do you buy new clothes every season?

[Anonymous]

Do you fall prey to marketing and the changing of the seasons and add items to your wardrobe every couple of months? If so, how many? Does your wardrobe just perpetually increase?

I'm in my late 30s, have plenty of clothes but am not a maximalist/excessive shopper like some friends. My wardrobe is at a point where I rarely "need" anything. I have acquired enough luxury-use-for-life items in my late 20s and early 30s (the MaxMara coat, the high quality cashmere sweaters, the perfect white shirt, a couple of nice handbags, etc). Yet I still get that urge to buy new items, especially when the seasons change. It's harder now with social media and being bombarded with super targeted marketing.

I have no financial reason to never buy, and new items do add some joy to daily life especially when things are stressful/highly routinized. At the same time I'm old enough that I'm picky about quality and so many things seem trendy to me. Now with kids I also no longer have the time to buy things just to try on/scratch the itch and then return them.

But it feels impossible and too harsh on myself to ... never buy anything again? I still love browsing clothes/fashion online.

What are your shopping habits like if you are in this life stage? What prompts a new purchase when nothing is needed?

[Anonymous]

Nope.

[Anonymous]

Like 4 times a year? I look twice (hot weather, cold weather) but don’t always buy.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Not a lot, but I do add/replace a few every season.

[Anonymous]

I buy clothes every year as things I have get worn out or don't fit anymore. Certain things like t-shirts and workout clothes have to be replaced more often. I also buy a new pair of sneaker about every other year.

Occasionally I'll buy a few things I don't strictly "need" in order to kind of update or refresh my wardrobe if it's starting to look really dated or I just can't find anything I like in it. And when I get new things I'll retire others so that my wardrobe isn't constantly expanding. But generally I don't replace things like this more frequently than every 5 years and often it's more like 10-15 years.

So it's not like I'm getting a new wardrobe every year. I also tend to stay away from trendy items no matter what.

[Anonymous]

No, because I have no fashion sense; I'm not going anywhere special ever; shopping doesn't' excite me, and I have plenty of clothes in the closet.
Most are sport/casual for comfort.
Not working outside of home really helps to cut down on buying clothes and seeing what others wear.

[Anonymous]

I am in my 50s and still building up a wardrobe that works for me life. Also I enjoy shopping. I don't buy luxury coats or handbags - I am more of a Madewell on Poshmark shopper.

I don't really buy things seasonally, per se. But I would say my shopping tends to fall into a few categories:

- Stuff that fills a real hole in my wardrobe, whatever that happens to be. Like something where if I didn't buy it, I actually wouldn't have something that meets that particular need. (A pair of Blundstones for when it's wet and chilly out; an evening bag because I don't have anything to carry to some fancy events (I could really use this one still); etc.)

- Stuff that turns into real workhorse clothes for me. I bought like five breezy lightweight dresses this summer because it was so hot where we live that I couldn't bear constricting clothing. Those dresses got a LOT of wear. I also recently bought a pair of wool-lined Swedish clogs - and it's still too hot for them where I live but I have been wearing them as slippers around the house, and I KNOW I am going to wear the heck out of these things once it cools down/when we're traveling up north.

- Stuff that just brings me some joy. Sometimes it's just a t-shirt that I really love; sometimes it's something else. I am pretty good about not spending more than I am comfortable/is responsible for any given item. But I do take a lot of pleasure from clothes. I'm not a fancy dresser by any means - but I love having something that makes me feel good and that I will get pleasure out of.

You can think of clothes as a simple necessity. You have to cover your body. Once you are able to do that, you're done.

But clothes are also about feeling and expression - and context/presentation. I don't think it makes you a terrible person if you give thought - and resources - to that side of things. Even if you just want to look a little trendy, or you gained a few pounds and want some new pants that don't make your stomach hurt, or you decided you love periwinkle and MUST OWN PERIWINKLE or whatever. Clothes are both necessary and fun - and why do you have to deny that to yourself?

Obv don't go deep into debt buying stuff you can't afford.

[Anonymous]

I buy a few items every year. I don't update wholesale b/c I spend a lot on my clothes and buy really classic pieces. I also try to update my shoes. I am hard on shoes and even though I spend a lot time at the cobbler, my shoes still take too much of a beating.

