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With 2020 upon us, here's a fun discussion we haven't had in a while: What is your annual clothes budget— and does it vary month to month? (For example, do you periodically strive to not buy anything for one or two months of the year, or otherwise adjust your shopping habits throughout the year?) Where are you most willing to spend money on clothes — and what do you do if a good find falls outside your budget? For those of you who've been tracking this for a while, how do the past 5 years or so compare?
We've talked before about how to build an entire work wardrobe with little money, how to create a capsule wardrobe for work, as well as how much you spend on work clothes, how long you expect your clothes to last, and (for those of you trying not to spend money this month), here are my best tips on how to “shop your closet” and find new outfits (aka “playing clothes”). (Ah yes — and here are our discussions on how to stop shopping, as well as all of our discussions on budgeting.)
Some Annual Clothing Budget Questions:
What is your annual clothing budget for 2020 — and how will you keep track or enforce it? (Monthly? Yearly? YNAB? Special savings account? Other?)
What percentage of your annual clothing budget do you have allocated for work clothes?
At this point in the year, do you already know how you want to spend that budget in 2020?
Where do you spend way too much money on clothing (i.e., where are the obvious places to save money?)
For those of you who do a lot of returning, how do you keep track of your clothing budget?
For my $.02…
What is your annual clothing budget for 2020 — and how will you keep track or enforce it? (Monthly? Yearly? YNAB? Special savings account? Other?)
I actually never make an annual clothing budget, but I feel like I'm spending way too much on clothes, so I'm eager to see what everyone says!
At this point in the year, do you already know how you want to spend that budget in 2020?
I truly do not need anything else in my closet at this point — but hope springs eternal that this will be the year that I make some major strides in weight loss and well then I'll just need a whole new wardrobe, riiiight?
Where do you spend way too much money on clothing (i.e., where are the obvious places to save money?)
Online shopping is a HUGE occupational hazard for me! I've gotten into a bad habit of stalking certain websites or pieces for sales (these are my favorite online shopping apps) — then when the sale hits not only is it bad for the budget (as I inevitably hunt around to get to the minimum for free shipping, and/or find 50 new things I just have to have need), but it also sucks my time, both in terms of spending too much time ordering… and then inevitably having to try on and return as well.
Another big waste of money this year was buying clothes for my older son, who, at 8, has decided he Has Opinions on what he will and will not wear. Half of the things he said “yes” to a month ago are all now “no.” I keep telling myself that all of the clothes I can't return will go to good use for his younger brother but their proportions are pretty different, so we'll see.
For those of you who do a lot of returning, how do you keep track of your clothing budget?
This is by far my biggest problem — I return about 85% of what I buy online. So it's like I'm not buying anything, just loaning my money to stores temporarily, right? I have tried various ways to keep track of whether I'm getting my money back on returned online purchases, especially with Nordstrom — I think I noted one year that I bought myself a $500 gift card for myself to try to limit my purchases, and it turned into a pain in the butt because when I returned things the credited amount would go on a NEW card — so keeping track of all these little gift cards wasn't ideal.
I switched over all Nordstrom purchases to the Nordstrom credit card though, and it's been amazing — I made a big payment back during the Anniversary Sale but returned so much that I've had a negative amount for months now, which has been fabulous for “guilt-free shopping.” (Yes, yes, I know.) It's encouraged me to get things back in a timely manner to keep the balance from growing, also. (They just sent me a check at the end of the year to make up some of the difference in the balance, though, so I may actually owe money again soon, ha.)
Photo credit: Shutterstock / elwynn.
Just a reader
2020 will be an interesting year in regards to clothing budget. For two decades, I’ve worked in a position that required very casual clothes (jeans, skorts in summer, tennis shoes, etc) because of the kind of work I did. In the next few months, I’m heading back to a more formal office. I’ve already spent more than my usual annual clothing budget building a basic wardrobe of staples. Now I’m trying to round it out with blouses from TJ Maxx, Talbots’ sale, etc. Changing jobs is not for the faint-hearted!
Anonymous
Since hitting 45, I have gone up a half size a year, so various things will stop fitting depending on cut (shift dresses FTW) throughout each girth-gaining cycle.
It’s not all age, but I had a round of female problems that made me want to curl up and die (as I was having periods for 30+ days at a time, just feel anemic and slowly bleed out). Then that got fixed, but by going on the pill, which seems to guarantee a minimum one size gain each time I’m on it. Then Other Health Problems. Ugh. I am hoping I can stop the slide, but while I haven’t been inactive, I am battling to a draw on the size front, and that feels almost like a win.
