The case for expensive clothes

[Fuuma]

If you’ve ever found yourself buying clothes just because they’re cheap, or if shopping itself has become a form of entertainment for you, I’ve got a proposal: The next time you buy something, spend a whole lot on it. Enough that it makes you sweat a little.

The point is to make you pause and ask yourself, “How much do I really want this?”

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/10/the-case-for-expensive-clothes/408652/#disqus_thread

[Arkady]

Co-signed 100% and I'm broke as shit.

[gregor]

Co-signed 100% and I'm broke as shit.

i agree with the article as well, but I'm broke because of my agreement.

[NOHSAD]

Echoing everyone else on agreeing with the article. While I don't have a floor limit on price, I treat the concept of buying clothing as an investment. While i don't buy clothing as much, the ones I do purchase are fucking worth it!

[ADreamofBlue]

Yeah, this is pretty much how I've approached clothing ever since I started caring about fashion. I've tried to explain to people that they can save up and just buy less, but they don't listen usually.

[gregor]

adreamofblue i wonder if they'd react differently if they totalled up what they spend on buying new, cheaper shit every other day or something really nice on occasion.

[Arkady]

^ I did exactly this at one point and it quickly became apparent it'd be worth it.

I do also make a point of only buying pieces I don't anticipate reselling, in fact it's extremely rare that I'll resell anything. If a piece doesn't work I will generally gift it to a friend who doesn't have as much opportunity to grab nice things, and if it's on the lower end of the spectrum and doesn't fit anyone I'll donate it.

Armor's meant to be worn down.

[ADreamofBlue]

gregor - I have thought about doing that more. In conversation, I have brought up the fact that, over a lifetime, whoever I'm talking to who buys cheap clothing often, in comparison to me, will spend significantly more money than I ever will. I think above all else, people just lack patience.

[gregor]

adreamofblue i think there's a bit of that, and mixed in with ignorance, that creates indolence, which is dangerous.

i know a lot of people who have seen something as harrowing as a movie like true cost, or have, in any respect, seen what truly goes into fast fashion and cheap clothing have been changed by it. it seems like something people would rather ignore, but are all aware of, as they are affected by it on some level.

maybe being a nudist is just the way to forgo any problems

[ADreamofBlue]

gregor - Even with doing things, like showing them documentaries like True Cost, I feel like the initial dogma would wear off eventually and they'd slump back in to their old ways if no one's holding them accountable. I'm not saying everyone's like that, but the average person just doesn't care about where their clothing comes from as long as it's cheap. To be anecdotal, the majority of people I know want to dedicate as little time as possible to acquiring new pieces. I often find myself deliberating on something for at least a week before I buy it (twice or triple that if I can afford the time), if that time's allotted to me, and that's not even counting all the research I do for my options.

[Arkady]

To be fair it's only one purchase type of many that's underwritten in blood, people generally think of food and energy as the first things they consume "ethically."

[Fuuma]

The article brings up some interesting, although already known, points. On the other hand it is important to understand the limitations of such an approach: it is aimed at a small subset of people and thus not a solution to wider clothing consumption problems. Young, web-savvy urban-dwellers with a prior knowledge of fashion, an interesting in taking the time to hunt down pieces, a capacity to shop online and deal with the consequences of web-sizing and maybe access a few sample sales invites a year are not the average.

Of course the article also functions are the portrait of a significant portion of fashion forum and instagram fashion fans, and this might be why it is of interest.

[LOVE]

i've been trying to do this with everything i buy lately. always more expensive, frequently infuriating to find things that are made well, humanely, and that will last. the cheap, disposable, thoughtless-on-the-consumer-end nature of the market quickly becomes apparent.

[Faust]

The article brings up some interesting, although already known, points. On the other hand it is important to understand the limitations of such an approach: it is aimed at a small subset of people and thus not a solution to wider clothing consumption problems. Young, web-savvy urban-dwellers with a prior knowledge of fashion, an interesting in taking the time to hunt down pieces, a capacity to shop online and deal with the consequences of web-sizing and maybe access a few sample sales invites a year are not the average.

Of course the article also functions are the portrait of a significant portion of fashion forum and instagram fashion fans, and this might be why it is of interest.

Yes, it's something I've been harping on for years and I'm glad this article has been written.

What you say it's true, but unfortunately most people just don't give a fuck about anything except themselves. Cheap clothes? Fuck, yeah! It's the same for everything else - energy consumption, overeating, etc. I mean, how many "regular" people are going to read the fucking Atlantic?

The really pernicious problem is that fast fashion is conditioning people to a rock-bottom price level, where yesterday's normal is today's expensive. It's very easy to get used to whatever level benefits you and "trade down" (though here you are trading up) from there.

[timm3h]

Limiting oneself to expensive purchases honestly strikes me as a stopgap solution for poor self-control rather than a true fix. Instead of only buying expensive things that would dent your wallet and force you think carefully consider your purchase, why not just... carefully consider all purchases? Is financial responsibility not a thing any more?

Next time you're at a party, reach for the tequila instead of the beer, it'll force you to carefully consider if your body can really take another drink.

Or next time you go to grab a soda, go for a milkshake instead. It's got ten times the calories, so it'll really make you think about indulging your sweet tooth?