28 Comments
Jul 12, 2022·edited Jul 12, 2022

I’m 61. I used to buy almost all of my clothes from thrift stores or consignment shops. In the last three or so years I’ve been buying from small labels like Farewell Frances, Wray, Big Bug Press and a handful of others that either use vintage fabrics and/or abide by ethical practices. I like to support small brands.

My “style” in the 90s was very gamine masculine; pixie cut, Viva Glam lipstick, mascara, jeans and a crisp white shirt.

As I age I’ve been enjoying wearing dresses with sneakers, big prints, and bright florals. I think it may be me sartorially saying “Here I am, an older person, enjoying life.”

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Millennials have a lot of tools to discover their own styles. Tracee Ellis Ross put it simply when she said "Second-hand clothing helped me understand that style has nothing to do with money; it's the way you put things together. Style is the how, not the what." I used to buy brand-name items and discovered that I hardly ever wore them. I found that having a gym membership and feeling strong and confident in simple styles suited me best.

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I grew up in post-communist Romania, reading my mom's ELLE magazines, obsessing over beautiful things I thought I could never, ever buy. I remember my frustration at not even having the option to buy anything remotely fashionable or beautiful because of where I lived - an obscure town that few people have even heard of. I was 17 when I first stepped into a Zara store - and the lack of fashion expression during my formative years led me to become a shopaholic in my early to mid 20s. I moved to England and started making money and it was incredibly freeing to be able to buy and wear whatever I wanted. I went a bit overboard, lets put it that way! I'm now 30 and have a far better relationship with money and clothing. I own a lot of designer that I mainly purchased on Vestiaire Collective, Vinted or Depop. I also regularly sell things on there too. My philosophy is 'one in, one out'. I feel incredibly confident and powerful when I wear something that is well made and I rarely feel guilty if I buy myself something nice.

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I hire a local seamstress to make clothes to measure. I value the creative process more than the acquisition of an item.

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Oooh, great q. I don’t usually save up for fashion, but I have been spending on nice-ish jewelry over the past two years instead of clothing. Now I have 3-4 “good” outfits that I rotate and I am more interested in building up a collection of necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings to mix and match and layer. My last big splurge was a STAUD purse with a beaded lobster on it lol. If I’m going to spend money I want the piece to be BOLD!

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Jul 15, 2022·edited Jul 15, 2022

I mostly wear pre-post Jenna Lyons J.Crew tops that I find on consignment & simple A-line skirts from a maker on Etsy. Jenna Lyons' J. Crew is just the brand/era for me, though I do buy a few new things from them once a year or so. Back in late May, I bought a pair of classic, square toe Gucci pumps (black leather with the horsebit on the toe & the subtle gold on the stacked heel). They cost a freaking fortune but, as someone who hates to buy shoes & has very few, I thought I'd splurge & then (hopefully) not buy another pair of black pumps pretty much ever. I think I was right. I could wear these babies with a trash bag and look great. They're a medium-stack heel and yet they make my legs look like I am in stilettos. I wear them with black fishnets or bare legs. I've worn them to church almost every Sunday & a couple of events this summer & they are not even summer shoes! On the opposite end of the spectrum, I bought a pair of J.Crew Italian-made leather boots at a consignment shop back in 2002. They were $60, which I didn't really want to pay because, as I mentioned above, I don't like to buy shoes. But, I bought them because they were truly beautiful (thank you, Jenna Lyons). I've had them resoled about 7 times & they are still going strong. Now, I gotta say: The problem with buying (or finding on consignment) really high-end stuff ruins you a little for everything else & I certainly cannot afford to buy Gucci shoes & Hermes scarves (another story for another time) on the regular. However, eBay and ThredUp are treasure troves of luxury brands at pretty great prices. Thank you for your writing here, btw. I really enjoy reading you!

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Thank you for reading my article! Now I have to answer your question: I too get anxious about money, but I still love to buy clothes. I used to feel really guilty and self-indulgent and materialistic about my this (and occasionally still do), but I've mostly come around to accepting that it gives me a lot of pleasure.

I shop almost entirely from small-ish independent brands, mostly women-owned and with some transparency about who makes the clothes, where the materials are sourced, etc. It's rare that I buy anything really expensive, but I don't buy stuff that's really cheap either. I do know that this is a huge luxury, and I am often conflicted about it. It might be my biggest vice.

I read a book this year called Wallet Activism, by Tanja Hester, about how you can spend your money more thoughtfully and responsibly, and one gut check she suggests is asking yourself, "Can I find this thing a new home when I'm done with it?" I try to only buy things that will hold up well enough that I could eventually resell them on The RealReal or give them a friend. (I'm also pretty selective and have no qualms about returning things that I don't love.)

