Clothes spending

Snap Loopyloo! My hairdresser makes me look and feel great, worth every penny.

The other day I spent a fortune at the hairdressers having a cut. She was new to me but so good. So now I think will stay with her and buy my clothes from charity shops. Also the best thing is to lose weight everything looks so much better. So that's the plan!

Last thing I bought was a Phase Eight midi dress @£150.I buy a lot of clothes and rarely wear them a second year .In fact theres nothing in my wardrobe older than 4 years old .

Apart from my 48 year old wedding dress which my sentimental OH insists stays.
I DONT THROW THINGS AWAY I pass them on to my sister,my DIL even one of my GD 's anything they dont want goes to the charity shop who are always pleased to have what I pass on to them .
I do the same with furniture which I also change quite often .
I know I'm fortunate to not have to worry about money but I did work for 55 years so what I spend it on is surely my business
I dont have "good " clothes I wear things when I want to not for specific settings or events.I never kept the kids clothes for"good" either after a neighbours daughter who wanted to wear her holiday clothes never did because she died suddenly age 6 just days before the holiday .

I like clothes and enjoy sorting out my wardrobe . I have given away BAGS of clothes in the past and am trying to cut down now because of my age and way of life. Have (partly) decided to only wear trousers and long skirts in future as I spend a lot of time indoors. Like good-quality, classic clothes but keep an eye out for bargain prices. Add a bit of drama (!) with unusual belts, necklaces, scarves and collars. After colour analysis know which colours suit me and watch out for these in tops, scarves etc.( Occasionally buy) from Kettlewell even though these are expensive as someone always comments on the colour "suiting" me!

I haven't bought anything brand new from a store for years. I buy in charity shops and car boot sales. I have also just discovered Vinted. Lots of things from all of these are sometimes brand new or hardly worn.

Often one 'expensive' item can lift an outfit. I like good shoes and bags, but sometimes a really good tee shirt can make a cheaper pair of trousers look good, or even a lovely scarf.

I agree that fabrics aren't as good as they used to be. I tend to knit my own woolies to avoid acrylic mixes, but yesterday I had on an old cashmere cardigan which has lasted for years. It is a 'St Michael' one from M&S, which shows its age. I've looked at the modern versions, and the fabric is nothing like the same. It's much thinner, and the items are a lot shorter and smaller, so you'd need to go up about 3 sizes to get the same fit.

I wish I could sew, as there is such a difference between clothes where things like stripes and patterns match up, like they used to on mid-range brands like Jaeger. Nowadays you have to go a lot further up-market to get a guarantee of that - into territory uncharted by me .

Gundy I agree, the fabric and the cut make all the difference.

To me, it’s all about the fabric.

Todays fabrics can hardly stand up to the more natural and luxurious threads we could buy in the past, whether ready-to wear or on bolts to fashion our own clothing.

That in itself is a big driver of what I’m buying these days, no matter the cost. Some lightweight fabrics are good for everyday wear, a thrill, laundering, affordability, but for occasions, when you want a statement piece expect to pay a pretty penny to get the fit, styling, fabric, long term wear, “oohs and aahs.”

Be your own Stylista!
USA Gundy

One thing I’ve never been interested in is expensive handbags.
My favourite one at the moment is from anthropology and is a sort of lattice work lime green little bag, I love it, I think it was about £60.

I like dresses and this summer, I bought 2 very cheaply and I've already worn both a lot. One is a white linen shift dress with a china blue pattern on from TK Maxx and the other is bright multi colours from Tu. Each one cost me £24. I also love Bombshell dresses, particularly the Grace style, I have a collection but I always buy in the sale. I feel they are really "me". They are beautifully made in this country and last for years. My most recent one cost £189.00. I wear jeans in the day time but only M& S and TK Maxx & usually with cheap jumpers - I had 2 cable fronted ones from H&M for £10 each years ago and they're still going strong. I didn't think that woman in the navy trousers had a look worth aspiring to I'm afraid. As I type, I'm in my Primark "satin" PJs which cost £12 in the sale and look very expensive. My favourite winter coat is a red and cream wool houndstooth M&S second, I've had it more than 12 years & it cost £17 & very often gets admired when I wear it. I also have a paddock coat by Guinea of London made from Yorkshire tweed which cost £350.00. It's very smart & also gets admired but it's not as cosy as the old M&S second!!

