gardenmom5 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I need tall pants and those are hard to find for women! . Penny's has a Tall women's cataloge. They don't carry tall sizes in the store, so they have to be ordered. You can also do that online. My daughter has been happy with them, and they are MUCH cheaper than Tall Girl's. (talk about sticker shock :svengo:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I don't budget. I just buy something when I really, really love it and/or if I need it. I'm beginning to think that I need to make a list of how many tops I need, how many shorts, how many pants, etc. Problem is: I don't know where to start. Guess I just have to go by common sense. If I could and if I could convince dh, I would fly to the U.K. once every two years and do all my and dd's shopping there. I much, much prefer clothes shopping in the U.K. This would be my dream come true. :D I used to love Coldwater Creek and still like them a lot, but, to me, they're not as good as they used to be. I love their customer service, however. I get overwhelmed in most U.S. clothing stores. Spend what you have to spend. If that kind of money is within your budget for a pair of jeans then great. If you will be cutting into your food bill next month...well.... :iagree: This is me. If you have the money, I think you should buy whatever works for you. If sizing and quality are important enough to you to spend that much and you have that much to spend, then do so without guilt. Agree. This is me also. I'm big on size and quality. Both are everything to me. I'm a petite and so I can't just buy any pair of jeans, for example. If you can afford it and you are happy. Go for it!!! Don't feel guilty. Yes, if you can afford it, if you need it, and if it makes you feel good and happy - there should be no guilt. :) I don't do thrift stores because I just really have the hardest time wearing someone else's clothes. Me too. I'm almost embarrassed to say that here. I don't buy clothes at Target or Walmart since they just fall apart or look funny after being washed once. Same. I used to. Not anymore. My dc are okay with their clothes. Macy's on sale is affordable for me. Although I wouldn't buy a pair of jeans for $75. I never wear jeans much to my dd's chagrin. But to me, $75 is a great price. Maybe I'm odd ... Okay, I'm quoting others far too much here. Time to stop. Agreeing too much with everyone. Interesting thread. I wish I knew how to figure out how many tops I need, skirts, etc. Is there a site that gives this sort of info? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 If you have the money, I think you should buy whatever works for you. If sizing and quality are important enough to you to spend that much and you have that much to spend, then do so without guilt. :iagree: I have to be frugal. I do take good care of my clothes by washing on cold water (n a front loader) and hanging to dry most items (nice tops, jeans, pants, dresses, sweaters). This significantly lengthens the life of my clothes. I buy cheap undies (Hanes, et al) - $8 for package of 6 at Target. I hang my bras to dry. I buy Old Navy tops on sale for casual wear. They last 1-2 years before they look too worn to wear. That is not bad for a $5 top (and I do dry these in the dryer). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathkath Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Penny's has a Tall women's cataloge. They don't carry tall sizes in the store, so they have to be ordered. You can also do that online. My daughter has been happy with them, and they are MUCH cheaper than Tall Girl's. (talk about sticker shock :svengo:) Eddie Bauer does tall. I always regret buying from Kohls and Target because it doesn't feel good or fit right. I just suck it up and do a massive EB order every few years. I love that you can get the EB tall tops so you don't show waist leaning over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Eddie Bauer does tall. . in-store or online? REI has some women's tall for sportwear, but other stuff she ends up buying men's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runningmom80 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I buy higher priced items, but I don't buy them often. I buy super expensive jeans, but I buy 1 or 2 pairs, and I'm set for 3 or 4 years. I buy nice classic dresses and skirts from jcrew and nordstrom that I can wear for years. I tend to spend more on fall & winter clothes, and summer clothes I shop old navy and target. We have short summers and long winters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britomart Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I wish I knew how to figure out how many tops I need, skirts, etc. Is there a site that gives this sort of info? You might like The Twenty Pieces Project. They're picking 20 pieces of clothing (excluding undies and shoes, I think) to wear all year long. It's a bit of an experiment, so I don't know if it'll be the practical help you want, but it's certainly an interesting idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I don't spend nearly as much on my own clothes as I should... nothing looks right, fits right, etc. I don't actually even like most of my clothes! Part of the problem is my size :/ - along with the fact that I'm kinda straight up and down, so most pants especially just don't fit well. It's actually kinda depressing when I think about it lol... I love Victoria's Secret clothes, but I don't buy pants from them bc of the whole fit thing. Shirts are pretty easy, though. I get all of my undergarments from them - won't wear anything else. