Where to buy good quality clothes?
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Last year was the first time that I really made an effort to have some nice clothes. I’d struggled my entire life with finding clothes that looked nice on me, and had pretty much given up long ago. But then I found a book called Brenda’s Wardrobe Companion: A Guide to Getting Dressed From the Inside Out, and wow, suddenly things changed. It’s a great book. But I still have a question.
Where can a person find good quality clothes? I don’t even mind if they’re expensive, although of course I’d prefer reasonably priced. I’m asking because some of the clothes that I did find last year have turned out to be less then stellar quality, even though they seemed to be made of good material. There have been several that I had to take back after just one washing, especially sweaters. Holes appeared, they shrank into funky shapes, etc. (And it’s not my washer or my washing skills either! I washed the sweaters in question in cold water, by hand, and laid them flat to dry.) These have been from a variety of places too, large department stores, smaller brand-name stores, specialty stores, etc. Strangely, the second-hand clothing I’ve bought has held up the best, I guess because they’ve been proven not to shrink, etc. But it’s difficult to find my size at second-hand stores.
So, where have you had good luck? I’m tired of spending money for just a few wears in the cases where I can’t return the items.
January 9th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
I wish I had an easy answer for you. I personally hate shopping as a sport, but what I have done is find a few stores/designers hat fit me well and shop those few exclusivley. I’ve been lucky at a couple local consignment shops to find good clothes, but it’s not alwasy the case. Usually when I find a pair of pants that fit me well or a shirt that looks good on me, I buy two or three in my size in various colors so I donn’t have to shop all that often.
January 9th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Hi Bluntmoney –
You didn’t provide any details about what type of clothing you’re looking for (work, casual, dressy) nor what your size/shape is. That info will definitely impact suggestions.
My first suggestion would be to pay attention to the labels in the second-hand clothes that you’ve found to be reliable.
Something I do with respect to clothing for my daughter is to pay attention to what other people are wearing. I’ve been known to approach someone out of the blue and ask them where they bought a pair of jeans or a blouse.
My experience is that finding the right brands is a frustrating and expensive trial-and-error never-ending journey. And the worst part of it is that when you find a source you depend on, the change suppliers or go out of business or change their targeted demographic.
As bouncing betty said, once I find something that works, I buy several. This goes for everyone in the family that I clothe but especially The Son, The Husband, and I. The initial outlay can be intimidating but the long-term peace of mind and savings are definitely worth it.
January 9th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Right now Coldwater Creek is having an 85% off sale in their Outlet. I recently purchased some clothing from them and was impressed with the quality. Now, with the sale, might be a good time for you to try them out. If it helps any, I’m a 40yo mom also living in the Southwest. Good luck with the shopping, I know (at my age) it’s hard to find good clothing that is also stylish and comfortable!
Coupon codes:
PLA9818 for $25 off $75
WXH8002 for $10 off $50
January 9th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
There’s a wider selection
Feed your collection
Where America goes
For quality clothes
It’s Robert Hall this year
January 9th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Thanks guys. I usually wear casual to REALLY casual clothes, so things along those lines are what I’m mainly looking for. I don’t need to dress up for work, but I’d like to look decent at least. I never thought of looking at labels before…
January 9th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
TJMaxx is a decent one because there are a variety of discounted name brands. I love their shoe section … you might pay $30 instead of the payless price but you’ll usually be getting a higher quality shoe.
Talbots Outlet stores are great - especially when they have sales (yes, outlet prices at even deeper discounts.) I recently bought two jersey wrap dresses for $8.80 each. No I didn’t miss typing a “1.”
If you have a favorite store or brand, shop the sales or better yet clearance rack and out of season items (stick to classic styles you’ll be able to wear next year when you do this.) I know that one style of American Eagle jeans fit me perfectly so I check in on them from time to time and try to get them when they are on sale. (I also know my exact size in these jeans so I do actually shop ebay for them sometimes and have one pair off of ebay that I got for basically half the price.)
That brings me to checking out your local consignment shops. Some will focus on business wear and may not be for you but there may be others that have good quality used clothes at cheap prices. Hey, I’ve been known the shop the goodwill store before and came out with some Ann Taylor shirts for $2.50 each even though that’s not consignment.
And one more tip before entering any store - figure out your style or the style you are shopping for. I have a weakness for casual clothes when I need to be buying slightly dressier clothes or clothes that can be dressed up. I’ve made a point of thinking through the type of thing I’m shopping for BEFORE I even enter the store. If I’m there for a pair of grey dress pants I shouldn’t be in the exercise pants section and vice versa (unless they were both on my list for that day’s shopping.)
January 15th, 2008 at 9:47 am
I have found that most companies aren’t making that great of quality clothes any more. Last year I was making an effort to buy less, but higher cost and quality, thinking that they would actually be better and last longer. Well, some of the more costly items didn’t even last as long as some of the cheaper stuff that I wore more often.
Good luck, hopefully you can find a good place and then share it with everyone. :)