Today we talk about our closets.
go on, close your eyes. picture the state of it.
What’s the most expensive thing in it? and was it worth it?
I used to be all about the quantity. getting more for less. i loved me a good bargain. if it wasn’t on super duper sale, i wasn’t buying it.
but then i realized that when you buy cheap, you are, well, you are buying cheap. an $8 t-shirt from, say, old navy just does NOT fit the way a $38 t-shirt from Jcrew fits. It just doesn’t. it’s loose where it should be fitted, and fitted where it should be loose. it fades quickly and loses its shape.
so, then i discovered that you don’t need as many pieces in your wardrobe as you need good quality pieces that fit you like a glove. instead of buying 4 pairs of pants on sale that sort of fit, i bought myself a great pair of Banana work pants – full price! (and did you know that if you buy them full price, they tailor them for free? it’s worth it just for that!) and i’m telling you – my ass has never looked better. (well, unless you count lulus..but i can’t very well wear them to work…)
but now…with these new trends that i LOATHE, i have gone back to buying cheap. i don’t want to spend money on things when i believe (and hope and pray with all my might) that this 80’s style is short-lived. so intead of buying long t-shirts at expensive stores…i’ve been buying at places like Urban Planet, and Garage, and Dynamite. i’m choosing American Eagle over Abercrombie. i can’t bring myself to spend money on clothing i can’t stand.
so…back to my original questions…what’s the most expensive thing in your closet? and was it worth it?
for me, it’s a pair of jeans. a $248 pair of jeans. that don’t fit me. damnit. i had credit to bloomingdales when i returned a burberry poncho a few Christmases ago. i had just found out that i was pregnant and i figured that a poncho would do me NO favors…and seriously, can anyone other than Betty Suarez pull off a poncho? so, i had lots of credit.
and the november after Isabella was born i was three months post-partum and desperate for a nice pair of jeans. so, i splurged and bought myself a gorgeous pair of Citizens of Humanitys. perfect. only…now that i’m down to my prepregnancy size, they no longer fit. anyone want some size 28’s?
so…that’s it..the most expensive thing i’ve ever bought. oh yes, i’m a huge spender. (that was sarcasm, in case you were feeling my vibe…)
(and for the record, since you know you want to know…the most expensive pair of shoes i’ve ever bought was a whopping $140. dr. martens. and it was 1996. and they were worth every single penny)
Right now, my $6 green Old Navy shirt is my most expensive! Ha! 😉 I have a lot of inexpensive maternity clothes in my cupboard right now. I know better than to spend too much money when preggers — i.e., when I don’t have ANY FASHION sense whatsoever.
Probably, my lulus are my most expensive items, now that I think of it.
the most expensive thing in my closet is a long black dress i bought in 2001 for the 6 weddings i had that summer (all different groups of family/friends so i could easily afford the dress). It’s a classic, floor-length dress with 3/4 sleeves and a plunging neckline. By Tadashi, it was at Holt’s and I paid $400 – the most i paid for anything other than my wedding outfit. I’ve worn it to 10 weddings, and am probably wearing it for another wedding this weekend! Regarding quality over quantity – i totally agree. My goal is to pare down my wardrobe to a few classic, high quality pieces…but i do love those little binges at H&M. but you’re right, everything stretches and I end up just wearing the pieces a few times.
I totally agree about spending what’s necessary (if the brand is worth it) on the building blocks of your wardrobe – jeans, black pants – a fab coat or jacket and definitely purchase those one season wonders at low cost locations. It’s the philosophy we share at the urbanmoms Style File and http://www.realcanadianstyle.blogspot.com
My purses are pretty expensive, Coach Kate Spade, Mulberry and LV. I don’t carry ANY of them now that I have a kid (what a waste). Now it is LeSportsac all the way since htey are washable. I did splurge on a pair of Stella McCartney ankle Boots, $495 american and LOVE them to death, for a 4 inch heel they are really comfy. Love the lulu’s live in them. And as for Smart Set I just bought 8 short sleeve henleys for 5$ a piece (one in every color and 2 black ones!), and they are my FAVORITE items in my closet. I havea pair of & Jeans that cost a pretty penny that I just fit back into.
Actually, about my comment, I just realized, I don’t actually remember ever buying any clothing from target, just bathing suits and purses. But those do take up most of my closet, so I guess it counts :]
Okay, I’m pretty good. The most expensive thing(s) are all purses. (Kate Spade, Coach, and a Dooney& Bourke change purse) And all of those were gifts. And one of them was not from a family member. And if I told you which one, you would not believe me. Okay, I’ll tell you, if you INSIST. Yep, the Kate Spade. I didn’t believe it either.
The sad thing is. . . I don’t even like it. I just keep it around to be nice :[
Butttt, the most expensive things I’ve bought with my own money are shirts from Abercrombie (all the jeans and collared shirts for school were with my mom’s money, so they don’t count)
i live on old navy, target, american eagle, and delia’s.