I agree with your statement that spending money on experiences is more gratifying than material objects. But I also think that great clothes are an experience, in their own way. I'm not the kind of person who puts together an amazing outfit very often; I'm usually just in jogging shorts, wrangling my kid and trying to get work done. So when I do wear something cool, it feels special, and it becomes part of whatever experience I'm having in it.

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I worked for seven years in retail luxury fashion so I invested in some brilliant clothes (at 50% off, and even better discounts on sale) that I continue to wear today. I challenge myself to style my pieces differently every season. Now my philosophy is to buy less but best and on sale whenever possible. I love Dries van Noten pieces so I wait for them to go on sale. They are so different that they become timeless, and part of my signature style. I supplement with basics from COS and that's about it. Now my focus is on experiences, including travel.

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As my wife will unhappily attest, I'll wear clothes until they are past the point of threadbare. Happily, I have a 14-year old daughter who is very good with a sewing machine--and even makes her own clothes now (or thrifts then fits her purchases to her size). That said, I prefer to spend more on nicer stuff that will last than buy new clothes more frequently. Part of this is 'environmental anxiety,' as you say Amy, part too is that I become attached to certain items of clothes the longer I have them. Not to get to woohoo, but they have memories stitched into them over time that is almost ever present when I wear them (i.e. the chewed-up, waterlogged Birkenstocks I wore across Asia back in my 'hippie days').

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I'm on the cusp of Gen X and Millennial, and I've never felt anxiety about spending money on fashion. I love fashion and shopping so much I actually turned it into my career after working in finance. When I worked in luxury fashion, it was a dream to get the discounts. Now, I have to resort to affordable brands to get my fix, but I do shop regularly. I'm one of those people who wear everything I own so I was always able to justify my shopping patterns and never really experienced environmental anxiety. I know others would call it excessive, but as a Manhattan resident, the only thing I truly spend excessive money on in my life is being gouged on rent.

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For me, it's about plus size designer pieces that can be worn in multiple combinations. 11 Honore is truly dangerous for my bank account.

I'm happy not buying any new clothes for months and months (I really do have everything I need), but then I'll see an irresistible dress and since plus fashion that is elevated is not something you come by as easily as "just" fashion, ot will love in my head rent-free.

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Depending on the item, I might make something, have something made to measure, or buy as things wear out. I am one of those "kind of a uniform" types for daily dress - almost 100% black pullovers and pants (not jeans) that are comfortable to walk distances in. If something fits really well, I'll usually buy more than one to stretch out the time before I have to think about replacement. But I spent a fair bit on a couple of options for fancy dress, will always spend on a good winter coat (enough that the second one I've bought in 35 years might last out my life), and have some historical costuming interests (made to measure for garments beyond my sewing skill).

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Due to my own environmental anxiety, making any purchase is tough for me—and clothing is no exception. I'm a former fashion editor so I understand the value in investing in well-made, quality fashion, but I have a hard time actually pulling the trigger on a purchase. Lately the few times I've shopped I've done it on The Real Real or at a vintage store. I find buying second hand is a much more enjoyable experience for me because I'm not adding to the problem that way—plus I'm super cheap so....there's that.

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A coat. Shoes. Jewelry. Sunglasses. Something that I get a lot of cost-per-wear out of.

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Loving your first open thread. I spent so many years working in luxury fashion, and I always felt inferior to my peers because I didn’t want to spend my low fashion income on clothing.

During those years, I spent the majority of my money on experiences like travel to further my professional pursuits, so I was living in basics from the GAP, Levi’s and Converse.

Now that I’m more established in my career, I still prefer to save for experiences, but I’ll go through phases of spending a little more on brands like APC, lululemon, Outdoor Voices, and Maison Kitsuné.

I, like you, will also take advantage of discounts, which I did for a period when I revamped my wardrobe with a bunch of mid-range designer when I consulted for a store.

These days, my (very small) closet is mostly long-lasting basics, and I only tend to buy when I need to.

Curious what jacket you have from Acne, I’ve been dreaming about a particular one for years but I’ve never splurged (financial anxiety?).

So, what am I? A basic bitch? Haha.

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I have been buying clothes from MarketplaceIndia.com since 1990. The clothes and t he fabrics they are made from are designed, created and made into handsome shirts, Dresses, pants, jackets and tops. By women wwho form collectives of artisans with different skills. Employment transforms the lives of women in India, providing a buffer against extreme violence against women in India. And the clothes are more than beautiful, they last forever. I'm still wearing the first garment I. Bought from them thirty two years ago. Every time I succumb to an impulse buy, I balance it against my investments in MarketplaceIndia.com

And Thredup.com, of course!

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I spend money on clothes for the outdoors (hello, Patagonia) and running shoes. We have a dog, and I'm out in the woods walking 8-10 km every day, no matter the weather, and well, things wear out. I also spend money on yarn, because I like to knit, and if I get something new in my everyday wardrobe, it's because I knit it.

