shopping

Rising Price Thresholds

by Sally on May 24, 2013 · 79 comments

scalloped-stripes-ponte-skirt_with text

Ages ago, I wrote about my internal price thresholds. Mostly, they apply to lunch. It still burns me that lunch at restaurants and take-out joints is so expensive. In my mind, lunch should be $5 because that’s about how much I paid when I first started paying for lunch out of my own earnings. (As you can imagine, I wasn’t dining at the fancies. What with being 13 and all.) But these internal price thresholds also apply to fashion purchases. I am still stuck on the idea that jeans should be around $40, and am perpetually surprised that they’re generally more like $70, even at the Gap. When I first started buying shoes on my own they were right around $40, too. (Though I spent my money at Payless back then, and you can still nab new kicks for that amount now at your friendly neighborhood Payless.) My shoe price thresholds rose quicker than my clothing price thresholds because I could see the direct correlation between paying more and getting better quality and construction.

Recently, I realized that most things I see and covet hover right around the $100 mark. I WAS HORRIFIED. When did “stuff” get so expensive? And what am I, made of money? How did this happen? I mean, I still thrift like a pro, nab bargains on eBay, and shop the sale racks, so I’m not saying that everything I buy is $100 or more. But many, many things are.

And, ya know, inflation happens. Lunch isn’t $5 anymore because 23 years have gone by and everything is more expensive than it used to be. Also I’m a grown-up now (or so I’m told), and my tastes have become more refined over the years.* I have a defined style and more adult tastes that weren’t present when I first began to shop for myself. So there are larger forces at work, here.

But some of it is also acceptance of what the market has deemed “normal.” Dresses? $100. Dress pants? $100. Cashmere sweaters? $100. Casual, unlined blazers? $100 or more. Many tops cost less than $100 and many shoes cruise past $100, but supposedly mid-market brands like Banana Republic, J.Crew, and Ann Taylor are consistently pricing clothing basics at fairly high price points. In a down economy. And people are somehow paying for them. So to be clear, I’m not shopping at super high-end boutiques and Net-a-Porter, friends. I’m looking at the same mall stores and ubiquitous shopping options that much of middle-class America uses to procure new duds. And I’m not ending up with fantastically high-quality purchases, either. I’m getting the same middle-of-the-road design and construction we’re all getting these days.

There are many ways to get great clothes for less. Buying used is the big one, but making your own is another fabulous option. Clothing swaps, repurposing what you already have, and clipping coupons can help you stay on budget. But there’s no denying that prices rise, and the market expects us all to keep up.

I’m curious if you’ve seen your own internal price thresholds rise over the years. Do you see your fashion-related purchases hovering around a certain price point? Do you set that point yourself, or does it rise (or fall) on its own?

*Sidenote: I remember being a kid and eating frosting out of the jar with gleeful abandon. These days I scrape off most frosting because it’s too sweet and makes my teeth ache. Literally. Frosting hurts my teeth. Is losing the taste for super-sugary foods an aging thing? Is that palette refinement? Or is it just me?

Image courtesy Anthropologie. Striped skirt? $98. Very close to $100. Paid it. (Then returned it because that skirt felt like it was made out of burlap and looked absolutely comic on me.)

**Disclosure: Actions you take from the hyperlinks within this blog post may yield commissions for alreadypretty.com. See Already Pretty’s disclosure statement for more details.

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What Closet Orphans Can Teach Us

by Sally on May 17, 2013 · 23 comments

leopardtunic_outfit with text

I got a lovely e-mail from reader Corinne, who said:

Your book also made me realize that maybe the key to clarifying and strengthening my personal style was in my “orphans.” Practically everything else I’ve read says to get rid of them because they’re outliers. However, reading your book it occurred to me that perhaps it’s the rest of the closet is what should go quietly into the background.

