Anyone brave enough to answer this: where do you get the money for expensive clothes?

[Childoftheseventies]

I work part time and earn a good wage. My husband runs his own (so far, succesful) business. For this I am thankful. However, I still can't afford anything other than basic high street clothes. Zara is pushing it; Gap sale only, Monsoon for special occasions. When I browse in what I consider to be expensive but desirable shops, or look at websites (LK Bennett, Reiss, Great Plains, Hobbs, White Company etc) I always wonder what gives people the income to buy from there. Now I know there are sales and outlets and eBay, but for those of you who buy non-sale stuff in these lovely places as a matter of course, I am fascinated to know where you get the money. Are you a lawyer or doctor or top sales person, or are you a SAHM with a high earning other half, or do you have no mortgage or what!? I promise this is not a snidey post, just a genuine, if very rude and nosey, question.

My copy of More Dash Than Cash has arrived! I am taking it to bed and will share tips ASAP :)

"How do I afford it? Bought a house in zone 2 in 1995. Sorry."

No need to apologise for having had better luck/timing :)

I especially think bags are such a good investment. I bought a river island 'look alike' balenciaga & with a month it had ripped, yes I am aware the balenciaga model is around £1500 but it wouldn't rip & would hopefully last years!

I am such a shop-a-holic.

I wear vintage, whistles, jigsaw, Ralph Lauren, Zara, H&M and apart from Zara and H&M they're all secondhand off eBay.
So many people buy stuff in the sales or because it's fashionable, then they never wear it and ebay it after having a clear out.

I've just bought the most beautiful pair of trousers from jigsaw for £1, a cashmere jumper for under a fiver and I've just splashed out on a burberry raincoat for £50. It arrived and it is genuine, I tested it against my cousin's. I do need to dry clean it though.

Look for stuff that's been worn maybe once or twice. Always auction the buy it nows are likely to be fake and always check the seller's other items.
Don't look for auctions that end on a weekend, they tend to go for more money.

I am what many would consider to be a 'high-earner'. I buy lots of things in the sales. I prefer to spend my money on just a couple of pricier items each year, rather than on lots of cheaper clothes. I also buy more 'classic' items so don't feel the need to add to my wardrobe too regularly.

This also applies to jewellery and handbags. I own no costume-type jewellery and would never consider buying a handbag from the high street.

Interesting but a Zombie thread!

Why resurrect Etonian22, and I wonder why what you wrote was deleted?

Why what wrote? Ffs! Sorry, multitasking, must read before posting

I've had both high and lower paid jobs so had to adjust spending accordingly. Also I have a small trust fund which gives an income every month from a grandparent and have had various inheritances.

I admit I am/have been stupid with money and clothes and literally frittered it away on high/low/middle end items and mostly fashion stuff too, simply because I could do it and liked the idea of constantly carrying bags out of shops etc.

I've happily bought a Chloe/Balenciaga/Mulberry bags etc, Miu Miu, Prada etc shoes and designer dresses etc simply because I can, and not thought of the consequences. Half of these now have been ebayed or kept in the wardrobe.

I do think sometimes higher end stuff does last better or look better but I've had equal compliments lately on Zara Basic stuff. I now try to buy as and when and have a budget of approx £200 per month on clothes/shoes. I also try to work out the cost per wear of something nicer eg Joseph in sales/full price and I am staggered sometimes at how much a favourite top from there literally pays for itself over eg a year.

I do think that my mum's attitude towards clothes/money has affected me a lot. My mum was a 60's fashion designer briefly but married money but then lost it all and was quite impoverished when I was growing up. Clothes were a treat or jumble sales, in fact i recall getting teased for not wearing trendy clothes or if I did get a pair of trendy shoes it was shock from my friends! This was when my mum could easily then afford clothes for me as she had a good job. My mum also hated frittering money away and clothes shopping (she still does hate both). This has enabled her to live well as a pensioner though and also paid off her mortgage early.

I have only in the past few years actually made inroads into saving properly eg direct debits into savings account but do have pension fund.

I am actually quite disgusted with my attitude to spending on clothes though...

I'm terrible at buying things at full price - I find it hard to justify to myself rather than wait for the sales / random 20% off day / TK Maxx, even if we can afford the full price

I work hard. I have dresses jackets shoes bags hair accessories jewellery and nail varnish in every colour and shade imaginable. My cheapest dress is £15.00 from new look. And the dearest is £75.00 from simply be so nothing designer.

Superflyhigh mum mum worked with a well known 60's fashion designer. She wears beautiful well fitting clothes, buys a couple of select pieces a season and would never shop in Primark/H&M etc. I didnt inherit her attitude unfortunately, but I do try to spend wisely on several items I will wear often rather than 100's of pieces of throwaway fashion. I do occasionally buy in Primark but only 1 or 2 things matched with higher end high street stuff. I live very close to Cheshire Oaks so have plenty of outlet shopping days
Not a huge income compared to some but small mortgage and no dependants.

Witblog was wearing some £200 earrings last week, and calling them boho. Now I know boho is about the style not the price but really?? Boho to me is something that's casual, a bit hippy, carefree, certainly not that expensive. She is a good example of someone who spends a fortune on clothes. I think I may have gone off track here but it seemed relevant to me anyway!

I have a great job and work full time so can spend freely on S&B. These days, however, I prefer to spend on things that have more lasting value for me (about to buy a small 2nd apartment, and we travel a lot). Somehow fashion stuff loses its luster really quickly, I always want the next thing anyway. So I tend to buy one or two standout items per season and the rest is H&M. A happy balance for me. WIT and many other bloggers make money by endorsing high-cost items, I'm a bit jaded with that. I promise I won't be buying Chanel espadrilles this season

Never buy anything without a discount code or wait until it's in the sale.

Odd ebay thing.

Sell stuff I don't need.

Plan exactly what I need each season and buy accordingly.

I could spend a lot more on clothes than I do- the money is there-but a lot of high st stuff is so badly made - so I choose wisely and spend less.

Also found a great dress maker who can run me off Vivian Westwood lookalike dresses- she's become mega popular though-

boston that's the thing I've got no dependants too and like you a small mortgage but I have a good slice of disposable income that I can and will fritter away. When I was earning less for 5 years my trust income supplemented my wages as I couldn't have coped. Before I had a trust income at 25 I did struggle.

I think I need to spend less or more (quality) but also stop focusing on clothes (I have/had 100s).