I legit do not understand how people afford style

[Anonymous]

Buy nice things over a period of time. You're not a child with growth spurts so there is no need to go shopping and spend hundreds each month.

You're boring, bland, and unimaginative. Not poor. This is why you have no style.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We make way less than you, OP, and have always shopped at second-hand stores, brick and mortar or online. I prefer it, because I usually don't like current trends. Some essentials we buy new, and the rest are curated from old collections that make their way into consignment shops. It gives my outfits a little flair, because they're not the usual suburban mom uniform.

Same thing for our furniture - it's a mix of lovely estate sale finds, and some IKEA solid wood stalwarts that go well together, because I have an eye for decor.

Same thing for the garden - I like to source plants online that aren't the usual things people pick up at Home Depot, and I don't make the average landscaper's mistake of mulching away half my yard. The end result looks interesting, and not a copycat version of the neighbor's.

"Style" means that you add a little thoughtful originality to your life. It doesn't mean paying more.

Your mistake is that you're not putting thought into it.

This all applies to me as well, though I wouldn't be so harsh with OP.

I recently lost a lot of weight and had to replace nearly my entire wardrobe, from swimsuits to bras to winter coats-- even most of my shoes were too big!

I spent about $1500 total. Not counting accessories, I have about 100 items (I got a closet app).

I actually could wear a different outfit every day for at least a couple of years. More if you count just swapping out shoes and accessories.

Clothes I bought recently... Escada, Yohji Yamamoto, Herve Leger, Rag & Bone, AllSaints, Opening Ceremony, Marc Jacobs, Milly, Re/Done, AG Jeans, Mother, Jimmy Choo, Giuseppe Zanotti Alaia, Lanvin, Elie Tahari, A.L.C., Tibi, DvF, Jonathan Simkhai, Anthropologie, Lululemon, Splendid, Sanctuary, lots of vintage.

Yes, it takes some time and effort (consignment, Poshmark, ThredUp, thrift stores), but I have the interest, so it doesn't feel like work.

I wouldn't say that's a mistake of the OP's, but it's kind of a logic error-- people who care about clothes are the same ones who don't find it burdensome to put in time and effort into... clothes (and more time and effort if they don't have a lot of money).

Our HHI is $150k and in a normal year, I don't spend more than $500 on clothes.