How much do you spend on clothes per year?

[jetLab]

""Parents spent 3.8 percent less on themselves, with annual expenditures dropping to $1,184 from the $1,230 reported in fall 2001. Conversely, parents increased spending on their children's clothes by almost 11 percent to $1,115 annually, versus $1,015 in fall 2001." http://www.fashionwindows.com/visual...n_spending.asp

 

[Steve B.]

My research states that Americans spend about 5% of gross income- some sources estimate European spending as high as 14%.

 

[davei]

I'm at about $5k, not including suits - haven't bought a new suit in a couple of years. I probably spend about $2k each season (S/S, F/W) then another $1k here and there during the year.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

The best advice I've read on this topic came from the Esquire web site (things a man should know about style):

"You are in your car an hour each day; you are in your clothes from morning till night.  Spend accordingly."

Of course, I drive a 1990 Honda Accord, so this isn't saying much for me . . .

 

[NavyStyles]

haha, I like that quote from Esquire. That's a nice philosophy.

Not having a set annual income since I'm still in school, I don't get to spend as much as I'd like on clothes, but I still get to spend a good amount-- no doubt about that. And, of course, I really appreciate gift certificates. It's like you aren't really spending money. Maybe it's just me?

 

[Alias]

Well, my poor college student ass bought about $1k of stuff this year. Since I'm a full-time student, I can only work part-time jobs which give me a disposable income of around $600 a month.

Teaching English to Koreans with too much money to spend is awesome. The bad thing is, you get the idea that they're not really doing it for learning so much as they're doing it just to have someone to talk to. No grammar, just "free talking." Bleh.

 

[Pierre]

Funny thing, I actually budgeted those costs last week-end. I realized I only need 3% of my income to considerably upgrade my wardrobe and that those C&J handgrade are not out of question.

 

[imageWIS]

Well, my poor college student ass bought about $1k of stuff this year. Since I'm a full-time student, I can only work part-time jobs which give me a disposable income of around $600 a month. Teaching English to Koreans with too much money to spend is awesome. The bad thing is, you get the idea that they're not really doing it for learning so much as they're doing it just to have someone to talk to. No grammar, just "free talking." Bleh.

At least you can make some new friends that way.

Jon.

 

[kabert]

The amount I spend has gone up considerably -- tripled probably -- since I (i) discovered EBay, and (ii) discovered this site and AskAndy's. Also, I assume the poll amount doesn't include shoes. Now that my closet is full though (but dang it's hard to stop buying Borrelli shirts when they're just $50 on EBay.), I've slowed down substantially my buying.

 

[acole]

The best advice I've read on this topic came from the Esquire web site (things a man should know about style): "You are in your car an hour each day; you are in your clothes from morning till night. Â Spend accordingly."

Pfffff. Â What about those of us who SLEEP in our clothes?? Â Eh???

eBay does make restraint difficult, especially when you learn enough to recognize the intersection of quality and obscurity. Â I'll never even look at a listing with the word "Armani" in it, but there are a lot of good deals that are hard to pass up. Â When you factor in the constant cascade of "20% off" coupons for various online stores and the general consciousness-raising effect of the discussions here (I was once blissfully ignorant of Kiton and Attolini), it's obvious that reading this board is the surest route to financial ruin.

 

[MilanoStyle]

Avg American spends 5% of their income? Then how do you explain this all time high credit/card debt in avg Americans?

I think avg. Americans like to spend more than what they make... which ever income that may be...

 

[Will]

The near threadbare bespoke budget, per year:

Four suits or coats & trousers $16,000
One pair shoes $3,000
Six shirts $1,500
Braces, neckties, hose, golf shirts, underwear etc. $3,500
Total $24,000

 

[gregory]

The near threadbare bespoke budget, per year:

Four suits or coats & trousers $16,000
One pair shoes $3,000
Six shirts $1,500
Braces, neckties, hose, golf shirts, underwear etc. $3,500
Total $24,000

If suits are done by WWChan, four suits - $3,200
If shirts are done by Jantzen, six shirts - $270

If you're willing to compromise, good fit and good quality (notice I didn't say great) can be achieved at a more limited budget.

 

[imageWIS]

Quote:

The best advice I've read on this topic came from the Esquire web site (things a man should know about style): "You are in your car an hour each day; you are in your clothes from morning till night. Spend accordingly."
Pfffff. What about those of us who SLEEP in our clothes?? Eh???

eBay does make restraint difficult, especially when you learn enough to recognize the intersection of quality and obscurity. I'll never even look at a listing with the word "Armani" in it, but there are a lot of good deals that are hard to pass up. When you factor in the constant cascade of "20% off" coupons for various online stores and the general consciousness-raising effect of the discussions here (I was once blissfully ignorant of Kiton and Attolini), it's obvious that reading this board is the surest route to financial ruin.

I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN. My occupation does not require suits, dress shirts, dress trousers, etc...but yet I almost bought one of these (or all three), at the same time, I barely use my jackets / suits that I have now. But look at this: (temptation too strong, must not buy, don't need...won't use...) DAMN YOU EBAY. Attolini 1 Attolini 2 Do you know how often I find 6-4 DB suits in my size (36)? NEVER. Plus, it is like 60% off retail: Attolini 3 Serenity now, serenity now. Jon.

 

[acole]

Avg American spends 5% of their income? Â Then how do you explain this all time high credit/card debt in avg Americans? I think avg. Americans like to spend more than what they make... which ever income that may be...

I think Steve meant 5% spent on clothing, not overall. Â How to explain? Â Revolving credit does seem to be an integral part of our culture. Â Americans are bombarded with advertising and offers of credit every day. Â You can't walk into a store without being asked to sign up for their card. Â You can't turn on the radio without hearing the word "refinance". You can't check your mail without finding half a dozen envelopes emblazoned with "PREAPPROVED. -- O% FINANCING THRU 2005...." Â When everyone around you is doing it, there's a lot of psychological pressure to follow suit. Â You look at a the price-tag on a new BMW 7-series and think "That's a down payment on a house" (or "that's almost a semester of my daughter's college"

). Â Your neighbors look at it and say "Hey, only $750 a month to lease that sleek sonofabitch." Â And when you see it parked in front of their over-leveraged house with its newly-remodeled all-granite kitchen, it looks just like they bought it free and clear. Â You start to feel a little ridiculous and self-conscious about the 10+ year-old japanese car sitting in your own driveway, even though it's paid off and runs like a top. Â Then you walk inside, and you can almost hear your chipped formica countertops mocking you. Â We've been enjoying ridiculously low interest rates for several years along with a housing bubble, so everyone's been refinancing mortgages and tapping their home equity to buy all kinds of "live-for-today" stuff. Â You can't go to a party without someone bending your ear about what great largesse they've received, either. Â And so it is that I barely know two people (wife's coworker & spouse) who borrowed against their tax-sheltered retirement savings[.] to buy an expensive house at 6.x% and >90% loan-to-value. Then after a couple years' appreciation (at >10%) they refinanced to a gimmick-laden sub-4% variable-rate[.] loan, and I hear they now have a "home equity line of credit" (second mortgage) on top of that. Â They've pulled out every accessible drop of accumulated equity to buy more nice stuff--a huge "luxury SUV", tropical vacations, nice meals, lots of clothes, etc. This couple (the husband at least) is proud to the point of giddy evangelism of how they've gamed the system to discover all these back channels to additional credit and acquire all this great stuff while deferring the costs. Â If they can cover the monthly payment, they don't ask further or consider the bottom line. Â I wonder if they ever look down.