that give us pleasure: clothes for me, electronic gadgets for him, travel and theater/concert tickets for both of us. We’re putting upward of 30% of our income into savings, our retirement accounts are healthy and growing, we have no debt except a reasonable and almost-paid-off mortgage, so why not?
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I live in the Washington DC area, and my job is more or less all suits all of the time. I have a couple of good quality brands that work for me, but are very expensive. My favorite suit maker, Theory, retails at $860 for a very good quality jacket/pants/skirt combo, but I’ve never actually paid that much. I’ve found very good deals at nordstrom rack, the nearby outlets, and at Loehmanns. I’m also fortunate to live very close to some consignment shops that sell my favorite brands. I think my best score was finding a suit that retails for $600 on sale for $100. The pants were a size too large and the jacket arms too long, but a trip to the tailor took care of that!
I also used to have a part time job at bloomingdales (~36% discount, including sale items) For those who need to build up a professional wardrobe, see if you can find the time to work part-time at a place that sells the clothes you need to buy. You’ll earn extra income to buy the clothes you need for work, and you’ll get a great deal with the employee discount!
I built most of my wardrobe in my bloomingdales days (6 years ago), and since I bought good quality things, I now only buy something when I really need it. This year, I think I’ve spent about $300 on clothes, including shoes and other accessories.
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Year to date, I have spent all of $235 for myself. When I go shopping, it is usually at J.C. Penny or Macy’s and I always have a coupon or some sort of discount handy. And I only buy jeans, pants, shoes, or dress shirts. I get tons of free t-shirts in college so I try to never spend money on those.
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I just went through my Mint clothing listing and I spent about $500 on clothing in the last 12 months. That went for:
- Two sets of pretty lingerie
- Two screenprinted tshirts
- One suit with a blouse (was 50% off sale)
- One dress
- One pair of jeans
- One bathing suit and a pair of board shorts
Aside from actual “apparel” not in the above total, I also bought a halloween costume, a necklace while on vacation, and a bunch of ski clothing (total ~$760).
Clothing is something I really struggle with buying – I have a hard time finding things I like a lot, fit well, and at the price point I like. Therefore, when I do find something I like, I’ve invested a lot of time and I’m usually willing to spend a (little) bit more or not wait for a sale because it isn’t an impulse buy by that point. I worked for two years out of undergrad and have just started grad school. My work wardrobe was sparse to start with and my casual wardrobe (that is now what I wear daily to classes) consists of fraying jeans and college t-shirts. I’m sick of my wardrobe and feel like I never look stylish, but don’t want to put in the effort to shop and spend more money to upgrade it right now.
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I would say I spend maybe 50 bucks a year on average? I’ve spent whole years without buying any clothes. Shoes for instance, my last two pairs have lasted me five years each (back to back). I only own one pair of pants (and didn’t pay for it). Most of my shirts are promotional, etc.
I haven’t bought clothes in a really long time, but when I do I go for cheap stores. I just need something that can cover me, and enough clothes to last a whole load of laundry.
Right now I have outfits that date back to my high school years (I’m 26). Clothes last a really long time.
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To be honest, I haven’t bought new clothes in about 2 years.
I generally buy clothes that are generally a bit plain – they’re flat colors – generally darker.
Things are good; I’ve actually lost a lot of weight over the last year so everything fits fine and even though some are shrinking from washing – they still fit because of so.
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I spent $601 on clothes last year. That is a lot of money, I usually only spend $200 or so. I only shop at places like Ross, Nordstrom Rack and TJ Maxx. Here’s what I got for that much:
1 Suit
2 ties
3 pairs of jeans
1 pair of athletic shoes
1 pair of oxford dress shoes
1 oxford shirt
2 polo shirts
2 graphic t-shirts
1 belt
1 track/athletic jacket
1 sweater
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Looking back at some spending, I’m guestimating that I average about $62/mo in clothes and shoes spending. Of course, some months I don’t spend anything and sometimes I spend $200.
I am allergic to wool and do not wear it.
I wear plus size clothing, so I am more limited in my choices than someone who can shop in the regular sizes. More stores are carrying plus size clothing though, so that’s awesome.
I work in a very casual office, so I mostly wear jeans and tshirts everyday. I’ve also been steadily gaining weight for the last 12 years, so every couple of years I go up in size and have to buy new clothes. I think I am somewhere between cheap and expensive. Since I feel like my size is always in flux, I generally don’t like to spend scads of money on my clothes. However, I love fashion so I tend always want to buy more. 
I don’t buy used, it’s a bit of a mental block since most secondhand stores I’ve been in smell bad (not terribly, more like a dusty, musty smell). I know you just have to wash them, but it turns me off. I also have little faith that I’ll find much plus size in used shops. I might be wrong, but I haven’t taken the plunge. I have NO brand loyalty. I shop at Nordstroms, Jc Penney’s, Kohls, Avenue, Target, Old Navy (annoying that they only sell plus size online), Lane Bryant, etc. If it fits well and doesn’t break the bank then I’ll buy it. I have trouble finding clothes that fit and with the lack of plus size options (comparitively speaking), I can’t afford to restrict myself to one brand/store.
Gender plays a huge role in fashion. Menswear tends to be cheaper, though less varied. There also tend to be lower/easier standards for men than women. Fashion also tends to be perceived as superficial for men, but is expected to really mean something to women.
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$1,200 a year minimum. That includes workout clothes for 4 seasons, outerwear for 4 seasons, shoes, bags, scarves, jewellery etc. Even with $1,200 I wear a lot of the same clothes each season.
I never find anything I like at thrift stores.
I live in Canada and I have friends who buy their clothes for much less across the border so I guess my $1,200 CDN could buy much more in the states.
If my job was not in a corporate setting I might spend less – or I might spend the same and have more options!
I love having really nice up-to-date outfits appropriate for each occasion, but I doubt I will ever spend more on clothes. I am not comfortable with excess.
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I’m with you on not wanting to have excess! I feel guilty having things I don’t wear often when someone else could be using them. Every season I go through a brutal closet clean up so I know what I have and what I need. I like to send things out into the world to get used rather than having them sit unloved in my closet.
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I probably spend about $300-500 per year on clothes – including shoes. When I do buy clothes, they are typically for work and I get them from Van Maur or Chico’s. My Hubs says I’m a clothing snob, however I always buys classics, take good care of them, and get a lot of good wear out of them. However, I did buy a top from Kohl’s recently for $10 that is turning into my favorite, which suprises me because I haven’t had good luck with the quality of tops at Kohl’s in general.
When it comes to shoes, I typically buy New Balance or Airsoles – I get them on line for half the price of the retails stores. I don’t have a zillion pairs of shoes. I have a smaller quantity of good, classic style shoes that are good for my feet and won’t fall apart. I also take good care of them so they last a long time and replace out the insoles as needed.
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It never occurred to me to track spending on clothing. My reason is i see clothing as a necessity with very little possibility for price variation. I buy clothes when something i need is worn out. I don’t like the idea of having to purchase an item when marketing tells me to, ie. when it is on sale. I don’t like to enable overconsumers by buying used things.
I have many years ago tried to save money on sale items. Were never what i really wanted and that extra 1/3 in price would have gotten 3 to 4 times more use out of the item.
I have also in the past shopped at goodwill, good quality, but you need time. When you find what you like it’s not your size; when it’s your size it’s not what you like.
Shoes. I have worn thru the soles of cheap sneakers in just under two months. (i’m not exaggerating, all material between heel and ground gone) I walk a lot.
At 9.90 € that is 59.40 a year.
Good walking shoes like the ones i have on now are 79.90 €. I have gotten way over two years of solid performance from these in the past, they tend to show wear before they lose theyre function. anyway that would be 39.95 a year. Buying quality saved me money in the long run!
I don’t like synthetic materials. Seems silly to manufacture something artificially when there are perfecly good and even superior natural alternatives.