Which, of course, made me unspeakably happy. And made me realize that closet orphans are basically teaching moments waiting to happen. I mean, we loved them, we bought them, we longed to wear them … and yet we didn’t wear them. If we don’t examine what prompted those purchases and what prevented those wearings, are we not doomed to make those same mistakes again?

Take the leopard print tunic shown above. I LOVE leopard print, and have the mindset that anything featuring this print is automatically classic. But this tunic is made from an extremely drapey and clingy material. It has an asymmetric neckline, which is very cool but a little limiting. It has wide sleeves and a boxy shape, which means it doesn’t layer well. And when I put it on with anything besides skinny jeans I feel a little bit too much like Peg Bundy. (Who is fabulous, but not one of my personal style icons.) Thus, this tunic has been worn once in the past year. As shown above. I’m not ready to give up on it just yet because I haven’t truly tried to style it in a variety of ways, but it has taught me the following lessons:

  • All things leopard print are not created equal
  • Wide sleeves SUCK when you’re a layering fan. Which I am.
  • Detailed necklines are also very limiting in the layering department.
  • Fibers that don’t wrinkle are convenient, but some of them cling. To everything.

I can honestly say that I’ve kept these things in mind as I’ve shopped in recent months.

I understand why style experts recommend jettisoning items that haven’t been worn in ages. They’re thinking, “If you haven’t worn it in two years, you probably aren’t gonna, so donate and move on.” And that’s certainly one way to operate. Stick to what you love and stick to what you know works well for you. But if you don’t pause to examine what motivated those dud purchases and ask yourself WHY those items are going unworn, you miss the chance to learn from your errors. Additionally, some items are more challenging to style but that doesn’t make them useless. Putting in the effort to build two or three outfits around your closet orphans can open up new worlds of creative dressing.

When you purge your closet, do you stop to ponder why your closet orphans have gone unworn? Have you saved any from donation that have gone into steady rotation?

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Yes You Can (Wear That)

by Une Femme on May 15, 2013 · 16 comments

Photo by Une Femme

 How many times have you been out shopping with a friend, and watched as she picks up something lovely from the rack, looks at it longingly, sighs, then puts it back, saying “I can’t wear that; I’m too _______.” How many times have you done this yourself? How many times do we say and hear, “Well, that only would look good on a model?”

I grew up hearing the refrain, “you can’t wear that.” No horizontal stripes, nothing tucked in, no two-piece bathing suits. I learned early on that only certain body types “should” wear certain styles, that “some lucky women can wear anything and look good,*” and that the rest of us mere mortals must make do with more limitations. And I’m here to tell you, as the old song goes, ” ’tain’t necessarily so.”

We all know now that images in magazines, in ads, and often on television are digitized and manipulated to elongate, erase lumps and bumps, and “perfect” images. Nobody and nothing looks the way it does in a fashion editorial, where everything has been manipulated for artistic effect.

Clothing for online and catalog shoots is often pinned in back or otherwise adjusted beyond recognition to fit the model’s body. While we should continue to lobby retailers for models of all shapes and sizes to better represent how the clothing will look on a variety of shapes, in the meantime we must remind ourselves that often the item of clothing shown won’t look like that on us; in fact it won’t look like that on anyone because it’s far less tailored than it’s been manipulated to appear. (One personal red flag: if sweater or jacket is always shown belted though it doesn’t come with a belt, that’s a sign the fit is funky.)

Even though a celebrity may be  snapped in public wearing the same Gap jeans that you wear, chances are hers have been painstakingly altered to fit her body perfectly, and that a stylist helped pick that particular tee (hemmed perhaps just an inch or two), sweater and bag she’s wearing with them to create perfectly balanced proportions.

So we need to let go of thinking that if an article of clothing looks different on us than in the catalog or online image, or on a celebrity or model that it’s somehow wrong for us, or that our bodies are “wrong” for the style. Just as no single item of clothing looks great on every body, there is no single body type that looks great in every style.

