The Crazy £100 Clothes Challenge

Miss-spent_2

Just been to Weight Watchers. Lost 2lb pleased thats 5lb in 4 weeks. Bought a Jacket in George yesterday. Large black grey check with pink stripe. Really nice and warm just in time for the cold snap. Cost £15 but with 10% discount only £13.50. Got a size 12 which was even better.

Lula-Hula

Hello, sorry I havent been in for ages, havent been spending on clothes & havent been losing weight either DDs have had birthdays so no point trying to diet when there's cake to be eaten .

Brilliant news on your weight loss Miss-Spent, I'm really proud of you & as I started my new healthy eating plan today I aim to be matching your loss soon

luxor4t

Lula,
I need to replace my black 'work' cardigan (the dead one is DD's cast off) & my navy 'work' trousers (current pair are lightweight linen & constantly need ironing :rolleyes:) so I'll have a look in the M&S sale.

Just thought you'd like to know that you pop into mind every time I go near a clothes rail :T

Edited to add:
- bought 2 pairs formal trousers for work @ £9 each (were £19.50 & £25)
- no suitable black cardigans but found a shocking pink one for £9, was £15 (I'll wear this a lot, honest!)
- some underwear & Cath Kidston-esque pyjamas

Now I can spend an evening shortening the trousers :rolleyes:

Lula-Hula

Happy New Clothes Luxor & it warms my heart to to have you think of me while you shop

I too am currently wearing linen trousers for work but they wont be warm enough soon.

I need to ask you guys a favour ... :

When I started this challenge it was purely for home clothes for me because I worked from home so didnt need a work clothes budget. I have every intention of succeeding in keeping within that budget however, apart from the 2 pairs of linen trousers & 1 skirt, I have nothing else suitable to wear to work. I cannot wear combats, jeans or denim minis with leggings & boots in that environment :rolleyes:. Nor can I wear strap tops, Ramones T shirts with sparkly bits on or low cut numbers that emphasis the 'assets'. I am one of only 2 females there so I need to be taken seriously.

As of next year I need to have a separate budget for work type clothes & although I dont need to wear suits or super smart stuff, it needs to be a bit more professional than what I do have.

How much should I allow for this or * gulp & hope not* should the whole lot come out of the £100 .

I have absolutely no idea what I should be spending on work clothes :o

Please help ....

lula
xx

luxor4t

Lula-Hula wrote: »

...
As of next year I need to have a separate budget for work type clothes & although I dont need to wear suits or super smart stuff, it needs to be a bit more professional than what I do have.

How much should I allow for this or * gulp & hope not* should the whole lot come out of the £100 .

I have absolutely no idea what I should be spending on work clothes :o

Please help ....

lula
xx

Just in case you didn't already know, that is a hard question

Why not get 2 complete 'work' outfits plus 3 tops as a starting place.

eg I work indoors & need to look respectable so I'd get 1 skirt, 1 pair of trousers, a jacket and a cardigan plus 5 tops.
By mixing & matching I'd have a Gok style capsule collection.
The skirt, trousers & jacket would be classic but versatile so I could wear them often but with different accessories.

Certainly not out of the £100!

fedupandskint

Hi everyone

Mum bought me a lovely per una skirt and jumper at the weekend for my birthday! £65 of free clothes for me! No need to reduce my total yet! OH gave me £50 for my brithday to spend on clothes and I am thinking very carefully about what to spend it on. I am thinking of some classic well made styles - let's see!

Lula - work wise - does £50 for the year sound ok? I search in the sales for work clothes and I desperately need a new pair or 2 of work trousers and a couple of new shirts. Bought one a few months ago for £2.50 from Sainsbugs sale which is spot on for work and comfy.

Yesterday I saw a lovely pair of trousers (£16) in there and cardi style top (£20) but not for work alas so don't feel I can justify them - might do!

museumworker

Lula-Hula wrote: »

Nor can I wear strap tops, Ramones T shirts with sparkly bits on or low cut numbers that emphasis the 'assets'.

:rotfl: That really had me chuckling!!

Congrats on new job, have been following your diary and sounds like you're getting a lot out of it. I think it is really important to look and feel the part, especially in an office environment (even though I've worked in one for years, it still feels a bit like playing at a job!)

Regarding budget, that is a tricky one. What I say next may be very controversial but I'm interested to know what other challenge-ees think... I don't really separate my 'personal' wardrobe from my work wardrobe. I have one or two tops and a pair of boyfriend jeans that I've never worn to work, but the rest of the time I just wear the same stuff at home as at work really, although maybe in a slightly different way. So I would count work clothes as part of the £100 budget :eek: although you need work clothes right now, so that doesn't really help. Maybe you could see what could be smartened up for work from your wardrobe, lay them all out and then buy something that will make it more work-ie e.g. pair of black trousers, blazer, white shirt. You might need another £30-40 to make that happen?

diva86

Hi, hope I'm not butting in but are you doing this again next year?

Not so much for me but more for my 3YO son! I need to start setting a limit on my spending but I will add myself to it too.

Would it be allowed to buy clothes and then sell them when I'm fed up with them and use the cash to purchase more? So it might acually work out free in a way!

Lula-Hula

Hello my lovelies,

hope it's as bright & sunny where you are as it is here .

thanks to luxor4t, fedupandskint & museumworker for all the work clothes advice , you are all :A

Happy New FREE Clothes :j to fedupandskint too .

As to my working wardrobe I have been giving it a lot of thought & checking out what others are wearing. It is a small business & not the sort of business where clients visit so pretty casual; all the guys were wearing jeans today, although smart ones & the bosses tend to wear them with a shirt. The only other female in the company seems to wear smart/casual so I'm going to go along with that which means I can pretty much wear trousers & respectable tops. Much as I would love to dash out & buy a whole new wardrobe I think I may well look overdressed . I've been through my wardrobe & have a couple of pairs of trousers that are fine for now & at the moment I'm only working there 2 days a week so can make do with what I have shame, was hoping for an excuse to spend

Museumworker :A, I truly admire your dedication to the challenge by using the £100 for everything ... but I'm wilfully going with luxor4t's advice of "certainly not out of the £100" :rotfl:. In the past I have had jobs where clothes are interchangeable & as I said above I am able to use some items that I already have. I think as from next year I will allocate £50 towards work clothes / shoes mainly so that I can buy some better quality stuff than the primarni tat that I'm happy to wear at home & it does help me to feel a bit more professional . Will need more cardigans :rolleyes:.

You'll be happy to hear that my gorgeous red bag that I shamefully indulged in has been to the office with me every day so far so has more than paid for itself in my opinion ... did I mention that it has name ? She's called Ruby

I can now stop browsing on the Next website & go play at making up more outfits

bye for now

Lula
xx

Lula-Hula

PS - Hello & wlecome Diva86, so wrapped in my business I completely forgot about you .

Yes, I think there are quite a few us who are going to be crazy again next year so nearer the time I'll start a new thread & you can pledge yourself there.

Enjoy the shopping while you can, for chidlren always buy next size up in the sales, I hardly got a thing for my DD this year as I bought it all last year