I estimate spending, about 250 € on clothes a year, form what i remember spending this year. Since many items last way longer than a year i think the real number would be an average of five or even more years. I go clothes shopping three times a year, once when it gets cold once when it gets warm and about once something wears out between these events.
I don’t buy at end of season. If something wears out just before that i wait until i need it for next winter/summer.
Last time i was in a clothing store i bought among other things some jeans that were on a “buy two get second for half price”-sale. Loved the look i got when i said: yeah i know, but i only need one.
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I’ll be honest — I’m not going to read every single comment here, but I’m really interested in knowing people’s answers to these “how much do you spend on X” questions — what about having polls with ranges so readers could get a quick snapshot of responses?
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I don’t know exactly because I’ve never tracked it but I would imagine I spend about $100 per year on clothes. I only buy from thrift stores and I look for great bargains even there. It leads to serious savings and it’s what we do for the whole family. I always look for quality it’s been insurance for our budget for many years now.
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I hate to admit it, but I probably spend $150-200 a month on clothes. I work in an environment with a professional business dress code…lots of suits. Luckily, I’ve found some great deals at Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, and Loft outlets. I refuse to pay full-price for clothing! Especially for work.
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I too haven’t really been spending on clothes lately (in fact I can’t really say I have bought more than one pair of flip flops this whole year), as I am saving for a house and nearly reached my goal. I am being as frugal as possible about everything right now, though I am going to need to do a little shopping here soon as some of my work clothes are getting worn or breaking (I am a teacher and right when I got to school Tuesday, the strap on my shoe broke! I had to duct tape it back together to get through the day. Needless to say, duct tape is not really a fashion statement I like to make). This season I did host a clothing swap with a few friends and was able to get more items into my wardrobe by swapping things I no longer wear with friends.
When I typically spent on clothes I usually spend $100 – $200 seasonally. Since I live in Phoenix there are typically only 2 seasons, “winter,” which is not what many people would consider winter but to a native its cold, and summer, or the time of year you feel like you live in an oven. I spend usually a few weeks into the season and buy enough clothes to last me through. This is also after I have cleaned out my closet and donated items I haven’t worn or do not fit anymore. That way I know what I need to buy when I go shopping. I usually go to Kohls if they are having the Kohls cash sale, or Tj Maxx, Old Navy, or Ross.
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Wow, I wish I could limit myself to a $200 a year. But’s more like $200 per month. I’m about to total up what i’ve spent on clothes this year myself and put myself on a no clothes shopping ban until the rest of the year.
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I don’t have a monthly budget for clothes, and most months I don’t set foot in a clothing store. When I do, it’s usually the Buckle or REI, or something similar. If I do find myself in one of these stores, I purchase a slew of new clothes all at once, and spend a couple hundred bucks.
I buy new running shoes about once a year. My keens have lasted 4 years now and don’t need replaced so I am good on shoes.
I’d say maybe 500 bucks a year on clothes including shoes, and including splurges, like the 95.00 I spent on a kilt at the scottish festival yesterday.
I easily spend a lot more money on costume type clothes for fun than daily wear. I don’t put a lot of wear and tear on my clothes, so they last a very long time.
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Yep–wool socks. Can’t beat the Smart Wool socks. And although they’re expensive, they’ll last ten times longer than a cheap cotton pair of socks. And for the ladies–take it from a woman who lives in Wisconsin–Smart Wool tights are the way to go. It’s the only way that it is still comfortable to wear skirts and dresses in the bitter cold!!
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I hate shopping for clothes at so-called bargain stores such as TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Burlington. Mainly, because when I do find a shirt or a pair or pants that I like, my size is missing. But that’s besides the point.
I purchase clothes seasonally for my son, and as I need them for me. Usually I purchase from Target, but I think that I need to venture online. Interestingly enough, I was just talking about how I’m sure that clothes are much cheaper online simply because knock-offs run rampant.
Online shopping is the Black Market for the internet. It just takes a bit of delayed gratification.
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I’ve done a similar thing purging my closet and drawers of clothes that don’t fit or clothes that I don’t wear. I donate the usable stuff to Goodwill and trash the rest.
