Investing in clothes?

[houseworkneverends]

Little bit about me, I’m 44 with 5 year old twins. I’ve never ever been able to style myself right. I find clothes shopping awful. I but cheap clothes that dont last and never look particularly good.

I’ve decided that this can no longer continue, I’m so sick of looking dreadful so I’ve booked an appointment with a stylist in Manchester. It’s definitely a splurge just for the appointment, but I can afford it.

when asked for budgets I’d put £400-£500 which to me seemed like a lot, but they’ve come back and, in a really lovely no pressure way, asked if it could be increased. For instance a pair of jeans could cost £130 but they’re an amazing fit and will last for years.

so my question is, when you’ve never before invested in clothes but are desperate to look better, and if you can afford it, would you go for the higher budget and try and build a capsular wardrobe with good quality items that can be mixed and matched?

I'd say fabric choice plays a big part and doesn't necessarily mean you need to shell out on expensive 'investment' pieces for something to last. Jeans/denim are easy to buy cheaply as the fabric will be similar between high end and more affordable brands. I used to love Gap jeans/denim as they had a wide range of colours and cuts and looked as good as more expensive brands. Denim also needs to be cared for to keep it looking good. Dark colours fade quickly if you wash them too frequently - no matter how expensive they are.

Cotton, linen, wool, cashmere, silk garments can be bought in high street shops without breaking the bank and if cared for well, they should last. A wool garment defuzzer is handy to keep jumpers looking good. Never mix whites with other laundry and wash dark colours on a shirt, low temp cycle to reduce fade. A garment steamer is amazing for drapey garments.

I meant wash dark colours on a short, low temp cycle.

I'd put a higher budget but be very stringent about which items you keep ie don't be persuaded into getting something that's totally impractical for your lifestyle.

I'd not pay £130 for jeans myself. Especially with two young kids - you want more expendable clothes! Looking better does not have to equal spending more money. And buying expensive doesn't necessarily equal quality these days as companies are using cheaper fabrics to maintain the high prices of more luxury brands.

£130 for jeans is a bit ( lot) over the top, for me anyway. Sometimes expensive, designer, does not equate to better. I always look to the fabric something is made from. Synthetic never looks as good as natural fibres regardless of price. I remember once walking round the designer floor of a big department store & being shocked at some of the things, threads hanging, skimpy seams etc. You might be surprised at where you can buy nice, well made things if you just check the labels for fabric. I’ve bought pure cotton dresses, blouses, woollens, linen, silk from the likes of Joe Brown, M&S, even Primark at times that have worn better & looked nicer than more expensive things.

after years of having loads of cheaper clothes (due to body issues rather than money issues) I’ve spent the past 5years transitioning to fewer generally more expensive items.

I’ve adopted a two pronged approach: I) replacing poorer quality cheaper items that I use all the time with better quality items and II) buying fewer of a particular item

for example I have a cheapish wrap I’ve had for years. I think I bought it in accessorise but have used it loads. So I swapped it out for a wool version.

similarly a cheap slouchy cardi got swapped out for a cashmere blend.

then I’ve also addressed the quantity issue. Having 10 beautiful silk blouses is much better than having 50 cheaper nylon ones. 4 pairs of jeans that are a great fit are much better than 15 pairs of cheap poorly fitting ones.

I don’t always buy expensive - I’ve just bought some great cotton sets from Zara for the holidays and consumables like t-shirts/bikinis I never spend much on, but I’m much more thoughtful about buying things.

As a result I dress and feel much better.

I would invest time rather than money OP.

Agree with others that cost is not necessarily a mark of quality. Good secondhand stuff can be found everywhere - vinted, eBay etc as well as high street sometimes being really good. Set alerts for the kind of thing you like & that cuts down on browsing time on ebay. Charity shops too. It's easy to spend £150 on jeans, but finding a pair of hiuts for £30 is much more fun.

Download the apps for designer outlets and browse, see what you like, what outfits they've put together you like, get Pinterest going, look out for sales.

I find it much more satisfying to wear clothes that I've longed for & found in a sale, or a high street dupe, or something similar in a charity shop.

For instance a pair of jeans could cost £130 but they’re an amazing fit and will last for years.

My M and S and Gap jeans fit really well and have lasted 4 years and counting.

I think invest the time before the money. try on the £130 jeans. take a photo. don't buy them. go to arket cos m&s try on similar. if and only if you find something that makes you feel as good then thats a win. if not go back and buy the £130 pair. otherwise my experience is that I buy 2-3 not quite right.

I would also say watch some styling videos on YouTube. I like Ellen Hue. she is really good at putting things together most of her items are high street, she did a summer capsule wardrobe recently that was so creative and had none of the boring wardrobe staples in it

I think you need to have the appointment first and then decide (or not) to increase your budget. For example high end styling services are a rip off for women over a size 16 because while they stock designer pieces for smaller sizes, most of the 16+ will be from asos or outlets if they even stock it.

I expect everything to last for years. Having that as a selling-point always makes me raise an eyebrow.

I don't get the language of 'investing' in clothes. However good quality, through use, it's always going to eventually experience some wear and tear, and its value will depreciate. (Unless it lasts super well and can be sold as very good condition vintage in 20 years time - but even then, I think it will be unlikely to go for more than you initially paid for, allowing for inflation.) It's not housing or stocks or a painting from an artist you hope might appreciate in value.

Levis jeans are about 90-100, so something super good for 150 might be tolerable. I would expect to spend between 100-200 on (smarter, not jeans) trousers, even though I use them way less than jeans, so I don't think it's crazy.

