When to Splurge and When to Save Money on Clothing: 5 Factors to Consider when Selecting Quality
When I was a young girl, I remember going to our nearby department store, Mervyn’s, and feeling like everything was so fancy. I’d wander around the girl’s department and dream about wearing the embellished, glittery tees and dresses covered in flowers. It was a special occasion when we were allowed to purchase something, and I often wondered what it would feel like to wear such pretty things every day.
Fast forward to today, and I’ll shop a variety of price points to accommodate a client’s budget and lifestyle.
I often get asked what I recommend for clothing when it comes to quality. When should a client invest and when can she get away with a lower price point? I’ve found that even clients that can afford high-quality pieces don’t necessarily want to spend boo koo bucks on clothing. It might be fun for them to hunt for a good deal, strategically select what pieces can be purchased at a lower price point, and create a variety of high and low-priced items in their wardrobe.
Before I go any further, I should clarify that a high-quality piece of clothing doesn’t always equal a high-priced piece of clothing. There’s definitely a way to find high-quality items at a low price point, including shopping sales, visiting second-hand stores, or taking advantage of discount retailers like Nordstrom Rack.
However, there’s a few details that aren’t always considered when it comes to buying high and low-quality clothing. Here’s 5 factors to review when selecting the quality of clothing in your wardrobe:
1. Lifestyle
It's important to think about the way quality factors into your lifestyle. Are you a mom of littles who cycles through tee shirts a couple times a year? Or are you like my husband, who often forgets he's wearing his best jeans when working in the garage?
Do you prefer to shop for the season once a year or once every couple of years and keep the things you own in good condition? Think through your lifestyle including your stage of life and ideal shopping frequency to determine how much to budget for your clothes.
2. Laundry Routine
Choosing the quality has a lot to do with how you realistically wear and care for your clothing. If you know it isn't realistic for you to dry clean an item of clothing, or even wash it in a gentle cycle and hang it to dry, I wouldn't recommend investing in clothing that you won't be able to take care of as the label instructs. If it's more practical for you to buy pieces, throw them in the dryer, and pick out new things in another 4-6 months, I'd recommend shopping budget-friendly stores.
3. Trendy Items
When it comes to trendy items that will likely go out of style the following season, feel free to pick up the style at a lower price point. For example, certain colors will be trendy one season and unpopular the next. With that said, if a current trend feels like you and perfectly fits your personal style, it’s OK to invest in the item if you know you’ll wear it no matter what. One of my Style Shop Denver clients loves the ladylike bell sleeves, over-the-top ruffles, and feminine embellishment that’s currently on trend and knows she’ll wear it even if it goes out of style. She invested more in these trendy pieces because they represent her personal style so well.
4. Cost Per Wear
Consider cost per wear when purchasing an item. If you're wearing an item frequently, you'll want to spend more money on the item so it holds up. The cost of the item can be higher because it’s worn frequently. However, if you're buying a trendy item that can only be worn 1-2 ways in your wardrobe, it isn't worthwhile to spend a lot of money when you'll only wear it a handful of times.
Here’s an example. Say you purchase a pair of jeans for $100. You wear them twice a week for two years, costing you $0.48 every time you wear them. However, once you hit the two-year mark, the jeans start unraveling and loose their shape.
If you spend $200 on a pair of jeans and instead wear them twice a week for FOUR years, the cost per wear is still only $0.48, but they’ll last you two extra years! This illustrates why it makes sense to invest in a higher-quality item when you're wearing it often.
5. Change of Size
Lastly, when it comes to quality, it's important to think about sizing and whether you'll be changing size over the next several months. Do you hope to get pregnant? Lose weight? Will you be traveling? If you hope to get pregnant or just started a new workout routine but need clothing to wear now, I recommend buying mid-quality clothing to prevent overspending on items you may not fit into again. And if you lose weight, chances are you'll want to pick out new clothing anyway!