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Made do and mend

April 2nd, 2015 at 04:25 pm

I had to toss a pair of pajama bottoms this morning. This was the pair my family called Franken-jammies because I had sewn them up so many times. (Make do and mend). The fabric just got thinner and thinner and they literally shredded.

It made me think about this movement to have fewer things... I absolutely am not into "stuff" and I don't have a ton of clothes. But the fewer items of clothing you have (like 33 things for 3 months! Eeek! http://theproject333.com/getting-started/), don't things tend to wear out more quickly?

I now have three pairs of long pajama bottoms; I put them on as soon as I come home from work (comfort!!!!). I think I may need to replace this pair.

Do any of you have a "capsule" wardrobe?

Posted in Frugal Living | 7 Comments »

7 Responses to “Made do and mend”

  1. CB in the City Says:
    April 2nd, 2015 at 05:20 pm 1427995200
    1427995200

    I have standard items in my wardrobe, but I do have quite a few pieces. I buy all my clothes at Goodwill or at garage sales, and when I find a really good price I will buy it even if I am already well-stocked in that area. 'Cause I never want to get stuck paying retail!

  2. ThriftoRama Says:
    April 2nd, 2015 at 05:22 pm 1427995371
    1427995371

    I have a tiny wardrobe. If I really like something, I buy multiples (like 3 pairs of the same jeans. Yes, I do that. I'm tall so it's hard to find the right fit). But I have tons of room in my closet, and not a lot of clothes.

  3. creditcardfree Says:
    April 2nd, 2015 at 05:46 pm 1427996776
    1427996776

    I'm slim on clothes, too. I do like ThriftoRama and buy several of the same thing, same style three colors. Don't really like shopping and dislike spending the money. Yes, I'm sure the smaller the wardrobe the quicker they wear out, but you get something 'new' when it does.

  4. ceejay74 Says:
    April 2nd, 2015 at 08:19 pm 1428005955
    1428005955

    I'm so not into buying clothes right now, so I wear things as long as I can. I'm no good with mending, so I have to nag my partner into fixing things for me if they rip. Smile
    If/when I do get into keeping a slightly newer wardrobe, I think I'm going to approach it with that "capsule" approach. There was a good (shortlived) TV show called Tim Gunn's Guide to Style that encouraged the practice, and I like the idea a lot. So someday I may start getting rid of worn-out stuff and replacing with a small number of standard items that I keep as long as they look good and replace when necessary.

  5. FrugalTexan75 Says:
    April 3rd, 2015 at 12:50 am 1428022226
    1428022226

    I'd like to do the capsule wardrobe thing ... I just have so many shirts/tops that I like. I have WAY too many clothes, even after downsizing several times.

  6. Bluebird Says:
    April 4th, 2015 at 12:48 am 1428108499
    1428108499

    Clothing is such an interesting topic to me, as are all finance related topics! I think clothing depends on a lot of factors. For many years, especially directly after having kids, I was in survival mode and barely had any work clothes, let alone anything really attractive. I was lucky I could get to work and look reasonably professional! Around this time I, and a girl I worked with, would have competitions on who could hold off buying new clothes, what a fun time! However, I think she won when she split her pants one day at work! Over the last few years, I've made the effort to buy great clothes that I love and to look my best at work and at home. It affects how I feel. I grew up very poor, so I had some issues with lack of necessities, including clothing. I also want my kids to remember me looking nice. I've also managed to find my style and have only a few places at which I shop. Clothes shopping is actually enjoyable to me now, rather than dreadful. Like CB said, I have quite a nice wardrobe with things I enjoy. And I think it was snafu who mentioned once that spending 1% of income on clothing is a good guide. I stay within that range and am also very frugal in most areas. I think clothing depends on where you are in life and what makes you happy at that time. Sorry for the long comment! Just my two cents! Smile

  7. PatientSaver Says:
    April 4th, 2015 at 01:33 pm 1428154436
    1428154436

    I don't think I could ever do this. That being said, I have always found that clothing is enormously expensive for what it is. A single pair of pants or shirt, for example, can easily be $35 to $50 or a great deal more if you have a thing about brands. If I stop to think about what added value I am getting in my life from an additional shirt or pair of pants, if I'm honest, I have to say very little. The role it fills duplicates the role already filled by dozens of other garments hanging in my closet or sitting in dresser drawers and pulled out once a week at most.

    I try to stop and analyze with each new "want" how much of my time it took to earn that money and whether what I'm getting in return for the purchase price is really worth it.

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