Are more expensive clothes worth it?

[lovinmyboys]

I really don't want to spend money on clothes. There are so many other things I would rather spend money on. However, I am starting to think Dh and I should purchase a few new things so we look a little more put together.

 

Dh has a professional job and often wears a suit, so he is good there. He usually wears athletic clothes when off work. He needs something for business casual days or going out after work. I suggested signing him up for a subscription where they send him clothes. He looked at the prices and said there was no way he would ever pay $100 for an item of clothing. So I'm wondering, are these more expensive clothes actually better? And how are they better? Do they fit better or last longer?

[Arcadia]

I pay sales/clearance price so maybe $20 for a $100 jeans/dress/top. What I like about the pricier clothes is the finer details like weight of material, the lining, the sewing at the seams and in general, the fit, the color (how long before fading). Also I like linen and batik, which cost more even for raw material prices.

 

I have clothes that were from my university days and the color still looks as good as new despite frequent wear and machine wash, and the shape remains.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

 

It varies but the stitching, structure, and fabric quality usually improves as you move up in price points.

 

Occasionally you can luck out in lower price points, but if he's wearing them for work related activities I would stick with a quality level commiserate with the work environment.

 

end of season clearance racks might be a good chance to meet both price and quality needs.

[gardenmom5]

the tailoring in more expensive clothing can be superior.  it can also be just as bad as cheap stuff and cost 4x  as much.

 

as to your subscription - I have no idea. I would be suspicious about the quality of a clothing subscription.  I tend to be cynical.

[Farrar]

I find it's worth it to spend more on clothes, at least a little more. I mean, a single piece of clothing can range so much - from Target level to designer, overpriced, many hundreds of dollars sort of prices. I find that the level or two above the Target/Wal-Mart/H&M sort of disposable clothes is often worth it, especially for things that are going to be in heavy rotation or that I want to last a long time, like a coat, for example. As said above, the fabric and stitching can be so much better. Price doesn't guarantee quality by an stretch and if you go really high, you're just paying for the name, but a little more can be worth it.

 

I've absolutely paid $100 for a few things over the years and don't really regret that.

 

I also purposefully buy the disposable level of clothes sometimes too. And, of course, ideally, you find those $90 jeans on sale for $25, which is something I've had happen.

[redsquirrel]

It really depends.  My sister always looks great. Very professional, but cool, a little funky, and just well pulled together.  Her clothes cost a fortune.  I know they do because I had to ask her where she got her super cute snow clog boot things and she told me...they are hundreds of dollars.  She also wears a lot of eileen fisher and looks fabulous in it. She is tall and thin and it all just hangs beautifully.  She also spend a lot on haircuts. She will go to the city and get a really good haircut a couple times a year, so does her dh. She then goes to the best place in town to have it maintained. She went to some makeup store down there and got her foundation shade determined. Really, she looks good, very natural and comfortable, but put together.  But she also spends a lot on that. She and her husband like to look good, stay on top of those things. They have the money to spend on it.

 

I should add that my sister has a knack for knowing to spend big bucks on the one purse that will look great with everything, be simple and not ostentatious, and lasts forever. Same with shoes and coats. She will spend a LOT on something like boots and then take super good care of them and they last years and years. She picks simple, but not plain or boring, styles that always look good.

 

I am not sure I would get a subscription. I would personally like to have more control over what it is.  I do know that things like having expensive shoes and other accessories makes a huge difference.  DH isn't a sales person, but he has to work with them and they all look fantastic. They have well cut suits, expensive shoes, good haircuts and the men all have manicures. DH says he feels like a troll when he is around them, lol. 

 

Are you friends with anyone he works with? I would flat out ask them where they do their shopping. I am not above taking a surreptitious pic and then searching for a particular look...something my sister taught me, lol

 

And some stuff just costs more than I think it should. An 'office casual' dress, from Talbots, not a place I consider to be high end, will cost over 100$. I want to faint at that, and my mom and my sister just look at me like I am nuts for being shocked.

