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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,162
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: How often do you buy clothes?

Each season I inventory my closet and let go of items I lost interest in wearing. I'll replace these with updated items. I have to be in the mood to shop or I make poor choices. I generally buy clothing on sale. That's half the fun of it. I enjoy shoe shopping and shop less for handbags. I have enough. Being much more practical, I don't shop as often as I used to.    

"I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees." Henry David Thoreau
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,992
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: How often do you buy clothes?

Lately???   I haven't bought any clothes since last Dec or Jan.  No need and no desire.  

 

Usually I buy a few items when the seasons change unless I see something I absolutely love and is a good bargain.

* A woman is like a tea bag. You can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. *
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,073
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: How often do you buy clothes?


@Grouchomarx wrote:

A few times a month, only if there is a sale. Too bad for my wallet the entire spring and summer has been nothing but sales. I enjoy going to the store, looking at clothes and feeling the fabric and trying stuff on. I do this when I'm bored and always end up buying something. As a result my closet is so overstuffed I can't stand it.


@Grouchomarx 

There are lots of great sales out there right now! Makes it very tempting to purchase. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,073
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: How often do you buy clothes?


@Carmie wrote:

I only buy clothing when I need something.  At one time if I saw something I wanted, I bought it.  Now I feel so stupid for doing so.  All that money I spent never made me happy.

 

When I read about all the purging and donating of hardly used clothing on here, I cringe. I am so happy I am off of that merry-go-round.  Who really needs a closet full of jackets, dresses, pants and tops?  


Americans are wasteful.

 


@Carmie  

I agree that most of us have too much stuff, including clothes. Some people do need more clothing because of their jobs, lifestyle, changes in seasons, etc.

 

I don’t like generalizations that all people are a certain way. My guess is if you polled all of us you would get a variety of answers on how much is too much or what we consider stupid or wasteful purchases. 

 

I’ve pared down my wardrobe considerably the last several years. Everthing I own is in one small closet and a couple of dressers. I still love to shop so it’s always a work in progress. I don’t know anyone who is perfect so I think we all have something we can continue to work on. 

 

Would you you care to share details with us about your your wardrobe? I’m curious to hear how much clothing  you own? 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,975
Registered: ‎05-18-2017

Re: How often do you buy clothes?

@wilma  - I'm always open to purchasing clothing if there's a bargain going on.  I like watching the Lunchtime Specials & Primetime Specials.  Even though I'm not wearing the clothing now since I'm working from home, I know eventually one day I'll be able to wear them.

 

I'm not actively searching the internet right now for good deals, but if one comes my way, I'm open to making a purchase.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,604
Registered: ‎10-25-2010

Re: How often do you buy clothes?

@wilma   I will confess that I own way too much clothing.  When I retired, I donated 32 lawn/ leaf bags full of expensive clothing..oh, and shoes and expensive handbags.

 

I have donated quite a few bags of clothing since then too.

 

My bedroom houses a large walk in closet..if I took everything out, I could fit a single bed and small chest of drawers in there.  Half of it it stuffed with my things.  I have two spare bedrooms and I have stuff in those closets too and in the bureaus in one of the spare bedrooms as well.

 

I have an organized California Closet in the walk in, so it holds a lot.

 

I should probably donate about 75% of what I own but, I feel guilty getting rid of things I spent a lot of money on.

 

Unless, I am going out somewhere nice, I wear jeans, and a 3/4 length sleeve top in the winter and shorts with elbow length sleeve or 3/4 sleeve in the summer.  I do occasionally wear a sweater or jacket.

 

I have a closet full of leather and suede jackets that I never wear.  It is either too hot or too cold out to wear them. 

I terribly regret spending so much money on clothing.  I had the money, so that is not the issue.  There is just no way I can justify what I did.

 

True, everyone's situation is different, but at the end of the day, how much sense does it make to buy clothing and toss out what we have to make room for it if it still fits, is in good condition just because we can?

 

Our landfills are full of polyester clothing that will still be there hundreds of years from now..yes, most donated clothing ends up in landfills.

 

We are wasteful in America..no doubt about it.  That includes me as well.  I very seldom buy anything to wear except for shoes and underwear every few years.

 

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,954
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: How often do you buy clothes?

[ Edited ]

I think about this topic a lot, probably obsessively. I have too much clothing and that's just the truth. I bought 10 items this spring/summer season I think and I have hardly worn them because of COVID. My husband and I haven't been going to very many places. We are being careful. I feel quite isolated right now. It's bizarre to hate going to the grocery store for fear of catching your death. I feel sort of depressed about everything that is going on in the country and it is causing me not to want to buy clothing. I still buy my makeup and beauty items, but as for clothing, well, I have too much for my stay at home COVID lifestyle. 

 

For Fall I am going to buy two over the head sweaters for everyday wear from LL Bean soon, but I think that is all I will probably buy maybe until winter. Even then I don't foresee myself needing anything. 

 

During the pandemic, I have learned how to knit and I intend to knit myself an open sweater. I just have to figure out what color I want to knit.

 

We want to retire to the mountains of North Carolina in about 5 or six years where we won't have much closet space so I need to start reducing my clothing stash as time moves closer. The log homes we see do not have much storage space at all. My problem is tops I just have too many Pima cotton tops!!!!! I can't resist them!!!!!!!! I have had success in keeping with a color palette of five to six colors, which if you have not tried, is a really useful thing to do. You can get packed for any trip in a jiffy and when you find your best colors you look so much younger and more vibrant. Double L Splitneck Pullover Women's Regular

Coastal Cotton Sweater Pullover Women's Regular

 

 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,561
Registered: ‎07-20-2017

Re: How often do you buy clothes?

I buy most of my clothing during the early Fall. Not a fan of summer clothing.

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,073
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: How often do you buy clothes?

[ Edited ]

@Carmie 

 

Thank you for sharing your story. You definitely have purged a lot over the years! I would love to have a large walk in organized closet like you have, but I live in a small house with small closets. 

 

There was a time in my life when I was buying and spending way too much money on clothes. I had so much that I had to store some of my clothes in 3 of those portable assemble yourself closets in my basement along with several large bins. I decided one day that it was too much. It took me a few years to pare down everything to one small closet and a couple dressers. 

 

I know I am a better and more careful shopper now than all those years ago. I definitely try to focus on buying things I really need. I take good care of my clothes and buy classic pieces so I can wear a lot of my things multiple years. I still love to shop & buy new things so as I said before it’s a work in progress. 

 

I agree with you about the landfills & waste. We are definitely a consumer society. It really takes self control and a change in mindset to live more minimally. I have made some progress by purging my wardrobe & other stuff from closets & cabinets in our house. It really is amazing and a bit disturbing at times how much we can accumulate. 

 

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. Have a great day!

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,104
Registered: ‎09-12-2010

Re: How often do you buy clothes?

Had no desire at all to purchase clothing this year during the pandemic.  Also, had time to sort through clothing I already have and have determined, even after getting rid of a lot of it, I do not need to make clothing purchases.  Ever!  LOL!  Seriously, I have plenty of clothing.