Help me calm down, clothes spend

[NCForSomeThings]

I spent just over £500 on clothes yesterday. I am 49 and going to a big international conference abroad next month. I will need to look smart for 4 days, I will be a key figure at the event and also participating in workshops etc, so not sitting down, need to be comfortable and practical. I have changed body shape recently - perimenopause -and also felt that my old stuffy corporate clothes a) didn't fit and b) didn't at all reflect who I was anymore. I am much more senior now, and can add some personality to my clothes.

Yesterday I bought 4 pieces at a high end store. I love them, they are great quality but I have a nagging voice saying I could have/should have just got things at H&M or just got 2 tops at Jigsaw, max.

Can someone please put it into context and talk me down: I have a good salary and can absorb the cost but also have things coming up I need to pay (house move, etc). I also used to be in a highly controlling relationship, so I need some perspective on what people my age and seniority have spent on their wardrobe in similar situations.

I think its all personal....£500 could be a fortune to some and a drop in the ocean to others.
But if you can afford it then enjoy it! If its things you love and will get plenty of wear out of then its a good investment, surely?

I dont have alot of spare cash but I plan on buying some more expensive pieces from a couple of brands I love for my birthday next month. I know they will be things that will last me decades and I will enjoy so Im looking forward to it (and ignoring the fact I could be 'saving for emergencies' instead🙄).

I still shop at H&M sometimes and pretty regularly at Uniqlo. I know what it's like and sometimes that's fine. I also look out for second hand Margaret Howell and haunt her sales for the final discounts. I wonder why I'd bother going to all that effort and expense if I could find the same quality at H&M?

Many moons ago, I dropped £1k on three jackets in a sale. They lasted decades and always looked smart. Like the OP, I had never spent so much on clothes previously, but could afford it and I was moving abroad to a country with stylish women.

I think you might be on the wrong thread. And you’ve definitely been shopping in the wrong places if you’re finding no difference in quality between £50 clothes and £300 clothes. It’s not about branding, it’s about quality.

I totally agree with you @HundredMilesAnHour 👍

It ALWAYS gets trotted here in S&B thrse days that clothes from the higher end high street shops are poor quality & mo better than primark / h&m & i 100% disagree!

I don't have the budget for full on designer clothes but I do buy at the more expensive end of regular shops & there is a significant difference in quality even in how the garments are made- tape on seams etc + the actual fabrics themselves

Sorry for typos - on my phone