Within the past year I have purchased few clothing items but the clothes that I do buy are all as high quality as I am willing to pay for. I look for sales from JCrew, Banana Republic, Gap, Macy’s, REI, etc. I limit my clothing to purchases that I really really like. For the stuff that needs it I take them in to a tailor so that I am more likely to wear them.
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Seriously, good clothing is a legitimate work expense for many people, and fashion/style is a medium for artistic self-expression. Don’t sell yourselves short.
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I spend about $3000-4000 each year on clothing, underwear and shoes. I prefer to buy less items but buy items of a higher quality that are made in Australia (I’m in Sydney). I hate the thought that someone in a sweatshop has been exploited so that I only have to pay $15 for a new top. I work in a business-casual environment but sometimes also need to wear a suit. Most of my clothes get worn to death and last me a number of years. I take care of all my purchases, hand washing anything delicate and only line-drying (I downtown a dryer). Each year I look at my basics and decide whether any need to be updated. I then purchase a few “fashion” items to make my look a bit more current. I also own lots of wool- fine knits for the warmer weather and heavier (often cashmere wool blends) for the cooler weather. Pretty much all my clothes (except workout and wet weather gear) are natural fabrics- wool, cashmere, leather, cotton and silk.
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Until I quit my full time job, I had a bit of a clothes buying addiction – cheap clothes & second-hand ones though so I was “only” spending about £50/$80 a month. It could have been a lot worse if I’d had a taste of better quality/designer label items! That was about 2-3% of my monthly income, over the year
Since quitting my full time job five years ago now, the amount I’ve spent on clothes has gradually decreased – and taken an extra drop this year as I’m doing a no clothes buying type challenge (no new-to-me clothes is not realistic for me for a few reasons so I’ve given myself a limit of 12 items across the year). I will probably only spend about £50/$80 on clothes over the whole year this year – about 0.5% of my currently-low annual income.
I always bought a large proportion of my clothes second-hand at charity/thrift shops or on eBay. Like the shop assistant mentioned in the article, I’ve got a few saved searches on eBay for particular items – I’ve had a few bad clothes buying experiences on eBay in the past but considerably less now I’ve restricted myself to only buying known quantities – eg, a certain brand of jeans I know I like.
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Hey J.D.,
I kind of go nuts while shopping for clothing. It’s kind of hard for me to stay frugal. Here’s what I usually spend:
T-Shirts (my staple shirt – I buy 2-3/month): $10-$30
Collared Shirts: $50
Jeans (2 pairs/year): $50-$120
Shoes (1-2 pairs/year: $50-$100
Coat (1 every 3 years): $200
Work Clothes: $100/year
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I can say that your method of spending sounds exactly like my husband. Rarely does he buy clothes at all unless in his terms they are “needed”. I on the other hand tend to be on the extreme other end of the spectrum. I don’t know I think I like the process of buying verses actually wearing them. I would say I spends at least $100-200 per month. This is the regular unless I am buying a purse or some heels that I really want.
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I have a bit of an odd confession to make: I don’t budget for clothes. Last year, I made a special effort to purge some clothes I didn’t like or wear and bring in new stuff I did like. This was maybe a dozen pieces, mostly thrift shop or garage sale finds, over the course of the year. This year, I attended a clothes swap and came home with another dozen or so “new” pieces of clothing. Aside from that, I’ve bought exactly 1 pair of pants at a garage sale for $1. This is typical of me for most given years. I don’t get much in the way of clothes, so there’s no point in setting aside money for clothes specifically.
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I haven’t been clothes shopping in a long time… I actually really need to; I am running out of options! When I do shop for clothes, I tend to be pretty thrifty. I’ll start out at thrift stores, like one called “Buffalo Exchange” here in Austin. They always have the most unique items at rock-bottom prices. If I don’t find anything there, I’ll make my way to the more mainstream stores, scour the sale racks, or even at Nordstrom, stick to the “BP” section. I know it seems like shopping in the junior’s department or something, but really, their clothes are appropriate for all ages, pretty well made, and SO much cheaper than the rest of the store. At Mango Money we have a great post on the booby traps of in-store marketing, which you should always be wary of, no matter what type of store! Check it out, and thanks for the post, JD! http://www.mangomoney.com/blog/trends/the-booby-traps-of-in-store-marketing
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I’m super, SUPER cheap in this area. I’ve never been into fashion or having lots of clothes. I’m not a tomboy either, I like looking pretty, but there are other things I’d rather do than fussing with my clothes and other things I’d rather spend money on.