I’ve discovered, much to my surprise and delight, that some items of clothing may actually look better on us than they do on the models in the shoots or ads. I recently tried on a jacket in a department store that fit me wonderfully and looked fabulous on. It curved where I curved, and was a perfect length. I went home to search for the same item online to see if I could find it at a discount anywhere, and couldn’t believe the images I saw were the same jacket. On the models it looked boxy and stiff, not at all how it looked on me, and I never would have given it a second look had I seen it on online or in a print ad first. (And I’ve also found that sometimes a couple of simple alterations are all that’s needed to take an item from “meh” to “wow.”)

I’m not arguing against proper fit here, or in favor of wearing something that doesn’t suit you or your style. What I’m saying is that if it fits (or can be altered to fit), if you love it, then Yes You Can Wear That even if your waist is thicker than the model’s, or your legs shorter, your shoulders broader, or your backside curvier. Clear your mind of preconceptions of how it “should” look. Try it on. You might be pleasantly surprised.

*I’ve come to believe that this is more a function of confidence and attitude than body type.

_ _ _ _ _

Already Pretty contributor Une Femme is fifty-six, married to the same wonderful monsieur since 1995, the mother of a special-needs teenager and two hooligan dogs, a full-time administrative professional, a coffee-holic, Paris-obsessed, native Californian, and a petite and curvy femme d’un certain age. She believes that personal style is an essential form of self-expression, and started her blog, Une femme d’un certain âge, in 2007 hoping to start a conversation about style for women over 50.

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When to Replace Your Clothes

by Sally on May 6, 2013 · 41 comments

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Recently, I worked with a style consult client who had a question about replacing her worn-out clothes. I don’t know about you, but I find the process of replacing beloved wardrobe items to be difficult and stressful. Once you’ve gotten used to wearing a certain item, and then absolutely worn it out, hunting down a replacement that has the same fit, quality, and characteristics can feel like a wild goose chase. It’s possible, but it’s not much fun.

So I actually talked to my client about other factors to consider, including …

Determining if an item is in need of replacement

My client showed me a pair of chinos that she’d worn almost constantly the previous summer, and asked about where to look for replacements. But the chinos were in excellent shape! I talked her out of replacing them by giving her a list of potential reasons to replace a garment:

  • Faded color, especially spotty fading which is more noticeable
  • Chronic seam problems (A single unraveling seam can be repaired easily, but if a garment is continually coming apart at the seams, that can indicate larger problems including poor construction or cheap materials.)
  • Rips, tears, or holes that cannot be easily mended
  • Stains
  • Fabric worn thin
  • Deep or noticeable scuffs or snags

This list encompasses a handful of reasons you might want to consider replacing an item, and it’s certainly up to you to make the call. But I think some of us fall into the trap of believing that pieces we wear over and over again are worn out when, in fact, we might just be tired of them! If you’re sick of a certain pair of shoes or a particular skirt, replacing it with something similar may or may not help. Examine the item to see if it’s in poor repair, and if it isn’t, think about why your instinct was to replace it.

Considering repairs

Many minor issues can be dealt with through DIY or professional repairs. For clothing, seam issues, replacement buttons and hardware, some rips and tears, and many other problems can be handled by a professional tailor or a skilled sewist. For bags and shoes, hardware, heels, zippers, and minor construction issues can often be solved by a shoe repairperson or leather specialist. If you love something but feel it might need replacing due to a flaw, consult an expert before beginning the hunt for a replacement.

Deciding if replacement is the best plan

As I mentioned above, sometimes we consider replacing items because they’ve been worn so often. That can mean they’re wardrobe staples and important to our personal styles. But it can also mean that we’re sick to death of them, and buying another similar item will be a waste of money. If you’ve worn a certain jacket a couple of times per week for months on end each summer, and this summer you feel like it needs replacing, consider if a different style or fiber might excite you more. Maybe you don’t want a close facsimile as much as you want a new, more interesting version that is equally versatile and fun to wear.