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I have decided that since I can't find some clothes to fit me, I am going to get them made. THat costs a lot so I am waiting until I am sure I have the money but I find it totally depressing to try lots of clothes and not find ones that fit. Oh, I can get clothes- t shirts, shirts, some dresses, skirts, shorts, and even some pants (but that is less often and I usually need alterations). See I am not a block shape, I am very much hour glassed shape but with a smaller top than bottom. Jackets don;t fit since if they fit my shoulders, they don't fit at the bottom. Pants are problematic since if they fit my hips they don't fit my waist (way too large). So I have taken to wearing sweaters instead and waiting until I have the money to get a jacket made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I don't buy clothes. My dd asked me the other day why I wore '70s pants and I told her it was because I got them in the '70s. :tongue_smilie: I mostly have free t-shirts or hand-me-downs from my dds. My family buys me socks and pjs and gives me gift cards for unders. If I was buying my own clothes then I think about $50 for good jeans and maybe $20-$30 for shirts. Cheap undies but more for bras and definitely more for a good pair of shoes. I hate spending money on clothes though. Can I just say... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Discount and department stores don't carry my size. Very few stores carry clothes that fit me. I can't shop in the petites because they are too big. I can't shop in the juniors because they are too big and too small. I have to shop at moderately priced stores or wear things that don't fit. Usually, I just wear things that don't fit because I am cheap but the clothes that really fit make me feel pretty and classy and I wish I could have an entire wardrobe with only those clothes! With my kids, I am over Target and Old Navy and other cheap stores. My kids wear their clothes for years. Seriously. My son has been wearing the same shirts for going on 4yrs and my girls have been wearing the same dresses for over 2 yrs! Also, my youngest gets hand me downs from the older girls. The cheaper stuff does not hold up. It shrinks, gets holes, fades, pills, and otherwise looks trashy before one child outgrows them. The more expensive things still look new when my youngest outgrows them- after about 4-5yrs of continuous use! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 You might like The Twenty Pieces Project. They're picking 20 pieces of clothing (excluding undies and shoes, I think) to wear all year long. It's a bit of an experiment, so I don't know if it'll be the practical help you want, but it's certainly an interesting idea! Sounds great. Thank you :D. Also sharing it with my fashionista dd. She's going to love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrieann Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I am always a firm believer in that you get what you pay for. It's better to have a few classic and well-made pieces in your wardrobe then a closet full of junk. Now that being said, I don't like to pay full price for anything so I always shop the clearance racks at better clothing stores. With children's clothing, if I buy better things for my older son, I can almost always pass them down to my younger son and then on to my nephew. As for my husbands work wardrobe, the higher end the pieces, the longer they last and in the end you spend less. Some of the higher end shops will put you on a customer lists to notify you when something in your size is marked down (he has gotten $2500 Etro suit coats for $250!). Also, don't underestimate the value of a good tailor!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 self-admitted clothes horse...... I will pay for quality and fit. :iagree: I am a clothes horse too. Actually, I'm a jeans horse. I love a good pair of jeans that FIT. Back when I was working and making big $$$ I bought several pair of Seven jeans and Michael Kors jeans (seriously, MK can make anyone's @ss look great) and Michael Kors pants. Thee were all more than $75. Unfortunately, they're all size 6 and I'm still carrying some baby weight. I had to buy some new pants to wear until I can get back in to my 6's and I just bought some inexpensive jeans and pants and wow, what a difference! The fabric is rougher, the fit isn't as good and they're just not comfortable. I hate them with a passion. I want my comfy, well fitting pants back. For tops, it depends. I have several really nice tops that I bought when I was working and spent good money on, but they still look great almost 4 years later. I usually buy inexpensive tops for spring and summer (Old Navy, Gap) and they never make it past one year because they're cheaply made. I spend much more on my winter clothes because I don't want them