Tomorrow I’m going straight to Smart Set – lol! I have a real Fendi purse, approx. $500.00? (my mom bought it for me), pair of Rock & Republik jeans – and they do fit better than any jeans I own! I love Banana but only buy on sale there – sigh….I LOVE shopping!!!!!!!!!!! and I do get the expensive thing, I’m a firm believer in you get what you pay for.
Since becoming a mom, I live in Old Navy – their long sleeve stretchy t-shirt are a staple in my dresser – I buy some new ones every fall/winter. There are several very expensive business suits in my closet (atleast $500 per blazer) that I got when I first started in the corporate world. They have been gathering dust for a few years now….not sure if they would even fit anymore.
Latest big purchase for me is a pair of Fendi prescription sunglasses. I’ve lived without sunglasses for many years now, since it started to be too hard on my eyes to wear contacts all the time. Finally decided this year that prescription sunglasses were needed to save my eyes. Price tag – just under $600. But man, do I look hot in them!
will have to check out smart set….:)
agreed on the smart set t shirts – they are just.so.awesome. i have three.
The only item of clothing I will splurge on is a good suit and even then, my “splurge” is probably cheaping out for most people. My best buy was a suit I bought at ***wait for it*** Eaton’s for $250. I can still wear it to work and feel fabulous in it. My weekend wear consists of Gap, Adidas and Roots stuff, some of which I have had for years. T-shirts I usually buy at the 2-for sales at Smart Set or Reitmans. Most expensive thing in my closet – a bridesmaid dress I wore when 9 months pregnant… $300 dress, $100 in extra fabric and $100 in custom alterations.
Re the expensive jean thing – I have never “gotten” it. There is a brand here called Sass & Bide (do you have that over in NOrth America, it is an Australian brand) and the jeans are “hot” (read: for skinny people) and $$$$. I have a friend here in Perth who swears by Diesel jeans and paid $400 for her last pair (but she has the figure for it!).
My favourite topic!
Most expensive item in my wardrobe is technically an $800 winter coat I bought in 1998 which I rarely wear, as well I love in Oz, right? (And I bought it here LOL!). Other than that, a pair of Via Spiga mules I bought in San Francisco at Christmas one year when the exchange was crap so cost about $300. Also a pair of very nice black Italian shoes, $265.
My ‘current’ clothes are cheapies for 2 reasons a) Still trying to get back into a sz 6 and b) agree with Ali that the current fashion is horrible, so only buy cheap from Target and Kmart and chain stores.
I do have some business suits from Holt’s from my previous BC-life that cost around $500 to $600 each, does that count?
And on the t-shirt thang – sigh, I wish we had Smart Set here, I have the same problem with cheap t-shirts, they fade, they stretch, they shrink, etc.
For me it all depends.
I find with clothes for work that for SURE suits that are more expensive fit way better. The outfit I get the most compliments on is my most expensive suit. It’s cut right.
But, I think with t-shirts, especially tank tops (which I wear a lot of under stuff) the ones that I got the cheapest are actually the most flattering. I don’t know why.
But, then my Lulu’s are FAR better than any other yoga pant so worth paying so much for.
The most expensive shoes I own are Charles David sandals that I ADORE (no comment on price). Clothing. No idea.
And the size 28 jeans – pre or post pregnancy I’ve never been below a 30!
Yes- I also LOVE LOVE LOVE Smart Set tshirts. I have been buying them for years. They are the perfect tshirt.
The priciest thing I own is a pair of Chanel pants originally $10,000 (yes, that’s the correct amount of zeros) marked down to $80 at the Holt Renfrew outlet. I loved the name more than the pants, their colour or their fit but whatever. It’s fun to wear something that originally cost the same as my downpayment when I financed my new car last year. Not counting these pants I have a couple of Bebe tops that were a couple hundred bucks but beautiful!
If you had asked me this question 3 years ago when I was working in an office my answer would be very different. Or 9 years ago pre-kids! However, the most expensive thing in my wardrobe (yup, I checked) is my $200 bathing suit (I REALLY hope my husband doesn’t read this!). When you are 30 something and have had 2 kids you deserve, well really you NEED a good bathing suit! The cost might seem excessive but this suit is HOTT. It pushes things out that should be out and sucks in where it should be in. Props up where it should and camouflages the hard to hide bits. And best of all it is still a bit sexy!
The next most expensive thing would be a pair of $180 jeans that I got for free from my niece…does that count??
The rest of my closet is filled with some nice stuff from Jacob and Banana but most of it was bought at least somewhat reduced. Then I’ve got the “Mommy Clothes” from The Gap and Old Navy smattered with a bit of Lululemon.
I beg to differ on the t-shirts. The BEST t-shirts are the Smart Set ones that you can get, full price, for 2/$24. They have the perfect amount of lycra and always get their shape back. I buy a bunch every season in the latest colours and never feel guilty for spending too much on a “t”!