The Contentedness thread - Page 12

I'll set you up, Synth! Even if you have a cool old buckle, I'm happy to make a belt for it. Then, you'd be even more content

I just unsubscribed to a bunch of daily shoping email lists.

Funny, I did the exact same a few days ago. I was getting sick of being bombarded by so many sales alerts, inciting me to buy buy buy.

I've kept closet relatively small, compared to some you hoarders, anyways. I feel like I have enough clothing so I really don't buy much anymore, maybe an item or two each season, just to fill some gaps. But if I'm buying anything it's going to be something that I absolutely love, not simply because it's available or on sale. I keeps me from having a closet full of mediocre crap. It's been a slow process, but I'm content with what I've accumulated over the years. Will contribute to the thread with some pics and nonsensical ramblings in the future..

I feel like there was a point for me when I stopped buying cheap approximations of what I want and started buying the thing itself (Wallace Stevens reference ftw). I probably spend just as much on clothes, though I have less. But more importantly, I like what I have more. I used to have some special items I'd wear every once in a while. Now I have a lot of items that feel special, and that I wear them frequently doesn't make them feel any less special. It's so worth it.

 

Wait hold on, I'm not talking about buying new jeans, I'm talking about finding new ways to be content with the jeans I have!

 

Don't get out the pitchforks and torches just yet.

i think you've got more than one pair of dark blue jeans right?

just sayin...

that too

 

except the other pair are unaltered slim-straight so they don't have the same shape as my APCs (which are NS, but tapered), and thus they don't work quite the same way, or with the same looks. They're pretty good with boots but my GATs, for instance, would be swallowed by the leg opening.

 

if I ruined the APCs, I might just have to replace them or I'd have a ... WARDROBE GAP, which I cannot allow

 

 

but to bring it back on topic, I think a really important measure of contentedness is whether, if the item in question should be destroyed, you would replace it with a new version of the exact same thing.

When I first joined SF it blew my mind how much people were willing to spend on clothing. It took awhile before I was conditioned to the costs of such things. At first I began buying like you said, cheap approximations of what I really wanted. I ended up with many jackets and pants that were nice enough, but of course, not the real thing. It felt empty and soulless. After I realized that the amount that I had spent buying those things could have easily paid for the real thing, I never looked back. The satisfaction of acquiring something that you've long lusted after is incomparable to simply grabbing something off the rack.

Really good summation of the SF process, went through the same exact motions (and to some extent, have not yet entirely reached the final stage)

It's kind of inevitable for the process to be that way for most people that read/post on SF - if you're starting with a low level of knowledge about fashion, it just makes a lot more financial sense to buy cheap approximations until you figure out what style(s) you want to proceed with. It also depends on your starting point - late last year I started rebuilding my wardrobe basically from scratch, so despite the fact that the idea of where I want to take my style has been mostly solidified in my head for a few months now, I've had to focus my spending efforts on filling out the base of my wardrobe and am only just now finally getting to a point where I can start focusing on being more selective and emphasizing quality over quantity.

Sigh. I have 3 pairs of petit standards and another 3 pairs of 511s.


3 marc by marc jacobs button-downs that I just buy in my size whenever i see them, and 3 j crew flannels. Oh my god, I also have 3 RO tees and 3 silent tees and 3 geller seconds tees.

OH GOD AND 3 PAIRS OF RICK SHORTS AND 3 MARGIELA BLAZERSoh wait I only have two of those, whew.

That was like looking into the abyss, for a second.

I find myself buying 2 of the same thing (dif color) a lot

I could definitely see myself buying 2 or 3+ different EG bed fords in different fabric/color.

I keep doing this with shoes, which is not only expensive, it seems kind of silly.

I really like the way Noctone described his way of building a wardrobe. I went through the same process...

 

I know people are raving about quality > quantity, but when you're trying out a new style or even only a new piece, there comes a risk when you buy something more expensive.

 

Like I'm looking for my first varsity jacket but debating on whether to buy a cheaper one or go for designer even though the designer ones look a lot better.

 

You just never know if the thing will work out or not until you wear it for a couple of weeks/months.