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What clothes have you bought this year and how much have you spent?

76 replies

hackneybird · 02/07/2012 12:18

I'm always curious to know what others spend on their clothes. Some of my friends think I spend too much on clothes, and that everything I have is designer, but to be honest most of my stuff is high street. This year I've bought a lot of capsule item type basics, (some for work) as well as a couple of fashiony things and one big 'investment' treat. I earn about £35-40k a year. I'm a self employed freelancer and pay for my sons childcare and household bills (about £1100 a month) while my husband pays the mortgage and monthly food bill.

So this year I have bought:

2 x pairs dark denim jeans from Uniqlo at £30 each: £60
1 x pair pink Converse trainers = £30
1 x pelican print peter pan collar top from Zara= £25
1 x floral print scarf from Zara = £20
1 x full length black summer dress from French connection in the sale = £25
1 x striped dress from Cos in the sale= £19
1 x parka spring coat from Uniqlo = £59
1 x pair beige chinos from Gap = £30
1 black fitted shirt from Cos = £35
2 x fitted tshirts (1 x back, 1 x grey) from American Apparel at £19 each = £38
1 x neon yellow tshirt from H&M= £12
1 x pair gold gladiator sandals from Clarkes 25% off = £30
1 x pair black ankle boots from Kurt Geiger in the sale= £100
1 x full midi skirt in a blue and white print from Jaeger Boutique in the sale= £85
1 x camel trench coat from Jaeger in the sale= £149 (this was my big investment treat. It's a classic and should last me for years).

Now that I've written it all down it feels like a lot! The total comes to: £717. I'm averaging £120 a month. Maybe I should slow down a bit:).

OP posts:
kensingtonkat · 02/07/2012 12:26

In 2012, I've bought three pairs of pyjamas from Primark, a top from All Saints, and three cardigans from the Brora sale (each one lasts ten years with care, and my last batch have finally deteriorated to slobbing around at home status).

With the exception of pyjamas and tracksuit bottoms, I always buy the best I can afford, and then wear it to death. I love fashion, but I don't follow trends much. Working from home most days also saves me a packet on clothes and drycleaning. For meetings, I'm still wearing Armani, Maxmara and suits I bought ten years ago.

I don't want to sound like your mother, but think you need to be careful with that amount of discretionary spending on your salary. I earn three times your salary and have no childcare costs, but regret the so-called "investment dressing" of the bull market days, and now wish I'd put that sort of money into paying off my mortgage and paying into my pension.

AdventuresWithVoles · 02/07/2012 12:32

omg. you must love love love your clothes. (I don't see a problem with that as long as you can afford it).

I am a happy scruffbag. I have spent a grand total of £62 in 2012 on: knickers, PJs, leggings & a pair of jeans.

kensingtonkat · 02/07/2012 12:36

I've just realised my post sounds a bit judgemental and it really wasn't meant to. The thing is, it's very easy to get caught up in the fashion magazine bollox of "cost per wear" and "investment dressing", and you only realise your so-called investments are depreciating years afterwards, whereas if you'd spent the money on an ISA it would be keeping you warm in your old age Smile

kensingtonkat · 02/07/2012 12:38

On a £250k mortgage, an extra £120 per month would cut your mortgage term by four years. This is the kind of fashion maths we should all be learning Smile

hackneybird · 02/07/2012 12:42

Yes I do love my clothes, and yes I should spend less! Kensingtonkat, I am impressed you at buying Brora and making them last ten years. I bought a cardigan for £200 about six years ago and it is still going strong.

I don't plan on buying anything else this year. It's my birthday at the end of August and with my birthday money I think I'll get a new jumper for winter but I'm all stocked up apart from that.

I'm not in any debt and I do have savings. But I think I'll heed the advice and concentrate on topping up my savings even more rather than buying more clothes:)

OP posts:
AmberNectarine · 02/07/2012 12:44

If OP is in trouble for spending c.£120pm, I'm definitely not confessing!

kensingtonkat · 02/07/2012 12:46

There is a downside to this lately-learnt financial lesson, which is that I look like a tramp quite a lot of the time Grin

hackneybird · 02/07/2012 12:46

I don't think you're being judgemental at all, I think it's good advice.

In my defence (she says, self justifying), this is the first year I've had any money to spend on clothes in ages. Last year I got a handful of bits, but the year before that I was on maternity leave and had hardly any money, and the year before that I was PG and in maternity wear (all sourced from ebay you'll be pleased to know).