I buy nicer clothes for my husband so he will look presentable at work. But I buy from thrift stores for myself and our two boys. In fact, I’m so cheap I hate paying “full price” at thrift stores and only go on their half off days. There’s one store near me that regularly has their clothes on sale for 50 cents each, and every once in a while 25 cents each!! In metro Atlanta, where cost of living is not ridiculously low! It’s in a nice area, too, so the stuff is decent quality. I figure out what colors look best on me and only look for those colors on the rack.
I also buy clothes at Target when they have their great printable coupons on clothing items. ($3 off Merona brand, for example.) I look at the clearance rack and get things for free with those coupons.
We’ve also been blessed with lots of hand-me-downs for our boys from older cousins or church friends. They are still small and have very little opinion about their clothes.
All in all, I spend on average $10 a month for our family of 4, which includes my husband’s clothes at full retail.
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You spend $120/year for 4 people–$30/year per person–which includes your husband’s clothes “at full retail”?
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I shop at a particular thrift store, clearance racks, and the occasional sale. I very, very rarely buy something full price for myself. I tend toward buying higher quality items at a deep discount, but if something is really inexpensive and not something I’d want to keep for multiple years, I’ll buy poorer quality–like I’ll buy a basic cotton t-shirt from Target even though I know it won’t last long. I probably spend in the neighborhood of $200/year on my clothes. I spend somewhat less now that I’m a work from home mom (don’t go into an office anymore) but also somewhat more after moving from a climate with moderate year-round temps to the Northeast with freezing winters and hot, humid summers.
I highly recommend REI’s Used Gear sales/Garage Sales if you haven’t been to one yet. They re-sell all customer returns. Often items were returned just because the person decided they didn’t like the item but it’s still basically new. We often find great deals on nice shoes this way.
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Enough to have a choice and not blow my pocket.
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I HATE to clothes shop. I’m plus size and short, which is a bad combo. I have started to loose weight (yeah Weight Watchers) and so I’ve set myself a $50 a month budget to replace things that I’ve ‘shrunk out of’. The rule for myself is that I must spend it by the end of the quarter. So far, I’ve replaced a pair of slacks and bought a good pair of walking shoes and two cute pairs of jeans. That’s more clothes than I normally buy in a year.
I also hit up thrift stores for tops and knit sweaters and accessories for myself. I’m trying to choose colors that suit me and fits that are not oversized.
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I budget myself $100 a month for clothing. There are definitely some months that I don’t spend that much – August I spent $0, but this helps rollover for those months when I spend more than $100 (and yes, I consider shoes to be part of my clothing budget). In my profession I need to wear professional business attire every day. I have preferred stores that I shop at that are a little more pricey(ex. The Limited is my favorite), but I have had good luck with quality, so when I can find something on clearance I’m usually pretty happy. I never purchase things at these stores unless I have a coupon or there is a sale going on in the store – I can’t bring myself to pay full price. I shop at outlets when I can, however the nearest ones are about an hour away and often the prices are not that much better so I never go for the sole reason of shopping at the outlets.
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Can’t agree more on the Icebreaker, my brother let me borrow a few shirts and I am on a big wool kick myself. I love how a wool t-shirt feels, and I can wear it for 5 days between washings, not wash it every time I wear it.
We have a family budget, but for the larger individual purchases my wife and I use our own spending money set aside for our discretion. That way if we want to spend more on a high priced item we aren’t cheating the rest of the family our in the clothing fund. At the same time we are greatly limited since our spending money is greatly limited.
