Not me! But I love this classic outfit
Saturday night I was walking to a cat sitting gig when I passed several groups of girls. OK, they weren’t “girls” they were young women. Probably college age or in their mid-twenties. Since we finally got a little “warm” weather here on Saturday, everybody has been pulling out their summer duds. 50-degrees isn’t exactly “warm” to me, but apparently some people (those ladies wearing mini skirts) think it is.
In my “old” age (31) I feel like I’ve gotten more conservative with my clothing purchases. The super low-rise jeans, baby tees and mini-skirts I bought in my college years seem terribly unappealing to me now. These days I’m much more comfortable in pants that don’t show my butt crack, tee shirts that cover my belly button, and skirts that are slightly more modest. But what’s more important to me than my style (or lack thereof) is saving money by buying classic clothing pieces.
How Classic Clothes Save Me Money
When I wear “classic’ clothing staples I don’t have to buy two sets of clothes. Previously, I basically had a, “party wardrobe” and a “work wardrobe”. Now I have a bunch of classic pieces that I can “dress up” for work and “dress down” for going out with friends on the weekends.
- I don’t have to buy designer brands. Designer tags and logos mean designer prices. If you don’t care about cute polo horse logos, you can find classic pieces made by almost every clothing manufacturer in every price range. I can almost always find the same styles of polo shirt or button down at the discount stores, that are sold at the department stores, and for a fraction of the price of the designer brands.
- Classic fashions are always in style. I stick to classic clothing and avoid rushing out to buy the hottest designer trends. In fact, I don’t even know what the designer trends are these days (which isn’t really a bad thing since it saves me money). Sometimes I do “splurge” a little bit on fashion trends, but I avoid spending more than a few dollars per piece, because neon tanks will only be “in” for a season or two.
- Classic pieces are easy to tailor. A good tailor, or a talented grandmother (in my case) can be your best friend when it comes to classic clothing. I once purchased a really beautiful wool coat at the LL Bean outlet on super clearance (seriously, like $30!). The jacket was a petite size, which was fine since I’m only 5’5″, but the sleeves were a little short. I took it to my tailor and for a few bucks she was able to re-hem the sleeves and make them slightly longer for a perfect fit. If I’d paid retail price the coat would have cost me over $200!
- Well-made classics last a long time. Instead of buying 2-3 cheap sweaters that will last me one season, I buy one well-made sweater that will be staple in my wardrobe (OK, I don’t have a “wardrobe”, I have a closet, but saying wardrobe makes me feel “fancy”) for years. I don’t mind spending a little more upfront because I know classic pieces like my Irish wool fisherman’s sweater wear well and never go out of style.
Here are a few of the staples in my closet:
Pants
I have a bunch of dress pants (from my former job) that I wear once in a blue moon, but my current office is business casual. That means I can wear jeans to work every day if I want. I stick to dark wash in several styles (boot cut and skinny). I also have a few pair of leggings that I wear with dresses in the winter and with long tunics in the summer.
Skirts
I have three knee-length corduroy skirts from LL Bean that I wear with just about everything. One navy, one khaki and one chocolate brown. They are a mid-weight material so I can basically wear them year-round. I can dress them up or down depending on the tops and accessories I choose.
Coats
For my winter coats, I have one black leather, one grey wool and one LL Bean snow parka. The leather coat is good for when I need to dress up and the grey wool is my everyday coat. With all the blizzard-like weather we’ve been having here on the east coast my snow parka has really come in handy. Hopefully I’ll be able to switch to my spring coats in the next month or so (fingers crossed).
Shirts
I love basic button up oxford shirts. I have a couple Supima cotton shirts from Land’s End that I’m particularly partial to. I toss them in the washer and dryer and they come out looking perfectly pressed (no iron needed!). I wear them with the sleeves rolled up for a casual look with jeans or under my suit coat when I’m interviewing.
Tees & Tanks
Classic tees and tanks don’t have to be expensive. I cringe when I hear people are spending $35 on a layering tee. I buy most of mine at TJ Maxx or Marshalls. I don’t like to spend more than $15. Cotton blends are my favorite because they hold their shape and wash and dry well without shrinkage (boo on shrinkage!).
Polos
Polos are one of my favorite pieces because they can be worn on their own or under sweaters and cardigans. I have basic polos in white, black and navy and a few more colors. I like a little pop of color or contrast under my sweaters (and if you have itchy wool sweaters it’s a barrier for your skin).
**I completely recognize that I’m spoiled and I have far too much clothing. The aforementioned clothing items are not all of my clothing #firstworldexcess. In an effort to simplify my life and clear clutter I’m been sorting through my closet and donating clothing that I no longer wear, doesn’t fit etc. So far I’ve donated 3 shopping bags full.
Telling me about your clothing shopping habits. How do you save money on clothes?
Image: 3rdfloorcloset