OP posts:
kensingtonkat · 02/07/2012 12:47

Do confess, Amber, I love a bit of vicarious shopping now I don't do it for real!

hackneybird · 02/07/2012 12:47

I've never seen a tramp in ten year old Armani:)

Come on Ambernectarine, fess up!!!

OP posts:
higgle · 02/07/2012 13:04

This year:
2 x fat face dresses @ £48 - £96
Assorted Sainsburys T shirts and beach dresses £60
Fatface bag £36
Boden dress £27 (clearance)
4 x dresses on ebay - 1 x Hobbs, 2 x Dickins and Jones + 1 Fenn wright Manson £80
Fit Flops £60
Black boots in sale £60
Shorts x 2 £24
Black Sandals £29
Brown Sandals £39

My clothes budget is £166 per month, I earn a bit less than OP but have no childcare expenses and we don't have a huge mortgage. I like to keep a bit back for sales bargains. This year I'm buying cheap stuf and ebay because I'm dieting and hope I'll be buying some new size 10s next year.

ReportMeNow · 02/07/2012 13:05

No idea, just spent £120 on underwear
Ordered 3 work dresses, and a couple of M&S cardigans that wash & wear brilliantly
Pair of sandal Fitflops and will also buy some Fitflop boots for winter, damaged my Achilles and these help a lot.

Like the idea of buying one off pieces that are going to last and last but am not convinced.

JustFabulous · 02/07/2012 13:10

No idea for all the year but from what I can remember -

3 bras from Bravissimo - £65 approx
1 BHS bra - £12
2 sports bras - £30
flip flop type shoes - £15
top - £25
top -£20
tshirt - £6
vest top -£3
dress - £48
skirt - £40
jacket - £70
two tshirts - £12 (on offer)
shorts - £6
mini skirt for the garden - £6

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 02/07/2012 13:12

I couldnt possibly remember...I love clothes and buy them all the time. No idea what I've spent but it will be more than the OP has.

I earn ok though, dont have a cc or any debts though so I'm not bothered.

woopsidaisy · 02/07/2012 13:26

Well, have quickly worked out £750 from Boden maternity. But probably had a good discount on most of that. And easily the same again from other shops.

And I think I have been very restrained! Blush

hackneybird · 02/07/2012 13:35

Interesting isn't it, woopsidaisy, how you can think 'I've hardly bought anything this year' and then write it all down and be shocked at how much it actually comes to.

What I find hard is working in central London and being surrounded by lovely clothes shops and girls all decked out in the latest looks. Plus now I'm a mum I'm terrified of looking 'mumsy' so try to buy nice stuff to make myself feel better. Silly cow:)

OP posts:
AWomanCalledHorse · 02/07/2012 13:39

1 pair of trousers in TKMaxx; £16.99
3 2nd hand dresses on eBay; £15

I had a baby in Dec & am not buying anymore clothes until I'm happy with my size!!
We don't have clothes budgets, we just buy as & when we see something we like (unless we're getting something expensive, like DH is saving for a Barbour jacket atm).

ceeveebee · 02/07/2012 13:39

Absolutely no idea. I would guess at about £200 a month, which is a lot less than usual as am trying to lose baby weight so not buying as much. When not on maternity leave I work be Oxford street and would easily spend £500 per month on clothes. I have 4 bin bags upstairs ready to go to charity shop / eBay as I can't fit anymore in my wardrobe though Blush

ShirleySharpeyes · 02/07/2012 14:03

Thank you OP - you have prompted me to tot up all I have bought, and it's alot more than I thought - I seem to have acquired a lot of scarves and cashmere cardigans (most from ebay), two pairs of jeans, a pair of chinos (TK MAxx finds), two lovely leather bags (although have already sold one on ebay), some exercise gear, denim jacket (a classic item no?), stupid number of Primark vests and a couple of skirts for work.

I was trying to be so good and keeping a note of stuff I buy (and stuff I return) in a little notebook, along with what I buy my DD's and my wish list. It runs over pages but I had never quite got to adding it all up. And now I have. Quite a scary amount am also amazed at the similar things I buy.
I reckon I've spent over £1000 so far this year - but to offset this spending I have also made around £425 by selling stuff on ebay. I should be putting the money towards a good holiday, some work on the house etc. It does seem a huge amount. So I really must stop - I work at home most of the time, have relaxed client meetings and rarely go anywhere flash (that requires nice shoes) as live in deepest, muddiest Devon. I 'need' one more Brora sale jumper (using my bonus) and then I might just be done...until the Autumn stuff starts coming in.
Oh dear.
I wish I had the same resolve as KensigntonKat - but am weak when faced with a bargain. Blush

ceeveebee · 02/07/2012 14:11

I just went through last months credit card bill and spent £196 so not a bad guess!
This was