I have “ two” wardrobes, one for my good stuff mainly Hobbs, Phase Eight, Gina Bacconi, Jigsaw etc, Sole Bliss and Dune shoes that are worn on cruises, weddings etc, then the other one full of Next, M&S and other high street stores jeans, trousers, tops, jumpers, trainers, boots and everyday shoes and sandals.
Maximum spend was probably my outfit for my Son’s wedding, £450 dress, £250 shoes and £120 clutch bag plus undies/shape wear.
My husband always buys my handbags as birthday/ Christmas presents, so have a lovely selection of Radley and Kate Spade bags in all sizes/ colours, I like a good quality bag.

I have just spent £38 on a summer dressthat was reduced from £53. I am still reeling in shock at myself for spending that amount. I may have had heat stroke! I am miserable with clothes. Due to having slim and shallow feet I usually have to spend high on footwear but they do last a long time.

DD is the dressmaker in our family. She used to make the most wonderful dressing up clothes when her niece and nephew were small. Now she makes me clothes, as well as for her self. Christmas 21, it was a dress, Christmas 22, some wide legged cotton trousers.

Thanks Marydoll for introducing me to Otrium, I too try never to pay full price for clothes

Pamelaj1,
Where is that?
That's dreadful.
Perhaps like Karmalady I should get into spinning.

If we worry too much about sustainability and all that, we will be going around in our birthday suits.I try to never buy anything made in China or in sweat shops in Leicester come to that so rather than buy cheap I look for bargains online from various sources.Charity shops in expensive neighbourhoods are really good, worth making a short journey to.
I had more money in the past but now have to be careful so shop around.

Bijou

Since I have been housebound for six years I have only bought some knickers.
Until I was seventy I always made dresses, suits, trousers, etc myself. It is a pity that there are few material shops these days but I suppose with women going out to work they haven’t the time.

Still lots of fabric, etc.,Bijou but much of it's gone on line.

Since I have been housebound for six years I have only bought some knickers.
Until I was seventy I always made dresses, suits, trousers, etc myself. It is a pity that there are few material shops these days but I suppose with women going out to work they haven’t the time.

There is nothing in my wardrobe that cost me more than £75 and that is a navy Winter Coat that I bought on sale in Debenhams. I love clothes but like a variety rather than a limited number of expensive items. I would spend more on an outfit for a special occasion like a wedding.

The farmers here are burning the fleeces because there is no market for them.
I have a duvet made of wool and it’s lovely but manufacturers, who are not generally in the U.K., will buy their materials from the cheapest supplier and not bother too much about animal welfare.

I buy all my clothes from eBay or charity shops, except pants and socks. I reckon on a maximum of £5 for tops, £10 for dresses, £15 for jeans (though I have recently bought some gorgeous bootcut Levi’s for £18), and I’ve paid £35 for a superb Barbour winter jacket. Even a nearly-new pair of Le Chameau zip-sided neoprene-lined wellies for £100 were a brilliant bargain.

Often people are selling items that someone has brought back from the USA and not understood the different sizing. I’ve bought unworn Ugg slippers that were listed for sale because they didn’t fit the recipient. Also with some of the more professional sellers, if something is listed as Buy It Now and is unsold and re listed, they’ll often offer it to watchers at a good discount for 48 hours or so. Worth keeping an eye on!

My cast-offs are clean and in excellent condition and other people’s are usually similarly good. Just watch for postage - a t-shirt new with tags was listed for £6 plus £2.45 postage, yet the tag said it was in store for only £8 originally.

Charity shop prices have gone sky high in the national chains but local charities are still worth a look. I hate that so many shops have started sorting their rails by colour instead of by size. It can only be a man’s idea! It’s so ridiculous, I don’t go into a shop thinking, I’ll look for something pink today, I go in to look for clothes in my size, irrespective of colour. I’ve mentioned it in every local store that has done this, they all agree but say it’s a head office instruction.

A local charity shop has a baskets of baby and toddler clothes all at 50p each, I always stock up on a few of those to keep here for the grandchildrens’ inevitable need for clean outfits!

So long as it’s from UK sheep that’s fine as we don’t, thank heavens, practise mulesing here - but we do of course import a lot of wool. It’s something to bear in mind when buying knitwear too.

I like to buy from 'Vinted'. Can get good quality for very little.

Germanshepherdsmum

Have you heard of mulesing sheep? If not I suggest googling. The pictures aren’t pretty.

Australian practice GSM? My wool comes from West Yorkshire.

Have you heard of mulesing sheep? If not I suggest googling. The pictures aren’t pretty.