[Guest]

Yes

[Laura Corin]

I rarely buy full price but I haunt clearance and sales of decent brands, so that I can look put-together for work.  You really can usually tell, I think, the difference between a five pound top from a cheap shop and a top reduced to five pounds from an expensive shop.

 

This is a mid-range collection that I've bought from before.  It's going to be steeply discounted within the next few weeks, so I have my eye on it.  My current work trousers I have been wearing for four years - they were very good quality and are not looking at all worn, but they don't fit me as well as they did and I'm looking to change them.

 

http://www.johnlewis.com/search/women/_/N-53f3?Ntt=capsule

Edited May 25, 2016 by Laura Corin

[Guest]

It depends on the item of clothing.  

 

I pay good money (on sale!, off season!) for things I know will be workhorses of a long-term wardrobe.

I pay very little for fads that update a wardrobe or for things I know I will wreck before they start to look trashy (like white t-shirts, which are my uniform--but I know I will stain them before the crappy construction fails).

 

So I have just finished updating my wardrobe for next fall.  I got three skirts that I will wear for 10 years.  They were $90 originally; I paid $30.  I won't wear them for months. 

 

The other thing it is worth spending money on is The Year Your Color Is In Style.  Because it won't be again for at least 6 years!!  :0)

 

But I'm not talking super-super a lot of money.  Like I am not talking the $1200 suit I saw at the store--on sale--a couple of weeks ago.  :::eyeroll:::

 

[kewb]

It depends on the item. Sometimes it is worth it and sometimes it is junk.

[BlsdMama]

I really don't want to spend money on clothes. There are so many other things I would rather spend money on. However, I am starting to think Dh and I should purchase a few new things so we look a little more put together.

 

Dh has a professional job and often wears a suit, so he is good there. He usually wears athletic clothes when off work. He needs something for business casual days or going out after work. I suggested signing him up for a subscription where they send him clothes. He looked at the prices and said there was no way he would ever pay $100 for an item of clothing. So I'm wondering, are these more expensive clothes actually better? And how are they better? Do they fit better or last longer?

 

 

It really depends - usually you CAN tell a difference on the texture/thickness of the fabric.  That said, Goodwill in Oregon ruined me forever for thin, cheap clothes, but I still refuse to spend much money so I'm a diehard Goodwill snob.  (And once you find brands/pieces you love, you can do ThredUp and Ebay.)

[HomeAgain]

Yes.  We paid $80-100 for each of my husband's dress shirts.  I cringed, but seriously they are the best things ever.  They are well made, tailored to his body type, and hold up unbelievably well.  We got a bargain there, we really did.  Same with his compression/heat gear - buy the brands that are known for it, not off brands. 

 

Our rule of thumb has always been to buy cheap for the kids (they outgrow so quickly) and fad items (asymmetrical shirts or loose sweaters), but buy quality for classic and worn-oftens.

[Bambam]

I do think it can depend.

 

When my kids were little, I could not get stains out of cheap tshirts - not even bleach if they were white. Tshirts from Hanna Andersson or LL Bean - no problem, stains came right out with just a spray of Shout. The stains - spaghetti sauce or mud. Nothing special. And the more expensive tshirts and leggings rarely pilled. I hate pilling. 

 

So, we still buy more expensive brands usually. Because they do feel better, the seams are more secure, the edges/hems are finished properly, the buttons are well sewn on and I don't typically have to resew them on, the material feels better, and the garments last longer.

 

But, we do try to find these at Thrift stores or consignment stores - or shop clearance racks. Once a friend shopping with us laughed at us and asked if I always asked them if an item was on sale before I would agree to purchase it. Um, yes. If it isn't on sale, I'm probably not going to buy it. (outside of undergarments which might be desperately needed!) 

 

 

[Carrie12345]

Sometimes, for some clothes, I do think the price is a reflection of genuine quality difference.  It'll also vary by use/need/individual.

