As the subject says, I’ve long been a fan of the sale rack, and grew up shopping at Forever 21, TJ Maxx, etc. I have never bought anything full price and still wince at spending so much money on clothing. I’m not cheap, it’s not about that – it’s more that I find a sale thrilling and enjoy having new pieces to wear, I.e finding something for like $24 and who cares if I only wear it once?
But! I want to change this mindset!
I want long lasting, good quality clothing!
I want to invest in great pieces!
I am ready!
But where do I begin?
What are some stores or brands to consider shopping from? How can I tell if something is great quality vs. an overpriced designer?
Women who have it all together, and always look polished, what’s your secret?
Comments
Honestly, I’d say buy used if you want better quality. Things just aren’t made how they used to be, even some of the nicer brands.
I buy 90% of my clothes in one store (g-star). It’s one cohesive style, so everything goes with everything and I don’t have to think about it twice. I bought my first pair of jeans there back in 2017, been shopping there since and since then I think I threw away just 2 t-shirts that were too worn out, everything else still looks great. Back when I was shopping cheap, a pair of “jeans” lasted me about a year. I also usually buy on sale, it’s still quite pricey but worth the investment.
I’ve started to do a one in-one out and purchasing high quality, sometimes luxury (if the quality lives up to the price), but slowly replacing my wardrobe. For example I had a flowery dress I bought from Amazon for spring outdoor events, replaced it recently with a tea-length orange dress from Sandro. Last year I replaced my express LBD with a really nice caped dress from Ralph Lauren. Neither is visibly from those brands but the fabric quality is excellent and the styles are classic with a little touch of sophistication (gold buttons for the spring dress, a cape for the black dress). Unfortunately I did pay full price- but hopefully I will never buy an LBD again and now have a staple in my wardrobe.
Honestly I thrift everything. It’s the most sustainable and usually the most affordable option. And if you never wear it, you didn’t contribute to any waste and you’re probably only out $5-$10.
There are sooooooo many clothing items already on earth. Thredup, Poshmark, Depop all have a million choices and you can likely find absolutely everything you need on those sites plus your local thrift shops.
So I still buy my clothes from places that aren’t great. Eddie Bauer, and Duluth mainly. But I will buy things from Abercrombie, old navy, etc.
My thing is that my “style” is simple. It’s dress pants and plain tees for work, leggings/shorts and tops at home. I wear my clothes until they absolutely can’t be worn any longer. Like with my work tees…I haven’t bought any in like 5 years, and am just now getting to the point where I need to replace some.
I think that’s more the key for people who are used to fast fashion, get away from trendy and go for more classic. The cheaper brands can have things that will last a good while.
I’ve been buying solely thrift and local designer for about 8 years now. The local designer pieces can be pricey but it’s just a few really nice items – the rest of my wardrobe is thrifted, and some of it was even free (clothes swaps). For me the change was more about sustainability than style but I’ve become heaps more stylish as a result.
I buy a lot of secondhand items, though you can find new with tag clothing on poshmark as well. When buying new, I will look on a brand’s website to see what they share about their manufacturing/sourcing.
Thrift store!
Bernadette Banner recently posted a couple of YouTube videos about identifying quality in thrifted clothes and also what is worth buying and tailoring or not.
How to identify quality in clothing (a rant)
A tailor’s guide to thrifting the perfect fit
Buy used. I thrift because I can afford nicer clothes that way.
How much you pay for something (full price vs “sale rack”) is not an indication of sustainability or even quality.
There are plenty of “high end” labels that still use shit fabric…. they just charge you more for it because of the name on the label.
You can also find high quality natural fibers on sale at TJ Maxx “on sale”.
In retail, costing more doesn’t equal better quality. Focus on what you’re wanting. Continue to use tmaxx, Nordstrom rack etc. Go to thrift stores, start a clothing swap with people in your area? You definitely don’t have to increase spending to ensure you have long lasting items and if you get them resale, it’s not as big of a deal if they don’t last decades
Most of my higher quality stuff still comes from the sale rack, you just have to be patient and know how to identify good brands (and the good versions of those brands, not made just for outlets). Look for quality fabrics, crisp prints, and well done stitching.
I scour the “just dropped overnight” section on TJ Maxx’s website (just scored 2 Diane von Furstenberg dresses that way), and same on Nordstrom Rack. Buy things off-season, like my latest purchase was a leather jacket from the regular Nordstrom site reg $400 down to $250 (still an investment) and I can already tell I’ll have it for a long time.
Half my clothes are thrifted. Go to the rich part of town. If a piece you thrift doesn’t work out, just donate it back.
When I used to buy fast fashion it was usually because I got bored quickly. So stick to classic pieces and avoid trends that you’ll want to replace quickly.
Questions to ask yourself – would you buy it if not on sale or cheap, do you actually love it, does it fit you well, will you actually wear it and how often, does it go with other things you already own, is it trendy or more timeless, etc. As for quality, I look at the stitching and seams, fiber content, thickness of material, and how it feels.
YMMV but I’ve mostly stopped shopping at TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, etc. Quality of clothes overall is terrible, and it seems to mostly be factory seconds or cheaper poorer quality stuff produced for outlets.
Unless you’re buying second hand, good quality and sustainable clothes are expensive. Consignment and vintage shops tend to have much higher quality and better curated stuff than thrift stores.
Here are brands I like and think are overall good quality:
Sezane, Everlane, Reiss, Roujie, Sandro, Farm Rio, Reformation (hit or miss), COS, J Crew, Gaala, Kotn, Rag and Bone, Theory, Balzac, Ted Baker, Eileen Fisher, MM Lafleur, Hugo Boss, Veronica Beard, Maje, Zadig & Voltaire, Doen, and Boden. For jeans, I like Mother, Madewell, J Crew, Paige, Lucky, and 7FMK.
I still absolutely shop sales just at better quality stores. I try to focus on timeless pieces and I go through my cart before I purchase and I have to be honest with myself A. Am I buying this only because of the great price? B. If this item sold out and I couldn’t buy it would I be upset? C. If it is a top or pants how many items do I already have that I can wear with it? (I don’t want something that just sits in my closet never to be worn)
I shop a lot at J. Crew and J. Crew Factory, or Ann Taylor and Loft and Factory. Gap and Gap Factory. I always try to be on the lookout for sales…I want to look great but I don’t have to do it at full price.
I do also love Calvin Klein dresses for my job I can find great sales at department stores usually at the end of a season.
I do also thrift from ThredUp (I also send stuff to them too) someone I work with also swears by eBay.
I do spend extra on my shoes…I have to dress professionally for work so I need classy shoes. But they have last me a long time.
I love my Rothy’s I have had great luck in their sale section but there are also some I have just had to buy at full price. Bonus you can wash them!!
Tom’s also has some great shoes too…I bought a pair of loafers this year that I get compliments on all the time.
Years ago I bought a brand new pair of Kate spade heels new in box from Poshmark I love them. (Last I checked Poshmark’s fees have gotten a little crazy so be mindful of that)
Also when I am going into work I usually don’t wear my nice shoes I will carry them in and change in the building so they stay nicer longer