I used to purchase a larger amount of cheap clothing, but now spend twice as much per item and purchase about 25% as much. I’m much happier with my clothes, they are lasting much longer and are more comfortable.
Having lost 35 pounds over the last year and a half I’m slowly replacing my wardrobe, and it takes a lot of time and money when purchasing quality. But worth it!
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I could only make it through 2 pages of comments, but $100/year for multiple family members? What about shoes/underwear? (Actually, don’t tell me.) I cringed when I saw this post because I knew it would bring out the braggarts/one-uppers on frugality.
My (estimated) numbers: I probably spend around $5K/year. That said, I work in marketing in a major city, have a senior-level job, and don’t have the time to go to all the thrift stores/second-hand shops/discount places to look. (I also really hate shopping, but love fashion.)
A couple points missing from this conversation:
– Opportunity cost: hunting for bargains in price takes time from other things. It reminds me of my aunt who used to brag about how much $$ my cousin “saved” with coupons by spending 20 hours/week clipping the coupons. She could’ve doubled her money by getting a part-time job. I’d rather spend the time nailing a presentation that can get me ahead.
– Looking professional: I know people are going to say you don’t need to spend money to look professional, but I have to disagree. You have to get quality, and timeless quality can cost. There’s some people that I work with who do stellar jobs but look like they could be taking care of the office plants (and, I’ve noticed, they don’t get the attention they should). Yes, we should not judge people on appearances blah blah blah… but, as Oscar Wilde said, “It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearance.”
– Penny wise, pound foolish: Some of the brands cited here–Kohls, Old Navy, JCPenney–turn out disposable clothing that won’t last. I don’t like shopping, so why do I want to do it more often because I buy cheap crap that needs to be replaced?
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My husband and I track everything, so looking over the past 5 years, the two of us combined spent an average of 1500.00 on clothes a year, which is 2.5% of what we spend each year. This amout includes clothes, shoes and accessories. I think how much you spend on clothes depends on where you are in life and how you spend your time. My husband and I are in our late 30s/early 40s and we both work in an office. We live in New England, so we need clothes for 4 seasons. We don’t have any debt, so spending 1500.00 a year on clothes doesn’t eat into money we need for other things. Back in our eating Ramen and using a sleeping bag for a bed days, we didn’t spend any money on clothes if we didn’t have to – we bought things as they wore out and then it was from a thrift store. Now, we tend to buy most of our clothes from Lands End, LL Bean, and Eddie Bauer (for my husband and tops for myself) and Ann Taylor, Talbots, Gap, and Banana Republic for bottoms for myself and nicer tops. I’m 5 feet tall with a 24 inch waist, so finding pants that fit me is a struggle; a lot of stores don’t carry my size. I can get away with wearing a Girls Large for sweatpants, but my hips are too big for any other type of girl’s pants. The stores above carry my size, so I don’t bother looking elsewhere for pants and am willing to pay full price for a pair that fits me well. We don’t actually buy a lot of clothes each year; at this point, we tend to buy a few more expensive pieces of clothes/shoes and ask for t-shirts, polo shirts, socks and sweatshirts for birthday and Christmas gifts.
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As a student that has worked in high-end boutique fashion for over 5 years, I am stunned at what some people spend! I wish I could spend less than $100.00 a year on clothes. However, I have also seen the ridiculous amounts that some of my clientele would spend in a single month, let alone a year!
For myself, my main focus over the past two years since leaving the world of boutiques has been focused on products that are as locally made as possible as well as being as sustainable as possible. Whenever possible I buy pieces that are made in North America. And not only made in the continent in which I live but also made ethically.
I think many people would assume that since a certain item of clothing is made in the US, it has been made without sweatshop labour but that unfortunately is not always the case (Hello, American Apparel!)
Also, apart from these requirements, I have what many would call a “minimalist” wardrobe. I keep it down to only 30 items, including shoes, jewelry, purses and other accessories. I can do this and still stay “fashionable” because I only buy well-made, good quality pieces that I love!
So for me, while I might spend more than the average GRS reader – about $3,500 last year – I always feel good about my purchases because I know that I will not only wear the pieces for years to come, I have also shopped as ethically and sustainably as I could.