If you consider all of these influencing factors and conclude that you DO want and need to replace something, here are a few things to bear in mind:

Your search will be less frustrating if you spend time determining what you love about the item that’s being retired. Don’t just decide that you need a new pair of brown flats that are just like the old ones. Think about why you love those old ones. Is it the color? Texture? Comfort or fit? Charging yourself with finding a replacement that’s virtually identical to the item being replaced is a recipe for disaster. It will suddenly become the one item you absolutely cannot find. Anywhere.

Give yourself a long timeframe and explore as many options as possible. Again, if you decide that you must replace your pink v-neck sweater this weekend at the mall, you will find nothing but blue crew necked sweaters everywhere you turn. Look at thrift stores, online, in person, and over a relatively long period of time.

And if you find yourself becoming frustrated, ask for help. Consult with a personal shopper or sales associate at your favorite stores. Put the word out to friends over social media or e-mail. The more searchers you have on the lookout, the quicker you’ll find what you need.

That’s my take! How do you determine when it’s time to replace wardrobe items? Do you try to repair them first? Ever decide to replace something and suddenly discover it is in short supply? How do you tackle the search process?

Image courtesy Benny Lin.

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Rivet & Sway: Ritzy Knows Best

by Sally on May 3, 2013 · 3 comments

I partnered with the fabulous women who run Rivet & Sway for a glasses giveaway back in November, and they offered me a free pair for myself … but I didn’t need glasses. I just barely need them now and only for reading, but the eye doctor said I might as well take the plunge. So I buzzed creative director Britt and stylist Ritzy to see if they were still game. And they were.

Since I’ve never worn glasses in my life, the Rivet & Sway system appeals to me: Fill out a quick quiz, send in a headshot, and Ritzy recommends three frames for you to try. R&S sends the frames with blank lenses to you via FedEx, you try ‘em out for three days, and then pop them back in the mail. (USPS this time, so any post office will do.) Based on my preferences and face shape, Ritzy recommended the Ruby Red in Heartthrob, Core Strength in Confetti, and Je Ne Sais Quoi in Amber Glow. The Je Ne Sais Quoi just didn’t ring my chimes, and I was dying to try a sultry cat-eye pair called the Spitfire. I liked the Ruby Red but, having tried on a few frames on my own, knew that tortoise and brown frames blended weirdly into my bangs. So – as is suggested if you’ve got questions – I wrote to Ritzy and asked if I could try the Ruby Red in Dragon Fire instead, and what she thought of the Spitfire for me. She said to absolutely go for the Dragon Fire color as the red would look great with my skin, and to give the cat-eyes a try but bear in mind that they run quite wide.

Here’s a look at the frames I sampled:

core_strength

Core Strength in Confetti

spitfire

Spitfire in Cherry Bomb

ruby_red

Ruby Red in Dragon Fire

Although I didn’t feel that the cat-eyes were too wide for my face, the bows were too short for my noggin!

spitfire_side2

And I just didn’t feel like they worked somehow. So Ritzy was right to skip those for me! I did like the Core Strength frames, but really loved the Ruby Reds. You can’t see it in these photos but they’re a dark red with just a hint of glitter running through. Just the right mix of classy and sassy.

Rivet & Sway specializes in frames for women, and I really cannot recommend Ritzy’s services strongly enough. Especially if, like me, you are new to wearing glasses and unsure where to start in terms of frame shapes and styles. Working with her is completely free to all customers, and she does a fantastic job. If you’re reluctant, the website includes a face shape chart and you can search by frames recommended for your specific shape … but really, just work with Ritzy. She’s fab.

Now through May 12, R&S is running a SuperMom contest with prizes that include free pairs of specs and gourmet chocolates from Vosges Haut-Chocolat. Click here to check the details of the contest and nominate your SuperMom!

