Help me drop my MSE default mode

Grumpy_chap

One tool you could try to get the "value" of clothes is to register with a website such as Thread.  As part of the registration process, they ask you to input your budget range for a variety of clothing items.  You may think that is not very helpful, but it has the following guide:

£ = £10 - £15 t-shirts, £30 - £50 shoes, £15 - £30 jeans
££ = £20 - £30 t-shirts, £40 - £80 shoes, £40 - £80 jeans
£££ = £30 - £60 t-shirts, £80 - £150 shoes, £80 - £150 jeans
££££ = £100 - £200 t-shirts, £200 - £500 shoes, £150 - £300 jeans

The initial choice of items may be different for ladies.  
If you actually register, it gives you more choices / guides for more range of products.

Floss

Contessa said:

I've looked online at those, except TKMaxx, and in store at M&S.

No retail outlet anwhere near me. I used to shop and buy in store at JL years ago. Two years ago I went into one when staying with friends. The prices of clothes shocked me then.

Thanks for your suggestions.

I think that if you were shocked by prices two years ago, you won't be pleasantly surprised now.

May I ask why you won't consider charity shops? You mentioned your age...I am 57 and 75% of my wardrobe is preloved, and my 32 yo daughter-in-law has a similar ratio. Whilst as a result to relocation, divorce bills & setting up home alone I don't have a great deal of disposable income,  my son & DiL have much more than me along with a stronger social conscience and happily buy secondhand to take advantage of the savings. In fact both wedding dresses (long covered for church, ballerina length for dancing) were preloved and cost a fraction of the price of one when new.

maman

I think there is a developing trend to buy second hand for both mse and environmental reasons.

I buy lots of my clothes from charity shops and others I've had for years and still wear with a new twist.

I do buy new clothes occasionally although as we've not been anywhere much for the past 18 months I haven't needed to.

As a guide to price : I like Zara and would pay about £50 or so for a dress just before the first lockdown . I also like the website Nobody's Child which is a bit cheaper. I'd happily pay £200 for a good winter coat but am still wearing my old ones as I can't find anything I like. 

Pollycat

Like Floss, I'm also interested why the OP says this:

Contessa said:

At my age I don't want to wear charity shop clothes.

I've been shopping in charity shops for more years than I can remember.

I'm older than Floss - almost 68 - and I'd say the percentage of pre-loved clothes in my wardrobe is even higher than 75%.

You can often get one-off items that you'd never see in your local shops.

And it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling when I wear a dress from Monsoon and my friend wears one in a similar style and I know she's paid around £75.00 and mine came from a charity shop and cost me about a fiver.

I subscribe to a long-running charity shop bargains thread on here (as I know Floss does too) and it's astonishing to read about the bargains people get.

I have bought from eBay but I do like to be sure of the fit before I buy.

littlegreenparrot

Contessa said:

littlegreenparrot said:

Have you tried any of the online second hand buying options?

It can be worthwhile, especially if there are particular brands you like. Ebay, vinted, facebook marketplace. 
Of course there is not the option to try on, but you can always sell on again if it doesn't suit. 

Thanks. Hadn't heard of Vinted before.

I want to buy new clothes. It's not that I can't afford them just that I'm behind the times with the cost of new clothing nowadays.

I understood that you could afford them, you just didn't want to. 
There are sometimes things that come up that are brand new with tags. 

You asked in your original post about what people considered reasonable prices. 
In my head I expect to spend £15 - £25 on t-shirts/ tops, a nice shirt around the £30 - £40 mark. 
Trousers probably £35  - £50. For not particularly special clothes I would wear to work. 

This would be from what I would consider to be mid - range shops - Fatface, M & S. Oasis and Warehouse are not what they were. 
I know I could get these things more cheaply if I wanted to, but am fortunate these days to not have to. Although old habits die hard and I will always try and get what I need in a sale. 

Contessa

littlegreenparrot said:

Contessa said:

littlegreenparrot said:

Have you tried any of the online second hand buying options?

It can be worthwhile, especially if there are particular brands you like. Ebay, vinted, facebook marketplace. 
Of course there is not the option to try on, but you can always sell on again if it doesn't suit. 

Thanks. Hadn't heard of Vinted before.

I want to buy new clothes. It's not that I can't afford them just that I'm behind the times with the cost of new clothing nowadays.

I understood that you could afford them, you just didn't want to. 
There are sometimes things that come up that are brand new with tags. 

You asked in your original post about what people considered reasonable prices. 
In my head I expect to spend £15 - £25 on t-shirts/ tops, a nice shirt around the £30 - £40 mark. 
Trousers probably £35  - £50. For not particularly special clothes I would wear to work. 