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Recently, I traveled to Iceland with my boyfriend. We spent about $650 Canadian on clothing there. It was probably more, but we haven’t finished converting everything form ISK to CAD. Wool socks, hand knit sweaters, hand knit mittens and hats etc. Some of it was necessary, as there was a cold snap that hit, that we didn’t pack for. We could have purchased cheap, mass produced stuff, but part of the reason we traveled there is that I am a knitter, and I wanted to experience some knitting from elsewhere.
This was a huge anomaly for us. We’d normally spend between $5 and $30 on a sweater, very little on socks, and we don’t usually wear hats/mitts unless it’s freezing.
Now the “norma;” spending.
I have a favourite pair of jeans that sells for about $35 a pair. It comes in lots of colours (everything from the traditional blues to yellow, purple, green or red) and they are super comfortable, and fit perfectly. They go on sale often for buy one get one free, or two pairs for $40, or sometimes, $15 a pair. I only buy them when they are the cheapest. I can walk in, grab whatever pairs I want, and pay. No need to try them on (though this may change, as I’ve been going to the gym) They last me about 18 months. I wear these jeans constantly. I sleep in them sometimes. They do wear out, but so do the $60 pairs of jeans I’ve stupidly purchased in the past.
I purchase my under-things after the holidays (My birthday is january 4th, and I usually go to the mall and wander around a couple hours by myself) They go on sale from about $10-$14 a pair, to 10 pairs for $30. I get my 10, and I am set for the year. I take out the few pairs that are no longer functional, and toss them.
This has already turned into a novel, so I will stop writing now.
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We budget a little less than one week’s income for our clothing for the year for both of us. I like what someone said about what percentage of income people spend on clothing. Good way to look at it. We don’t do thrift stores often, although that’s a great idea. Our clothing budget includes the money for laundry soap, shoe polish, watch batteries and other accessories.
Our clothing budget also includes the money to dry clean and launder my husband’s professional pants and shirts so they are well-pressed and ready to wear. I know a lot of frugal people would not agree to sending clothes to a cleaner, but my husband only sends them once every 6 weeks or so. He changes out of those as soon as he comes home, so he gets several wears out of each before they need cleaning. His weekend clothes are all wash-and-wear type.
We make our purchased clothes last YEARS before replacing them. My three pair of work shoes were bought 6 years ago. A little polish here and there and they have lasted and will last much longer.
Under-estimating the amount we spend on clothes is perhaps something we do, but so far this year we’ve spent even less than our usual budgeted amount because of other projects that have needed the alottment.
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I’m a woman who likes clothes and shoes, but I’m no fashionista or hoarder. I like to have a small wardrobe made of items I really like and also comfortable.
That said, last year I was unemployed and tried to buy as little clothing as possible. I succeeded: 400 euros in the whole year. This year, thankfully, I got a lot of free-lance work and the first thing I did was buying some new clothes and shoes. Ok, I really needed them now, but I overdid it and spent more or less 200 euros a *month*. So not frugal! But i have to say, I could afford the expenses and I’m really enjoying my new stuff.
Anyway, I always try to buy on sale (I’d like to get more second hand but here thrift stores are almost non existant, so I buy something on eBay). I buy a lot on line when there are sales and/or discount codes: Amazon, Yoox, Esprit, Gap… Recently I bought several basic Esprit tops for 60 euros, some fab Clarks shoes for 50 and a pair of Hush Puppies for 30. Of course I tend to buy mostly from brands I’d already had, so I know my exact size.
By the way: when some shirts or pants I really like lose colour, I dye them – at least if they are black or blue, because with other colours the result is unpredictable. So some favorites of mine can look again new, or almost and I wear them for years.
Btw, eBay is great for finding stuff from stocks at interesting prices, like good quality (and pretty) underwear, like bras (I bought CK or Gossard bras for 10 euros each).
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PS – As a free-lancer who works at home, I’m in the casual dressers group. I understand that people who works in an office has to spend more than me.
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