AND! Just for Already Pretty readers, Rivet & Sway is offering $25 off any single pair of frames now through June 30! Just use code SUPER-MOM when you check out to get the discount

*CMP.ly/2 I was not paid for this post, but I did receive a free pair of glasses after reviewing the service. All opinions are my own.

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Clothing with a Story

by Sally on May 1, 2013 · 19 comments

prairie_harnessboots

My friend Anu is a professor of apparel, merchandising, and design. In addition to studying how clothing and body image relate, she has spent much of her time and energy exploring how to make the design-sell-buy chain truly sustainable. I had coffee with her the other day and – speaking as a person whose job constantly thrusts tempting new goodies before her eyes – asked her how consumers could make themselves more mindful. So many of us, myself included, do our best to consider cost, impact, utility, and other factors when we shop, but the “shiny, pretty” factor often takes over. I was hoping she could provide another angle on shopping with care and weighing sustainability. And she could.

Anu told me about a pair of earrings she’d bought recently. They were expensive to her, more than she’d ordinarily spend on something so small. But they’d been manufactured using sustainable materials in an environmentally conscious facility, and were designed and created by a local artisan. Every time she wears them, she says, she thinks about those things. She is constantly aware of those earrings when she wears them because they have a story, they have meaning. They were purchased because they were pretty and suited her taste, but there’s so much more to them than just that. Anu suggested that serial shoppers seek out items with significance, emotional meaning, or personal stories. These purchases might not happen frequently, but when they do they’ll provoke feelings stronger and more enduring than the minute dopamine rush sparked by a late-night online Zappos buy. And that difference could influence shopping patterns and preferences over time.

I haven’t photographed my red Prairie Underground Long Cloak Hoodie for the blog in a while – as evidenced by my old haircut shown above – but it’s gotten loads of wear over the past few months. I have this garment in several colors now, but the red one was my first. I purchased it in Brooklyn while shopping with one of my dearest friends in the whole world, a woman I’ve known for 15 years. We were in a collage poetry class together, and at the end of class one day I told her I liked her writing and that I’d decided we should become friends. So we did. And despite thousands of miles between us, we’ve talked nearly every week for those 15 years and will do so until we’re both goners. Anyway, on the day of the purchase, we were rambling around Park Slope after a lovely lunch, pushing her infant son in his stroller, and bustled into a tiny boutique with low expectations. This hoodie practically leaped into my arms, and as soon as I zipped it up I knew it would be coming home with me. Despite its hefty price tag. And despite the fact that I’d blown my budget for the trip already. The woman at the cash register at the boutique - Diana Kane - told me that the garment was made by a tiny design team out in Seattle that worked with organic and sustainably farmed fibers.

I think about all of these things when I wear that red hoodie. I think about shopping with my amazing friend. Finding a garment that made me look and feel like no other garment has since. Finding out that it was costly because it had been made with care. The purchase is imbued with meaning, and wearing the garment feels meaningful. And good.

Can all clothing be clothing with a story? For some, perhaps. It’s certainly a worthy goal. But so is pausing before making a purchase to ask yourself, “What will be the story of this garment?” If there’s no story to be told, how important is the purchase?” Although the standard itself may feel impossibly high for constant use – it certainly does to me – I’m grateful to Anu for giving me another tool for thoughtful consumption.

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When to Thrift

by Sally on April 23, 2013 · 12 comments

when to thrift

Wait. Isn’t ANYTIME a good time to thrift? Well, yes, especially in this world of fast-fashion and consumer waste. But there are a few timing-related factors to consider.

Toward the beginning of the season

Even if you’re a bargain-hunter extraordinaire who waits until garments have been marked down at least three times before pouncing, consider thrifting at the beginning of the season instead of the end. Thrift store items are so much cheaper than retail, even at “full price,” and if you thrift when the season is just beginning you’ll get first pick of new offerings. Waiting for markdowns will mean better bargains, but as the season begins to peter out, so do the seasonally appropriate offerings. Get shopping while the getting’s good.