 

For me, t-shirts matter.  I'm not a fashionista. I want to live in boxy t-shirts and leggings.  Boxy t-shirts and jeans, when necessary.  But I've discovered that my Target t-shirts (mens dept) hold a gross, mildewy smell. Dh swears he can't sniff out a difference, but it's there!  I can wash them in the same load as a bunch of other stuff, and everything else comes out fine, but those Target Ts smell rank.

 

I find $60 Levis jeans fit better and last much longer than Target and Old Navy.  I still buy some Target and Old Navy because $$$, but I can't pretend they're just as good.  Similar experience with legging prices, which is why I almost always stick to wearing them around the house.  I can't bring myself to pay big bucks for leggings.

 

As far as my kids go, particularly my youngest ones, they could destroy a suit of armor, so cheap it is!

[SparklyUnicorn]

Probably, but then is it necessary that something lasts ten years?  I don't think so.  My husband has some shirts, for example, that have lasted that long.  Even though they have held up, the collars are becoming discolored and in some cases the style of them is pretty dated.  He tends to use those items for gardening or where he needs to wear a shirt he doesn't care about.

 

One thing we found no difference with are pants.  We used to buy expensive pants in good stores and they'd wear out as quickly as the pants we've bought in Walmart.  So now we just buy them at Walmart because they are much less expensive and last the same amount of time anyway.

 

 

[J-rap]

As far as my own go-to outfit...

 

I think more expensive brand sweaters usually hold up a lot better than cheap ones, and seem to look crisper to me and not droopy and ill-fitting.

 

On the other hand, black jeans fade quickly whether they are cheap or expensive!

 

Shoes are definitely worth it though.

 

(I rarely pay full price for anything though!)

 

 

[Haiku]

So I'm wondering, are these more expensive clothes actually better? And how are they better? Do they fit better or last longer?

 

IME, yes. When we didn't have much money, we dressed in cheap clothes. They didn't fit well, they didn't last long, and they looked worn and out-of-shape sooner. They were not as comfortable to wear.

 

Now that we have more money, I buy better clothing. I find things on sale/clearance or purchase good-quality used clothing at thrift stores. I would not pay $100 for an item of clothing, either, unless it were required for some reason. I would by a $100 item of clothing for $50 on sale.

[gypsymama]

IME yes and no. I've had brand name clothes that I thought were horrible .... at least they were for me. I've also had name brand clothes that did last longer. I don't buy expensive clothes for myself at this point in life. I do like to find better quality items if I can though. Target actually makes me happy as I like the fit, color and fabric of their basic items. They are very affordable and last quite a long time for me. I have a shirt from there that still fits and looks just like it did when I bought it 8? yrs ago. 

With the kids I have found that more expensive if frequently better. Children's Place pjs will fit better and not wear out as fast whereas Walmart pjs screw up after one wash and never fit right again. Same with clothes. The girls have some HA, Children's Place and other clothes bought used that came to us in great condition and still are after heavy use. Walmart items just look awful after a short time for us. We only buy WM for "play" clothes that are meant to get ruined. I have been pleased with Target clothes for the kids as well though and I don't consider them to be expensive.

 

I could see how nicer items would be good to have if it's in budget. I'd love a great quality capsule wardrobe but that isn't my life right now. I find a nice balance in name brand used clothing and sticking with lower price point "good" places when they have sales like Old Navy, Target and Children's Place.  

[Bluegoat]

They can be.

 

Bras and shoes, I've had no luck going cheap.  They either don't work, are uncomfortable, or wear out.

 

Coats, i also find you get what you pay for to a large extent.  My winter coat is a Gloverall duffle coat, it is warm, I can wash it if I;m careful, the toggles are tough and the zipper is tough, it is well designed and looks good.  New, it would have cost a bundle and been worth it, though I could not have afforded it.  I got it used for $40. 

 

Suits, I think, are similar, both for men and women.  Really good ones that last and fit properly cost money.

 

My dh gets L.L. Bean boots.  They aren't as reliable as they used to be but the return policy is very good.  MEC is similar - it may cost more but if it doesn't hold up you can take it back.  And at least for kids stuff I've found it lasts well.

