How do you pay for/justify your clothing habit?

[A Harris]

What the title says. For instance, I don't make enough to really be able to afford any of the clothing I wear, even at deep discounts, so my wardrobe/habit is financed by ebay. Any new purchases are funded by the sale of clothes I already have (generally at a profit) or by profits from the sale of items I bought for myself that didn't work out. I keep a running balance sheet to see where I am at all times so that in the end all I spend is time (which I justify as a hobby.) Over the course of the past ten years I've built up a nice wardrobe by this method. I know I'm not the only seller here who does this.

So how do you do it? Set aside a reasonable portion of your income? Chalk it up as a cost of doing business if you dress for work? Write it off as a hobby? Don't worry yourself with such plebian concerns? Share if you are comfortable.

 

[voxsartoria]

I'm not sure if this is a justification, but trying to dress well has always given me a sense of well-being, and that has remained so since was a boy. I don't puzzle over it.

I don't consider dressing to be a hobby, although I suppose spending time here is such, but that's free. The most indulgent pasttime I've ever had was racing cars, where you could literally smell money burning (well, if you drive as poorly as I do, that's particularly the case...) I do that rarely these days.


- B

 

[rebel222]

I am a law student with zero income, so all of my clothing purchases are purchased by eBay sales.

 

[drducky]

Originally Posted by A Harris

Any new purchases are funded by the sale of clothes I already have (generally at a profit) or by profits from the sale of items I bought for myself that didn't work out. I keep a running balance sheet to see where I am at all times so that in the end all I spend is time (which I justify as a hobby.)

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

I'm not sure if this is a justification, but trying to dress well has always given me a sense of well-being

For me it's a combination of the above
my wife is very understanding, and almost no matter the cost, if I really want something, she's the first to tell me to just get it (she just hates to hear me deliberating over such things)
nonetheless, almost all of my purchases are funded by sales, mostly here on B&S
I too keep a balance sheet, partly for IRS purposes, partly to justify new purchases

 

[Chips]

I started out only by wanting nice shoes. Then 2 pair of Aldens, turned into 13 pair, ( Church's, Magnanni's ,more Aldens, AE, most of the lower tiered upper shelf stuff) then progressed into only having Pantherella socks. Now I have to have on fine quality trousers all the time... It just keeps creeping, from the ground up.

I spend way too much of my discretionary income on clothes. I don't need them for work. I get teased/ complimented a lot for the way I dress at work, being that I'm in a hospital 12 hours a day, and not an MD. . I am young so I rationalize it by telling myself that the shoes will last much longer than cheaply made inferior products. That's probably why I shine them every time I wear them.

 

[mack11211]

If it did not go to clothes, it would go to whores and coke.

This makes me a paragon of virtue, yes?

 

[bstang46]

I pay and justify my clothing habit as a business expense. If this was not so, I would feel somewhat guilty about certain purchases. So that is my excuse.

 

[CunningSmeagol]

Ralph Lauren made me do it.

 

[aportnoy]

I thought we were all just doing what Manton told us to do.

 

[countdemoney]

I feel better when I dress better, get better reactions at work and on the rationalization side, I get much more value for my money than I did before.

The simplest example for me is the lowly dockers trouser. Previously, I would buy dockers and then take them to the dry cleaners. My dockers may have cost $45, but at $2.50/pair/week in cleaning they have a much higher cost. They also lost color in 6 months and needed replacement. Good wool trousers, while costing more initially, are much easier to care for, travel better, last longer and look better. They are much cheaper long-term.

Shirts are a similar story, but the fit difference on shirts is easily worth it in my case.

 

[Michael Ay329]

I justify my suits and shoes so I can wear them to court during my criminal trials My wife understands...but doesn't fully appreciate it I've had to take out loans from my 401K and 457 plans to finance last years purchases and this year will be a problem...but money seems to fall out of the sky so I'm sure I'll manage somehow Its only now after 1.5 years that I am transitioning to improving my evening and weekend wardrobe besides velour jogging suits and pima cotton shirts I use Will's A Suitable Wardrobe blog as to generally what not to wear

 

[Spatlese]

I went from having a first job out of university that required formal business attire everday to my workplace of the past eight years, which is casual. Obviously, the quality of suits, shirts and shoes I acquired during that first job were commensurate with my meager income at the time. Between 1999 and mid 2007, I only purchased a few 'decent' shirts. All this to say, I justify my purchases over the past 12-15 months as a refresh of my wardrobe.

And yes, Ralph Lauren (Purple Label) made me do it too.

 

[maomao1980]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

I'm not sure if this is a justification, but trying to dress well has always given me a sense of well-being, and that has remained so since was a boy. I don't puzzle over it.

I don't consider dressing to be a hobby, although I suppose spending time here is such, but that's free. The most indulgent pasttime I've ever had was racing cars, where you could literally smell money burning (well, if you drive as poorly as I do, that's particularly the case...) I do that rarely these days.


- B

Ha! back in the States I used to go to the track about twice a month. Although it was only track days and not club racing, the money was burned way faster than any other easily accessible hobby I can think of. To me, clothing is about having choices, which is a really bad way to look at it as it allows me to justify just about any purchase.

 

[B1FF]

Single. Surplus income, and no need to justify how I use it.

 

[Mannix]

I sell clothing I don't wear, and other things that I don't like anymore. Then I buy new things. I also have a job...