On the day the floor gets restocked

Of course, thrift stores are generally in a constant state of receiving, processing, marking, and selling donated goods. So do seasonal shifts really matter? Well, yes, because donations generally follow seasonal shifts and if you want to thrift a winter coat right now you might be out of luck. But if you’re just looking for good stuff, season be damned, shop on restock day. The most recent batch of donations will hit the sales floor, and you can cherrypick to your heart’s content.

On holidays and sale days

In Minneapolis, virtually all federal and national holidays mean 50% off at the major thrift chains. In addition, most stores will do 50% off a certain color price tag once per week. For the most bargainous of bargains, shop on holidays or sale days.

So how on earth are you supposed to know when these things take place? Why, by asking your friendly thrift store employees, of course! They want you to shop with them, so they’ll be more than happy to share seasonal, stock, and sale-related dates.

When is YOUR favorite time to thrift?

Image courtesy empracht.

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This Week I Love …

by Sally on April 18, 2013 · 18 comments

v_neck_cardigans

… v-necked cardigans.

This is a style lesson it took me ages – and many unfortunate purchases – to learn: Since I love layering and I love eye-catching necklaces, crew-necked cardigans do me no favors. Worn unbuttoned, their high flaps get all up in my collarbone area, crowding out any potential necklaces. Sometimes I tape the flaps back to make false lapels, but it’s much cleaner and simpler to just seek out v-necked styles to begin with. Scoopnecks work well with certain outfits and a few beloved crew necks have made the cut, but from here on in I’m focused on v-necked cardigans, both thrifted and new. Here are a few that are on sale now:

canvas_landsend_skinny_cardigan

Canvas Land’s End Skinny Cardigan - $29.99

I’ve got this cardi in three colors, including the rust one shown up top, and adore the slightly cropped fit that works beautifully with dresses. The name is slightly misleading, though, as this isn’t truly a skinny fit. Somewhere between fitted and boxy, in my opinion.

92103_GR7275

J.Crew Factory Summerweight Cardigan – $24.50

Aaaand this is the blue cardigan shown above. Bought months ago because I loved the color, and I somehow missed the “summerweight” detail. Not sure why J.Crew Factory was selling a summer weight sweater in the dead of winter … but it is quite lightweight and better for warmer temps.

imageService

LOFT Plaid Scribble Print Pima Cotton Cardigan – $49.99

Don’t own this exact cardigan but nabbed this very similar one with a coupon code a few weeks ago. Is $50 a bit much for a lightweight cotton cardi? I think so. But LOFT does discounts and sales every whipstitch, so keep your eyes peeled and you can get it for less. And this style is still available in a full size run in regular and petite sizes.

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Eddie Bauer Long Sleeve San Juan Cardigan – $49.95

If you prefer a longer but not-quite-boyfriend length, this heavier weight cotton cardigan is a great option. The chunky ribbed trim makes it feel slightly casual, but it should still pass muster at all but the most conservative of offices.

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Old Navy Boyfriend Cardigan – $26.94 – $25

This highly rated cotton/rayon blend boyfriend style comes in a rainbow of gorgeous and on-trend colors. (Thirteen to be exact, including mint, emerald and neon green.) And if it seems odd to purchase something so cozy as we head into summer, remember that air conditioning can make the hottest days feel wintry. Comes in regular, petite, tall, and plus sizes.

ALSO: Check your local thrift store! Cardigans are an eternal classic, and although crew necks are far more common, V’s do show up on occasion. You’re most likely to find mid-lengths since cropped and boyfriend/long lengths have been less popular over the decades. Consignment stores are worth a look, too, of course. (thethriftshopper.com can help you locate stores near you.)

Are you dedicated to v-necked cardigans, too? Or do you like to mix it up? How do you layer and add accessories when wearing high crew cardigans?

**Disclosure: Actions you take from the hyperlinks within this blog post may yield commissions for alreadypretty.com. See Already Pretty’s disclosure statement for more details.

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