 

Dresses, shirts and stuff - yes I think it matters but it is trickier.  Cheap stuff is cheap.  But also, some expensive stuff is cheap.

 

[greenbeanmama]

I wear one pair of shoes all winter long: Haflingers.  They cost a little over $100.  But one pair lasts me about three years.  And that is literally the ONLY shoes I wear when it's too cold for sandals.  I tend to buy my next pair at the end of the season, so often on clearance, and combine it with a "spring sale" that knocks off another significant chunk.  Those shoes are worth it to me.

 

My middle child destroys clothes, and she has sensory issues with many (most) clothing items.  I tend to buy her second-hand clothing simply because I know the chances of passing it on to her little sister are slim.  Why pay full price when she will destroy the outfit in less than two months?  She also does better with second-hand clothes because they're worn-in and softer.

 

 

 

[Guest]

I paid a hundred dollars for a linen overblouse about 15 years ago. I have worn it excessively all summer every year and on every hot-location travel spot. It drapes beautifully. Part of why I was willing to spend that money was because I have learned something about fabrics in handling them through sewing. But also, the garment construction was beautiful. French seams. Hand cut pattern (machine cut doesn't always get the grain of the fabric right). Well-made buttonholes--the stitching around the hole was carefully done, not careless or minimalist. The buttons were sewed on really well and the buttons were not cheap plastic.

 

That's what I will spend good money for...a workhorse that will last both in quality and in style, and it looks great on me.

 

But I don't spend a lot of money on t-shirts because I will stain them before they fail me.

 

My son conned his dad into the $200 jeans. I about had a fit...until I realized how much better they look on him, and how they hold up. He wears the two pairs constantly and they look brand new two years later. Me, I got four pairs of cheap jeans last summer, and wear each pair about once a week, on average. I wash them every two wearings. And they are fraying on the top of the legs, the knees are blown, and the seams are clumping. I think my son made the better buy. At least on this. :0)

[Haiku]

Target actually makes me happy as I like the fit, color and fabric of their basic items. They are very affordable and last quite a long time for me. I have a shirt from there that still fits and looks just like it did when I bought it 8? yrs ago. 

 

That's interesting, because Target clothing is what made me finally swear, Scarlett O'Hara-like, "I'll never buy cheap clothes again!" :lol: For us, they fit poorly and fell apart quickly.

[mellifera33]

It depends. For shoes, I'd say yes. I've been wearing my Born clogs for years, and my sons' Bogs boots are just amazing. They had been wearing through a pair of Western Chief boots about every month, but my 8 y/o has worn Bogs rainboots for about a year, and my 5 y/o has worn his winter boots for two winters. For jeans, my experience is no. I bought a pair of $100 jeans made by a well-known brand, and they were threadbare in 6 months. Old Navy jeans can last me for several years. 

[Ausmumof3]

It depends...

 

I've always been a buy brands on clearance type but with a bit of a budget squeeze and urgently needing quite a bit of stuff last year I bought cheaper clothes. A year later I have pretty much nothing to show for it as everything has gone out of shape. Whereas the last clothes buying cycle with brand stuff lasted around 5-7 years (some is

Still going strong).

[SparklyUnicorn]

That's interesting, because Target clothing is what made me finally swear, Scarlett O'Hara-like, "I'll never buy cheap clothes again!" :lol: For us, they fit poorly and fell apart quickly.

 

The trouble with Target for me is they only basically have sizes for average people.  They don't have petites.  The way a lot of stuff is cut it just looks terrible on me.

 

I don't have any luck there.

[Ausmumof3]

I did find with target stuff that the basic cotton t shirt and jeans are fairly durably it was more fashionable type stuff with different fabrics that goes out of shape.

 

I get a lot of hand me downs too for the kids. It's a good way to get a feel for durability because if it's still going strong after two or three kids it must be ok.

[MotherGoose]

Consider consignment stores. More trouble, but you might find nice things for cheaper. I love ann Taylor loft. They frequently have things on sale.