This would be from what I would consider to be mid - range shops - Fatface, M & S. Oasis and Warehouse are not what they were. 
I know I could get these things more cheaply if I wanted to, but am fortunate these days to not have to. Although old habits die hard and I will always try and get what I need in a sale. 

Thank you. You seem to understand where I'm coming from. Old habits refuse to die ( especially "Keeping it for best" )!

Your examples were really helpful for me to update my in my head expectation of how much to spend.

littlegreenparrot

Contessa said:

littlegreenparrot said:

Contessa said:

littlegreenparrot said:

Have you tried any of the online second hand buying options?

It can be worthwhile, especially if there are particular brands you like. Ebay, vinted, facebook marketplace. 
Of course there is not the option to try on, but you can always sell on again if it doesn't suit. 

Thanks. Hadn't heard of Vinted before.

I want to buy new clothes. It's not that I can't afford them just that I'm behind the times with the cost of new clothing nowadays.

I understood that you could afford them, you just didn't want to. 
There are sometimes things that come up that are brand new with tags. 

You asked in your original post about what people considered reasonable prices. 
In my head I expect to spend £15 - £25 on t-shirts/ tops, a nice shirt around the £30 - £40 mark. 
Trousers probably £35  - £50. For not particularly special clothes I would wear to work. 

This would be from what I would consider to be mid - range shops - Fatface, M & S. Oasis and Warehouse are not what they were. 
I know I could get these things more cheaply if I wanted to, but am fortunate these days to not have to. Although old habits die hard and I will always try and get what I need in a sale. 

Thank you. You seem to understand where I'm coming from. Old habits refuse to die ( especially "Keeping it for best" )!

Your examples were really helpful for me to update my in my head expectation of how much to spend.

I'm glad it helped. 

To the bolded, this I feel strongly about. Don't keep for best. Burn the fancy candle, use the nice bubble bath, wear the good jewellery and the nice clothes. 

Best is now, or else never. You deserve it, and actually this is what I thought off when I first read your post. Why will you spend money on others but not yourself? Worth thinking about. 

I went through this with my mum. I once bought her a massive bright pink handbag that she had admired and absolutely insisted that she use it as a swimming bag. I knew she would use it every day or two and it would bring her joy every single time. I would far rather it got used 4 times a week for years until it finally split, than sat unused in a cupboard whilst she used an old carrier bag instead. 

Contessa

littlegreenparrot said:

Contessa said:

littlegreenparrot said:

Contessa said:

littlegreenparrot said:

Have you tried any of the online second hand buying options?

It can be worthwhile, especially if there are particular brands you like. Ebay, vinted, facebook marketplace. 
Of course there is not the option to try on, but you can always sell on again if it doesn't suit. 

Thanks. Hadn't heard of Vinted before.

I want to buy new clothes. It's not that I can't afford them just that I'm behind the times with the cost of new clothing nowadays.

I understood that you could afford them, you just didn't want to. 
There are sometimes things that come up that are brand new with tags. 

You asked in your original post about what people considered reasonable prices. 
In my head I expect to spend £15 - £25 on t-shirts/ tops, a nice shirt around the £30 - £40 mark. 
Trousers probably £35  - £50. For not particularly special clothes I would wear to work. 

This would be from what I would consider to be mid - range shops - Fatface, M & S. Oasis and Warehouse are not what they were. 
I know I could get these things more cheaply if I wanted to, but am fortunate these days to not have to. Although old habits die hard and I will always try and get what I need in a sale. 

Thank you. You seem to understand where I'm coming from. Old habits refuse to die ( especially "Keeping it for best" )!

Your examples were really helpful for me to update my in my head expectation of how much to spend.

I'm glad it helped. 

To the bolded, this I feel strongly about. Don't keep for best. Burn the fancy candle, use the nice bubble bath, wear the good jewellery and the nice clothes. 

Best is now, or else never. You deserve it, and actually this is what I thought off when I first read your post. Why will you spend money on others but not yourself? Worth thinking about. 

I went through this with my mum. I once bought her a massive bright pink handbag that she had admired and absolutely insisted that she use it as a swimming bag. I knew she would use it every day or two and it would bring her joy every single time. I would far rather it got used 4 times a week for years until it finally split, than sat unused in a cupboard whilst she used an old carrier bag instead. 

Thank you.

This is so me!!

Correction-the old me. The new me will value me and wear and use nice things. Just to celebrate being alive!

pollypenny

Good old Marks for t-shirts, usually about £8.  I discovered Peacocks last year and was amazed that their basic t-shirts are both cheap and stylish. I have a couple of three quarter sleeved ones. 

We also have a fabulous market here and there are stalls with seconds from JL, Marks, White Stuff and others. 

Contessa

Sounds  a really good place to shop.