[Anonymous]

I did when I was working. Usually tops and shoes. Outerwear when necessary or something really caught my eye.

[Anonymous]

When the seasons change I try on everything in my wardrobe and evaluate it. Clear out anything with holes, stains, stretched out, worn out or doesn't fit well.

Then I look at the remaining items and decide what I will need for the next few months.

For example, this year for fall I decided I want a new neutral sweater, some new socks, a new pair of medium wash jeans, and a new raincoat.

I then go shopping or look online just for the items that I've identified that I need to fill in the wardrobe. I don't shop just to shop or go to stores when I'm not looking for a particular item.

[Anonymous]

Nope. I'm lucky to buy clothes every decade! I buy new jeans when I get holes in the inner thighs, and new sneakers twice a year (I walk a LOT). Other than that, I barely replace clothes.

[Anonymous]

I'm in my 50s, but I love clothes and have always been one to buy stuff when the fancy strikes me. I do closet purges every season and unload things on Poshmark when I get tired of them.

[Anonymous]

Yes. But I would not describe it as falling prey to marketing. Do you make the same rotation of recipes year after year and never change or add anything new?

I buy 1-2 tops per season - including sweaters in the winter. Each year I probably 2-3 dresses, 3-4 bottoms, and 3-4 pairs of shoes. Less about the season and more about specific needs or new styles I like. Over time, I weed out old styles so my wardrobe slowly evolves over time.

I am far from a fashion plate, but I have a coworker who is beautiful and slim. We are in our 40s and I know she is the same weight and size as she was in her 20s because her wardrobe looks like she went to Talbots and Brooks Brothers when she graduated from college in 2002 and bought 5-6 pant suits along with 3 pairs of “sensible” shoes and she has been wearing the exact same outfits on repeat since I met her in 2009. I think she may have switched out the shell styles sleeveless tops she wears under the suit. She is very frugal - but pants and shoe styles have changed so much! She looked like a pretty young woman dressing like a 40 yr old when we were in our 20s. She looks like a 45 yr old dressing from her mom’s closet or the thrift store now. I saw her dressed up for a black tie event once, in a rented dress, and she looked so stunning. I get it that she just doesn’t care - but she is the perfect example of someone who should buy a new outfit 3-4 times a year to keep things fresh.

[Anonymous]

No, most of my shopping for clothes is at consignment shops. It’s amazing the deals I find and it’s just fun. I have a great wardrobe without spending much. We are a high net worth family and it drives some of my friends crazy that this is the way I shop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you fall prey to marketing and the changing of the seasons and add items to your wardrobe every couple of months? If so, how many? Does your wardrobe just perpetually increase?

I'm in my late 30s, have plenty of clothes but am not a maximalist/excessive shopper like some friends. My wardrobe is at a point where I rarely "need" anything. I have acquired enough luxury-use-for-life items in my late 20s and early 30s (the MaxMara coat, the high quality cashmere sweaters, the perfect white shirt, a couple of nice handbags, etc). Yet I still get that urge to buy new items, especially when the seasons change. It's harder now with social media and being bombarded with super targeted marketing.

I have no financial reason to never buy, and new items do add some joy to daily life especially when things are stressful/highly routinized. At the same time I'm old enough that I'm picky about quality and so many things seem trendy to me. Now with kids I also no longer have the time to buy things just to try on/scratch the itch and then return them.

But it feels impossible and too harsh on myself to ... never buy anything again? I still love browsing clothes/fashion online.

What are your shopping habits like if you are in this life stage? What prompts a new purchase when nothing is needed?

Since I have had kids, I use companies like Nuuly and Rent the Runway to have 3-5 pieces at any given time to rotate. Picking things out online scratches the shopping itch. Having new things is fun. I find I wil use a company for 6-9 months and then get bored of their choices. I take 6-9 months off to “shop my closet” and then I start all over again with a new company. For the “never buy” super frugal crowd I know that $150 per month is a lot - but I have a penchant for $200+ jeans and $400-500 dresses in memorable colors and prints - so these services actually save me money and help me focus on maintaining a small core wardrobe of quality basics.