Wrap dress and two secret support vests £52 marks and spencer
2 wrap dresses £34 Dorothy Perkins
(the above purchases are for breast feeding in!)
Coral Ash boots £78 Asos (was 20% off on brands)
Green and white chevron maxi dress £32

So far the next credit card bill is £120 and am only 1/2 way through the month. This is
Coral wedge espadrilles £25 office sale
Black capris and mocha jersey cardigan £56 Boden 40% off 40 lines promotion
2 pairs Superga £40

My clothes habit appears to have been replaced by shoe buying - probably because at least my feet are not fat Sad

CherryBlossom27 · 02/07/2012 14:18

I haven't spent much on clothes this year:

Top from New Look in the sale £6
Navy blue top from H&M £7

I would definitely like to have some more clothes, but I had my first child in Dec and I'm partly spending spare money on him rather than myself, and partly because I have some weight to lose from my legs before I want to buy new clothes.

LaCerbiatta · 02/07/2012 14:30

2 boden dresses in the winter sale: 70 pounds
Winter boots: 75 pounds
Grey long cardigan in the Zara sale: 12 pounds
Boden Summer dress 25% off: 40 pounds
Mn scarf :) : 8 pounds?
Sandals in tkmaxx: 16 pounds
Navy cardigan and stripy t-shirt from Zara: 25 pounds

This is money spent by me, but I've also spent 100 pounds in jl and 120 in Ted baker from presents.

Definitely a lot more than I thought.... and I'm prob forgetting things.... I'm on 41k but we have loads of expenses, including childcare and a 1050 pounds rent :(

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Abzs · 02/07/2012 14:35

I have a plan to get a slightly more grown up wardrobe - I'm not 25 any more. I can just about afford it.

North Face Evolution Triclimate Jacket £74 (sale plus club night discount at my work) for going to do surveys in wet/cold weather, so a business expense I think
North Fase Basecamp Flipflops £13 (as above)
John Smedley merino shirt dress £45 (Secret Sales) - DH said he liked this
Joules long sleeved Gina tshirt £25 ish (had a code)
Joules tweed skirt both colours £30ish x2 (codes again)
Boden jersey dress £40.05 (had free delivery code)
Boden Wrap dress £33 (january sale) - needs sleeves shortened though
Boden skirt £14 (january sale)
Phase Eight dress £27 (sale last weekend)
Merrell Pace Glove + Merrell Bare Access Arc £58 (staff deal at my work)
Skechers Shape ups trainers £35 (Amazon)
2x ALS tops total £15 (Blacks sale)
2x F£F tops £6 each (Tesco sale)
G:21 jumper from Asda £15 - have got compliments
Black knee length boots from Tesco £20 - though DH says I'm not allowed any more cheap boots, as the two brown pairs I have were small feet bargains and they're much better apparently (one pair is 8 years old and going strong so I'll give him that)

Still looking for nice tidy tops, may go and see if Wallis still have the black trousers I got last year and I think I'd like some sort of blazer/smart casual jacket.

Also some new outdoor stuff
Icebreaker 260 crew neck top £36 (sale plus privilege card discount at my work)
Haglofs Actives Warm Q Zip top £36 (as above) - very cosy, wish I'd got the leggings too now
North Face Montana gloves £27 (as above)
Helly Hansen Mouse mittens £2.25 (as above) - highly recommend these, I took three pairs of gloves on our ski touring trip and these were the best
New Balance leggings £20 (DW Sports)
Mizuno Wave Harrier running shoes £30 (Northern Runner)
(january sale)

Saving up for a Firefox or Kinetic jacket.

Present from DH - Patagonia Nano Puff jacket £80ish (sale plus privilege card discount at my work) and Marmot Spire waterproof trousers £140 (using his Facewest points to get a bit more off an 'investment piece')

Fluffy1234 · 02/07/2012 14:35

I have spent just under £500 which is really a lot for me because I have had to buy absolutely everything as lost do much weight. Gone from a tight size 16 to a 10.
I have brought trousers, skirts, dresses, bikinis, pyjamas, undies, shies, a jacket, the lot.
I normally spend about £25 a month.

madammecholet · 02/07/2012 14:40

There is no way in hell I would list it. a) because I might faint b) because DH WOULD faint...Grin Grin

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