falling apart. I have a full length, wool winter coat that I paid about $400, BUT I've worn it or 5 years and it has many years left in it. When we live in the States, I ♥ Marshall's, Ross and TJ Maxx because I can find nice name brand clothes for far less. Now if we were talking shoes, you'd probably all drop dead at the money I spend on those. :ohmy: I wear heels all the time and they MUST be of good quality or I'd be in serious pain. I do try to get them on sale though. My favorite pair of mid-calf, lace up boots are from Via Spiga. They have a 4" heel and are simply divine. I saw them at TJ Maxx about 5 years ago. The original price was $550. The TJ Maxx price was $300. I wanted them so badly, but waited and waited because I KNEW no one else in the town we lived in was going to pay that and the price would come down. One day I went in to check on them (yes, you read that right, I checked on my boots) and they were down to $225. I still waited. The next time I went in, they were $150. They day after T-Giving, I braved the shoppers and went in because I had a 50% off one item coupon and I wanted those boots. To my complete and utter delight, they were marked down to $90 and with my coupon I got them for $45!!!!! Wooooohoooo! I've worn them every fall/winter for 5 years now. I've had the heels retipped twice (about $15 each time) and have them professionally cleaned and buffed at the end of each season ($20) and they still look as good as they did they day I bought them. Even if I had paid $550 for them, that would work out to just over $100/year SO FAR. They've got several more years in them, so over the course of their life, it would have been worth it. As it was though, I scored them cheaply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I too am about done with Target and Kohls. I spend a lot of money there on myself every year but come next season I need all new things. A few years back Dh bought me a bunch of stuff on clearance at J Jill. I still have it, I still wear it. Just recently he bought me some stuff on sale at Coldwater Creek. Some was more than I would have spent but they look great on me and I know they will last my Kohl shirts for this summer! i am slowly replacing stuff from nicer places but the trick is buying on clearance. And for me, buying something in more than one color. I am not fashionable by any means so I often have two of the same item in different colors...I just want it to fit and look classic. So yes, I think spending more will pay off if you don't mind wearing things for a few years. If you like to change it up then what is wrong with Target/Kohls every season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 You might like The Twenty Pieces Project. They're picking 20 pieces of clothing (excluding undies and shoes, I think) to wear all year long. It's a bit of an experiment, so I don't know if it'll be the practical help you want, but it's certainly an interesting idea! I like this also, since it also includes stay-at-home moms. Some lists, like Tim Gunn's (whom I just love) are simply unrealistic and not part of my reality. I don't, for example, need a suit, button-down shirt, or trench coat (in the tropics). Will post again if I see more. I just love lists. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeemama Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I agree with the PPs that said "you get what you pay for". That being said I will not pay full price for anything but jeans (some items just don't go on sale). I worked one year at Macy's part-time and learned the mark down system. Almost everything would get marked down as the the season went on. New mark downs every week. Most of my clothes come from LOFT, Macy's, and GAP. I usually get one new outfit for myself each season (and two of the seasons are with gift cards). I always get things that are 30-40 percent off sometimes more with a coupon and sale combined. My clothes are classic styles that last years. I have three Land's End bathing suits (that are one, three and four years old) that get worn VERY often and they all still look great...I didn't buy a new one this year:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 My husband has a saying that the most expensive thing in your closet it the thing you wear the least. Meaning if you buy $120 shoes and wear them every day you've gotten your money's worth more than the pair you bought for $10 but wore once because they made your feet hurt. I try to only buy on sale, even quality places have sales. But for myself I find that I wear the higher quality clothes more and they last longer than the less expensive ones. I also buy clothes fairly infrequently though and really am never in style...I just have things that are very basic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 (edited) I have a variety of second hand, mall, and Title IX things, and a couple of other brands that work for me. Edited August 3, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Marie Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 We do a mix of both, we buy new clothes & go to thrift stores. We have so many kid's when someone outgrow's something, someone else can fit into it. So to us it's worth getting new clothes :001_smile: We love walmart! Especially the online site, the sell outfit set's for about $5-10 But we also go to thrift stores for "Extra" clothes, especially for the boy's they ruin their clothes so quickly But it's okay when it only cost's 2$ ;) For me i have to buy new, i'm a size 7 "long" and normal size 7 are to short & thrift stores rarely have a long size. And if you can afford it don't feel guilty ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 You might like The Twenty Pieces Project. They're picking 20 pieces of clothing (excluding undies and shoes, I think) to wear all year long. It's a bit of an experiment, so I don't know if it'll be the practical help you want, but it's certainly an interesting idea! I LOVE this idea!!!! Thanks for including this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 (edited) I just read this whole thread and I have to admit that I despise the worry about comng up with a decent outfit for an event. I get too anxious. If you see something you like and it looks good on you, buy it. If there is a brand that works for you, make it yours. It's going to save you on anxiety. I need to know that I can throw a skirt or top on and not hate it. If you think about it, there is always something you need an outfit for; be it a ballet or piano recital for your kids, a birthday lunch with your dh-- you need something that works. There are more of those events than we like to consider. You just don't want to show up in jeans and a sweat shirt, right? There's wishing (that we could stay home in yoga pants all day) and knowing that it's not really possible. I say this as a person who would rather pull weeds from a garden than shop. ;) Dooooooooo it. :) Get a couple of nice things that don't break the bank. PS to KIds Happen. If I *ever* had to re-wear my courd Wranglers from the late 70's/early 80's, I would have to numb myself with Vodka in a Poland Spring bottle. You are a better woman than I. No way. LOL That is one giant nightmare. LOL Now. I *could* do the Madonna Bra strap thang again. lol She was cute. We all thought we were so cute. HA! Edited August 2, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I remember those days. I sitll think of them and remember them, but it has become incomprehensible to me spending all that time purusing racks where I might find one item that works on a good day. It seems like another life. wierd. My perspective is a little different. I don't have to shop at thrift stores any more, but I still do because I can't bring myself to shop for clothes at the mall when I can get perfectly good ones for a fraction of the cost by shopping at the thrift store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 PS to KIds Happen. If I *ever* had to re-wear my courd Wranglers from the late 70's/early 80's, I would have to numb myself with Vodka in a Poland Spring bottle. You are a better woman than I. No way. LOL That is one giant nightmare. LOL Now. I *could* do the Madonna Bra strap thang again. lol She was cute. We all thought we were so cute. HA! :iagree: But, I also wouldn't ever FIT in those old jeans!:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 (edited) My perspective is a little different. I don't have to shop at thrift stores any more, but I still do because I can't bring myself to shop for clothes at the mall when I can get perfectly good ones for a fraction of the cost by shopping at the thrift store. yeah. A good thrift rocks. It's the only place I don't mind perusing. I dont even like to tell of some of my finds, but they are fairly spectacular. My children know bargains. My oldest recently found a couple of beautiful Brooks Bothers jackets/pants etc. :auto: Nice. I think one was $20. :tongue_smilie: It was cheap enough to hem and tuck. I love that they go there first. Smart cookies. Edited August 2, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 My perspective is a little different. I don't have to shop at thrift stores any more, but I still do because I can't bring myself to shop for clothes at the mall when I can get perfectly good ones for a fraction of the cost by shopping at the thrift store. :iagree: Walmart quality clothes don't last to get to thrift stores. I buy quality brand names at thrift stores, and I feel great about it. I can't imagine spending more than $5 for an item. Except, I'd spend $150+ on comfortable shoes and more than that on a good bra, but I don't make those purchases often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginny May Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Do you think we're seeing less good, quality clothes that last at an affordable price? Or do you think there are still some stores that produce them? And, if you've found them where are they?:bigear: My hubby always ask me why I never buy new clothes. I am glad you all are giving the same reasons. I thought I was all alone. I use to be a size 3 but now a 5 and really need new clothes. But we do not have money to waste on clothes that will shrink after 2 washes. :confused: I can not wait to read more of the thread and learn where to shop for good choths on a budget. Look cute but not you know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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