I think the issue with the 400-500 is this: how many things are you intending to buy? I would try to add things over time.

I think it depends what you wear/what you will do in the clothes you buy. I generally wear Levi’s jeans which are around the £100 mark, and would be happy to pay £130 for a pair I loved - but I wear jeans a lot, and have a small waist/big bum so find that cheaper denim doesn’t fit me as nicely. I spend more on knitwear (Cos/Arket mainly) than others might because I live in Scotland so it gets worn a lot, and I don’t like synthetic knits. Summer clothes I tend to buy much more cheaply from places like Monki because they get worn less.

A lot of capsule wardrobe content on TikTok bangs on about stuff I would never wear - blazers for example are not for me - so I would be clear with the stylist what you do and don’t like at the get go.

I buy a lot second hand, but even without five year old twins absolutely do not have time to be charity shop shopping. I really like Depop - I know Vinted is very popular on here but my experiences on there have been less positive. If you know the brands you like and the size you are in them it’s really easy to pick up great items barely worn or even new with tags.

Expensive jeans don't last any longer than cheaper jeans. They are made in the same factories and often with the same fabrics. However, in my experience, the fit of expensive jeans is usually a lot nicer and more flattering, and so you want to wear them more.

I would see £130 as a mid range price for jeans. Not super cheap like M&S, but cheaper than the higher end brands (e.g. Paige jeans are over £200).

I’ve been buying good quality clothes for 20 years. It’s worth it. Good cuts, materials, quality accessories means you only need a few updates each season. Helps if you don’t change size!

I completely understand that if you're going to pay for a stylist then up the budget so you can get clothes that will last you. £500 is amazing for a spree but may only buy 3-5 items and they probably want to get you some stand out pieces like a jacket that could be £150+
Jeans are an anomaly as I agree you can get cheaper ones but nothing compares to a good coat/ blazer / jacket where I've always experienced that you have to pay upwards of £100 minimum.

Thank you you’ve just summed up how I feel. I need to change but I literally do not have the time to try and find things myself.

the point of the stylist is that I take the pressure myself and someone with much much more knowledge tells me what suits me, and then I can build on that knowledge

M&S for jeans. Try on different styles, and different sizes. Take a pocket mirror so you can check the rear view.
Wear a belt with jeans.

I buy Gap jeans, but I know what suits me and the size so don't need to try them on in the shop. I like Levi's but the jeans tend to have tiny side pockets and they annoy me.

Uniqlo is good for T-shirts, as is Seasalt.

Buy clothes with outfits in mind. Dresses & jumpsuits are good because you don't need to pair tops and bottoms.

Get the free styling consultation from John Lewis before forking out for an expensive one. You're not obliged to buy.

You need to build a capsule wardrobe, like that woman on a S&B thread who figured out exactly what she needed and then shopped around for each piece. Happy to link to it if you want, but she was in Australia and the thread was a couple of years ago.

I would definitely go to the store and I'd have in mind what I wanted, based on lifestyle. If you can afford more, then do it, but then once you know what suits you, you can go onto Vinted etc and look around.

I find Vinted best for dresses - they get a lot less wear than separates.

I absolutely would spend more.

There is some very good advice here from shuffleofftobuffalo and DancingNotDrowning. Spending more, but being very very picky about what you spend it on. Is it really good quality and exactly what you need and will wear frequently? The idea of 'upgrading' your current useful items is ideal. Also SparrowFeet is right about really good coats and blazers costing good money (but the right ones are totally worth it).

That’s exactly what the stylist said, we had a chat and I told her that I just needed a really good everyday wardrobe where I could swap & change. She was so lovely and said she wanted to build my confidence up but that involves key pieces like coats, blazers & shoes

Any jeans that have stretch ie elastane in the fabric content won't last. Get 100% cotton jeans with no stretch if you want them to last OP. I bought some good ones from Nobody's child, £60 full price and discounted to £20 in the sale. Personally I wouldn't be spending £130 on jeans.

There's nothing wrong with increasing your budget as given to the stylist to £800 or whatever but just buying your fave pieces and only spending £500.

I would love to do this! I'd love to see what you buy, too, OP.

I think your best approach is to up the budget a bit, but commit to buying only really amazing things. Try on a lot, and listen to what the stylist says. Take pictures of yourself in the clothes and also of the labels, so you don’t forget brands and sizes.

For a budget of £500-£800 I would look at getting 3-6 key pieces. Less if one is a coat. Then build on that, using your reference photos, buying cheaper bits. If you don’t like anything, don’t buy it - treat the appointment as research.

Have a capsule wardrobe mindset. Don’t set arbitrary numbers on stuff, but always be thinking about the versatility and style longevity of what you buy. I mix and match practically everything in my wardrobe and it makes it seem as if I’ve got a lot more clothes than I have.

Finally, when you do have free time, do a bit of Googling on your colour season and Kibbe type. Also buy a few fashion magazines to get a sense of what’s current. This will help you get a sense of what will, and more importantly won’t, work for you. Find brands you like as well. When you then have a bit more time, you’ll be able to go on EBay and Vinted and buy with confidence.

Really good advice here thank you! I’m having a colour test with the appointment too. It’s not until November (first appointment available 😳) so I’ve got a bit more time to save a bit more (and try and lose some weight)

For instance a pair of jeans could cost £130 but they’re an amazing fit and will last for years.

Jeans are jeans. Dull, boring and ubiquitous .There's no pair of jeans worth that price.