I’m starting a new segment of my blog and Youtube Channel, “Buy Less, Buy Better“. Please note that this is not another “Style for Less” blog. I’ve always gravitated towards a more classic style, which honestly makes it easier to buy less. I like to keep things classic, which can be a bit boring to some, but I like the ease of it and that you always look put together. It’s taken me a while to hone my style. I tried many fashion fads in my teens and 20’s but unfortunately my body is not made for many trends. At this point of my life I feel like I’ve found my sweet-spot as far as my style goes. I have a more athletic, hourglass figure; I have curvier thighs, a butt and boobs. I always feel best when I show off my curves rather than hide them. If I wear pants, I like skinny jeans. If I wear a shirt or dress, I like ones that shows my waist, etc. Most trendy clothes, IMHO are designed for skinny little things without many curves. If you know your body, trying to force yourself in to the latest trend can be a disaster…and then you toss out the cheap, trendy clothes and move on the the next trend. It always seemed like such a waste to me.
So much of the shopping philosophy now is to follow trends and go to trendy stores. Often these trendy stores are inexpensive and offer a fast fix to be on trend. Unfortunately, these items often fall apart or pill after just a few wearings, thus making them disposable. You can’t even give these items to second hand stores because they often will be turned down because of the poor quality. Thus ending up in a landfill. I had a recent conversation with a friend about this and she said, “It’s too expensive to shop at cheap stores”. I agree.
Hence, my shopping philosophy is “quality over quantity”. I learned this from my mom, she told me once, “if you had $100 (with inflation it would probably be more like $300+ at this point) to spend, you should spend it on it on 1-2 amazing piece(s) that you will have for 10+ years and love rather than buy 5-10 mediocre pieces that will fall apart in a year or less.” That really resonated with me. Recently, a friend posted a video on Facebook about how so many of our clothes end up in landfills, who knew that “clothes are the second largest source of pollution, after oil.” That really clinched it for me, and I hope you’ll agree.
During the course of my new segment, I will be giving you tips and tricks on Buy Less, Buy Better, an Earth -friendly solution that will still help you look amazing while saving the planet and your pocket book. Just to get started, here are some key things to remember: a great tailor and cobbler can save you tons of cash in the long run. Take advantage of a good tailor who can re-size your clothes over time and even refurbish quality clothing to extend their life…. anybody remember pleated pants? My NYC tailor took an amazing pair of my husband’s slacks and transformed them by removing the pleats for much less than purchasing a new pair.
Also, good quality shoes rarely wear out, they usually only need new soles/heels and a good cobbler can keep your shoes looking good far longer than you can fit into them. I learned this tip as an adult. Before I met my husband I used to love to shop at cheaper shoe stores and get rid of my shoes when they wore out. He asked me why I didn’t get better quality shoes and just resole them rather than buying cheap disposable shoes. I had never actually used a cobbler before I met him. He also learned at an early age to find a quality tailor and get his clothes fitted properly, even when they were technically in his size. Having suits made for you can be very expensive. Even the best suits and clothes are meant to approximate your size, to truly make them your own and to save some money go and get them fitted. A great tailor can save you a lot of money while making you feel like a Million bucks. Buy good quality things even if you buy them at lesser expensive stores and get it tailored to fit you so it looks perfect. You end up keeping that perfect clothing for years.
Here are more details from my Youtube Channel:
