So a while ago I did a bit about the words splurge and invest (feel free to read it here) and today I invested in a dress. Ok, so ‘invest’ is actually relative because how much qualifies as an investment depends on you alone. For me, I really don’t ever spend more than $20 on an article of clothing. Anything above about $12 is an investment for me and I make sure that the purchase is really worth it. Therefore, I most likely would never buy a t-shirt of some sort for more than $10 (realistically probably not more than $5) but a great dress or jeans is worth the money.
SO! I went shopping with two lovely ladies a few days ago at Plato’s Closet. Several of you have mentioned that you find PC to be too young and that it’s difficult to find anything. I would probably agree with you. They tend to cater to the high school age shopper, but if you really search you can find some great clothing. You might only find one thing to even try on (like me on this particular trip), so you have to decide if it’s worth it for you.
Back to the dress…I only found one thing I wanted to try on, which was a beautiful dress from H&M for $16. I tried it on, fell in love, and then had the terrible decision to make…is it worth it? After having a quick fight with myself, I determined that yes, it was worth it and invested in it. The dress is great because I’ll be able to wear it to all kinds of events. In fact, Goodwill NY and NJ recently did a piece about the cost per wear of the clothes you buy. I recommend checking it out. Anyway, anyone else have a maximum amount they don’t like to go over? Let me know below!
niftythriftygoodwill 
Super cute. What I try to do when I find something I like, is make up my mind what the most I want to spend is, before I look at the tag. I get super excited when it’s way less than I think.
that’s a great way to shop! i love being pleasantly surprised :)
I’m really spoiled by thrift prices and will rarely pay more than $5 for a shirt or pants at a “non-curated” shop. I may pay up to $20 for something like a coat, but that’s probably my maximum. Also, I’m not very proud of it, but I do like some brand names and will consider the original retail price of the item if it’s something higher-end.
that’s pretty much my maximum too. $40 for a shirt feels like a sin. when you think about it, the money you save thrifting can be put to good use by investing in a really great piece at retail.
My thrifting rules include, but not limited to (1) cost per wear (2) quality (3) uniqueness.
If I’ll wear it a lot, if it’s a quality brand or well-made item and/or it’s unique, I might pay “more” for them. My cap is generally at $5 for most items and a little over $10 if it’s high-end denim, shoes (always new/near new–as in, there’s no wear on the soles), coats and unique jewelry (preferably hand-made or vintage). I also try to stick to the deal of the day, colored tags that are 99 cents or 50% off, since I peruse my local thrift stores about once a week, this keeps me from spending too much. I also have a mental list of items that I want to find. This helps me figure out what to look for, so I’m not all over the place. There are certainly times where I throw the list out and look at everything, but those occasions are rare, as they require large chunks of time.
Thanks for writing about one of my fave topics! I enjoy the thrifting focus of your blog. You offer great tips! Thank you for reading my blog so that I could find yours! P.S. That H&M dress is quite pretty and you look great! Your photography is also wonderful.
Van // The Clothes We Wear // Wearing motherhood with style.
you have such a great plan…which is so important when you thrift! i hope readers see your comment and take note. thrifting can feel overwhelming and i think that’s one major reason why people don’t do it. and thank you :)
That dress is lovely!
Well, I kind of have a limit so to speak, I tend to really only buy clothes when there are sales on.
I only recently started going to charity shops (thrift stores) (Over here in England, they don’t seem as good as the ones you get over there in the US). And also, because vintage clothing is fashionable right now, even the second hand markets have stalls that sell old vintage clothing for stupidly high prices just because it’s ‘in’.
The other day I bought 2 dresses, one at £14 & one at £10 ($23 & $16) & a pair of cute wicker pumps for £3 ($4.95), all of them were half price in the sale. I also bought a denim dress from a second hand market for just £3 ($4.95).
Some of my friends can spend so much money on clothes shopping though. I did used to hid the fact I shopped at charity shops & markets, but I took one of my friends with me last Thursday & we had so much fun together. I don’t think I quite converted him into thinking about what he spends on clothing, but there is still time yet!
ugh i totally know what you mean. i used to go to flea markets a lot here but now they’re super trendy so the prices are really jacked up. the fun of it was finding something totally weird for just a few dollars! anyway, be proud, girl :) those are super awesome finds and your friends should be jealous!
Hey, thanks for commenting on my blog! This dress looks stunning on you. You can’t pass that up! Well, I would have to. :)
haha thanks! it was definitely an exciting find
You look soooooooooo adorable in that dress!!! LOVE IT!!!!
thank you so much!
What a great dress! I think that’s a good investment. Sure you went over your normal limit but this piece seems timeless and I’m sure your cost per wear will be low.
I don’t have hard and fast rules regarding prices But I do have a number in my head before I buy something. Plus, I’m pretty frugal ;)
Exactly! I’m expecting to wear it a lot to all types of events etc. so I think it’s worth it. Haha yeah I totally understand…I almost always have a set price that I won’t go over. Love it!
first of all, i love that dress! i think it’s a great investment! i have really similar standards in my mind of what i am willing to spend when i go shopping too, although i think it’s pretty different since almost all of my clothes come from the goodwill. even there i’ve been known to pass up items that are less than $5! i’d rather find a lot of nice pieces at the goodwill for the same price as one regularly-priced item at a store in the mall.
Your phrase “i’d rather find a lot of nice pieces at the goodwill for the same price as one regularly-priced item at a store in the mall” sums it up completely! Why pay $30 for one shirt in a mall when you could get 5 shirts, a dress, and a pair of shoes for the same price and of equal quality? Thanks for your great input :)