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I second the comments here about vintage, or getting a local seamstress to make clothes when I want them. I also like treating myself to some of the sustainable (made on request) brands out there. That said, I have been doing a "no buy" 2022 and haven't bought new (or used) clothes since December of last year. I can do this because of a solid 30 years of being a clothing consumer! It really puts things in perspective about how much stuff we all have.

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Mid-30s guy here. I used to get excited about the sales at Barneys or scooping up vintage designer stuff but it's worn off. These days I buy 80% of my clothes at Uniqlo and when I look at higher end designers I rarely feel so much as a twinge of desire. I recently walked through the revamped La Samaritaine department store, which has a couple floors of all the hottest menswear, and it was such a funny, dislocating experience, like this is what they think is desirable... ?

I actually don't feel great about this. I'd like to buy more interesting clothes and make more of an effort (and I used to be much better-dressed) but don't know where to start. The one positive discovery I've made is a site called Thread, which makes it extremely easy to filter by sizes, color, price range and zoom in on exactly what you're looking for. So, apart from visiting Uniqlo 2-3 times per year for basics, the last significant purchases I made were:

- An enormous and not very fashionable backpack which I use on the days I go into the office

- A new winter coat last year

- A tuxedo which I needed for some formal events

- Shoes, which start out as nice-casual and are eventually downgraded to gym shoes

And that's it.

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I generally have an annual clothing budget for big ticket pieces (which I qualify as more than $150, anything more than what I'd generally notice impacting my monthly income) and a more forgiving monthly clothing budget but I don't buy that often so it just flows back into the pool for the big ticket items as I have all the basics I need anyway. I also try to have a in one out one rule, so I'm perpetually getting rid of things on depop or therealreal. Any 'new' items I get are generally just new to me; I don't and have never particularly liked buying fresh off the rack items, new season items; I'm more interested in accumulating only my grails and unforgettable pieces and buy the 'classics' used from consignment stores or thrift them.

i've always saved for nicer things and spent more of my income on it when i was in high school and college; all my discretionary income went to building up my designer archive since i REALLY cared about fashion (and ran a fashion blog of course). i am generally an obsessive saver too; i don't buy impulsively and spend months or years casually searching for specific things - and when i find them, i buy them guiltlessly if they're in the budget i afforded. i don't really have much debt (i paid off my student loans a year or two out of school) but i also have no intention of going into debt for like, a birkin. i even bought my wedding dress used lol

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I am a millennial. I don’t earn a ton of money and I have a full remote job, so I should keep it simple and just wear loungewear. But I can’t help but love browsing for clothing and I’m frequently cleaning and reselling/donating my old clothes to make way for something new. Lately, I buy a lot of secondhand designer clothing( there is always a good deal to be found), mixed in with some aritzia and reformation (tho I try to avoid buying new clothes, due to environmental concerns.)I’ll be the first to admit I should spend less on clothes haha.

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I shop more when I’m planning a trip or vacation-but this year making an effort to wear what I have or give/sell it to keep things useful.

Almost 50 but finally have my style and realistic about what I’ll wear.

I love to shop -but making a list of what I need has kept me in check-always fun to look and keep a wishlist.

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I have a couple of wool suits. They look about as expensive as they were. Don’t need ironing, washing, durable, good in all weather.

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31 year old dink here, I hardly ever save money for fashion/clothing. The most I spend is on higher ticket items that are either practical like winter coat/boots or for a special occasion like a wedding guest dress.

Otherwise, I add to my regular wardrobe as needed and relying on sales (I’m talking workhorse basics). If I want something more fashion-y (see above special occasion items) I look to The Real Real or other second hand/consignment outlets. I don’t mind spending money on clothes, but I’m allergic to fast fashion and hate being wasteful.

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I used to work as a fashion journalist in Ireland and at that point I was a lot more interested in fashion. I remember buying a 3.1 Phillip Lim purse (again with a media discount) and Miu Miu booties and feeling VERY fashion.

Almost a decade later, I write about relationships and family and money – I actually do a weekly spending diary – from Indiana, where I moved to be closer to my sister and her kids, and subsequently met my now husband and had a baby.

Now I feel like, if I invest in anything, it’s more likely to be functional: good underwear or sports bras, or highly rated leggings. Comfort is key!

I spend a lot more on takeout and restaurants and coffees and stuff for the house or kids (I have two stepsons) than on clothes nowadays – I think the biggest purchase I made lately was a silk dress by Rujuta Sheth (it’s hard to find nice clothes to wear in 80+ degree heat!), and I bought a $190 pair of sandals to wear to my wedding celebration (with a €40 dress!).

I think it’s half to do with having a very casual lifestyle (I work from home), but I do often wonder if I’d spend more on clothes if I was standard sized. I’m a US 16 / UK 16-18 and can’t fit into most designer pieces so the choice is often out of my hands.

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