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When you Should Spend More Than $50 on Clothes

Do you have a spending budget for clothes? Today I'm sharing how I determine when I should spend more than $50 on clothes.

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Hey, loves! Happy Monday and so glad you’re here today! Anyone else here like to shop? Shopping and putting outfits together has been a passion of mine that started well before my blog did. I love following the latest trends and putting looks together that fit my personal style. If you’re not sure what a “personal style” is or how you would define yours, check out this post on How to Stay True to Your Personal Style.

Do you have a spending budget for clothes? Today I'm sharing how I determine when I should spend more than $50 on clothes.

Staying on trend however means that you are making frequent purchases. Now, full disclosure – I am the spender in my family and always have been. Thankfully, I have a frugal german mother who has taught me how to sale shop. Even with sale shopping though, your purchases can add up quickly. Over the past couple of years I’ve created a sort of metric system to determine if I should spend more than $50 on an item. I honestly don’t like to spend a crazy amount on clothes, but I do think there are times when it’s necessary to spend a little more.

I know a lot of you struggle with that as well. It’s hard when we live in a society where it seems like the woman next to you is buying a brand new designer handbag every other week. It’s easy to feel pressure to spend a fortune. So, I thought I would share with you how I process and determine when and what I should spend more than $50 on. For the most part my general rule of thumb is that if it’s trendy try and stay under $50. There no sense in buying a crop top that’s $150 if you’re only going to wear it once.

Do you have a spending budget for clothes? Today I'm sharing how I determine when I should spend more than $50 on clothes.

WHEN TO SPEND OVER $50:

  • on classic pieces – this was a rule my mom actually taught me. She would always point out pieces that were classics and always on trend. These are items like a pencil skirt, a nice leather jacket, a wrap dress, a black blazer, or a pea coat. These are items that no matter the current trend, they are in style. They’re usually pieces you can wear to anything as well – work, date, or play. So, if you know you’ll be wearing a piece for years to come, it’s worth spending the money on.
  • on a pair (or two) of jeans – I’ll be up front here and say I have one too many pairs of jeans…like 20+ pair that I actually wear. But, when I say splurge on jeans I mean splurge on one or two pair that you know you’ll wear each season. For example, I have a $200 pair of dark denim skinny jeans. I wear these in the spring, summer, fall and winter. They don’t have any rips in them and fit me perfectly. So, splurge on the jeans you know you’ll wear a lot. It’s great to have a couple nice go-to pairs of denim. For cheaper, on-trend denim I usually opt for jeans from LOFT.
  • on neutral hand bags – I’m a bag girl, it’s true. But, I buy my trendy bags cheap and then splurge on the bags I’ll carry forever. For example, spending money on a nude tote from Tory Burch is a great option. (PS – Tory Burch is having a HUGE sale right now) It’s a bag that you know you’ll use daily and will go with almost any outfit.
  • on classic shoes – as much as I’m a bag girl, I’m a shoe girl, too. I love wearing trendy shoes so I usually like to keep those under $50 as I know I’ll only wear them for a season. Target has some great shoe options out right now btw! But, for classic shoes like a pair of riding boots, loafers, black pumps, black flats, I like to spend a little more to get better quality so that they’ll last for years.
  • on a pair of sunglasses – I think the number one reason people hesitate to buy nice sunglasses is the fact that we lose them all the time. I totally agree with that sentiment. However, I think every gal should have one really nice pair of sunnies. Y’all know I don’t go anywhere without my Karen Walker sunglasses. I was nervous to get them, but have be pleasantly surprised at how much I baby them because of the amount I spent. I have had them for almost 2 years and they are still in mint condition. I have several cheap, trendy pairs I rotate in and out when I’m doing things like swimming at the lake or running in case I lose them.
  • on items you’ll get a lot of wear out of – this refers to classic pieces or trendy pieces. If it’s something you know you’ll wear a lot, then it’s worth spending over $50 on. For example, this dress is over $50, but I knew right away it was worth it. I got it a couple of weeks ago and I’ve already worn it 5 times. This Free People dress is another dress that’s over $50 that I wear constantly.
  • when the fit is right – let’s be honest that all of our bodies are a little different in shape. Mine has changed since having kids and so when I find something that fits and that I feel comfortable in, it’s worth spending a little more. For example, I love the way the high rise jeans fit me from Mott and Bow and so I have them in several colors.
  • BONUS: on amazing statement pieces – this is one that was definitely inspired by my mom. My mom did a great job of saving key pieces from different decades in her life. She’s started passing them down and it’s so neat to see what she wore and what was “big” in the 70s for example. Like this past summer she passed down this incredible red polka dog, wide leg jumpsuit that just gives me all the feels. So, I’ve started collecting big statement pieces that correlate with the decade or a really loud trend to save for my girls. For example, the ark bag is one I’ll pass down. I’ve also kept some neat jumpsuits and a crochet dress. It’s fun to think that some day my girls will see what I wore and have a chance to wear it, too. Or make fun of it…

Do you have a spending budget for clothes? Today I'm sharing how I determine when I should spend more than $50 on clothes.Do you have a spending budget for clothes? Today I'm sharing how I determine when I should spend more than $50 on clothes.Do you have a spending budget for clothes? Today I'm sharing how I determine when I should spend more than $50 on clothes.Do you have a spending budget for clothes? Today I'm sharing how I determine when I should spend more than $50 on clothes.

dress: free people | shoes: similar, similar | bag: amazon fashion | sunnies: karen walker

photography: fort lion studio

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