So: I get whatever I want. Right now, being comfortably clothed isn’t something I am deferring until “later” or “when I lose the weight / inches.” I’m a sale shopper at mall stores and have enough rewards $ in the BR-Gap-ON family that I don’t feel bad about wearing something new when the old waist is straining.
Anon
My shopping budget from hereon out is: replacements only, as cheap as possible to get midrange quality. I just decluttered my whole home and made a budget with a “retire early or go part time” goal, and I’ll be darned if I ruin the progress. For me, replacements (of worn out or destroyed clothing/accessories) need to balance cost with quality, and if I can’t buy it in cash (or pay it off with cc) that same month, I won’t buy it.
For me this looks like, replacement clothes from mid tier brands on sale (department store brands, Ann Taylor, Talbots, WHBM), comfort brand durable shoes (so generally in the $150 range or less), and accessories like purses and jewelry I’ll take as gifts only (Husband and mother appreciate this limited category of gifts).
Anon
Mint says I spent $12,000 on clothing. Assuming this $12,000 is correct, this includes all clothing for family of 4 PLUS approx. $4000 of needed gifts for several family members. My husband never buys clothing, though, and I shop in batches on sale for kids, so much of this $12,000 is mine – I’d guess $6,000.
1. I don’t have a budget per se but I do try to shop my closet first, buy quality pieces when something needs replacing and shop sales/outlet department stores for basics. I also limit myself to one splurge item every 1-2 years and the splurge must have a function (e.g., last year’s splurge/replacement was a Burberry rain coat trench to replace my 20-year old Burberry rain coat trench).
2. Approximately 50% of my budget is work clothes. This is higher if you factor in items that can be used for work or non-work (e.g., above-mentioned coat, tote bag, etc). Because I don’t have a strong need for work clothes at any given moment, I try to buy nicer items on sale to phase out/replace older items so that I avoid looking dated. Although I mostly buy classic, well-made pieces, styles and shapes change over time.
3. I could probably just stop buying work clothes. I will retire within 10 years and I could arguably ride the coat tails of my prior purchases until then.
AND I definitely spend too much money on work dresses. If I happen upon a flattering work dress I usually buy it. I need to stop. I am curvy with a post-kids pooch so when I find a flattering dress that is washable (admittedly I was almost anything but suiting), I tend to buy it. I also get sucked in by bloggers with shapes like mine who post about work dresses on sale. Offhand I can think of at least 7 dresses I purchased last year – 3 work, 2 event and 2 casual. I probably own over 20 work dresses.
Another big chunk of last year’s budget was updating my workout clothes and casual clothes. The older I get the more I try to balance staying current and not looking like mutton.
Anon
I do the same thing with work dresses! I have a hard to fit body shape (small-bust, big hips), so I tend to try on/order all kinds of dresses from Ann Taylor. About 10% of the time they fit, and I feel like I need to keep it. This was great when I started working, but now I have way too many work dresses.
Anon
ha! glad i’m not alone ;0
anon
I need to get a better handle on this. It is really easy for me to let the clothing budget creep out of control without realizing it. And, I have a closet full of clothes already. I think it would help me to have a few no-buy months and focus more on buying for a season, rather than lots of one-off purchases.
Sadly, I’ve realized that I shouldn’t buy any casual clothing for a long time. It just doesn’t get worn enough. I’m in business casual or business professional clothes every day and change into the comfiest stuff I can find when I get home. And I usually end up spending half the weekend in athleisure, particularly if I have a workout planned for the afternoon.
Anon
I came to the casual clothes realization last year. It made me window shop casual clothes less and get out and do stuff more. I basically go from business casual to leggings and sweater pretty much everyday.
Anon
What worked for me is writing down every piece of clothing I buy on a list — looking back on the list and realizing what purchases I ended up loving and which ones I hated helped me more than doing no-buy months.
anon
Very smart!
JuliaBOS
I had this realization recently too. I feel so guilty about my shopping habits – (1) because it’s such a waste of my hard-earned cash, and (2) because a lot of it was purchased from fast fashion brands, and is bad for the environment. My one-off “it’s just $20!” purchases really, really added up, and most of them didn’t get worn or were basically the same thing as something else in my closet. This year my goal is to limit my clothing purchases to necessary replacements (i.e., if my one pair of black wool work pants bites the dust, that needs to be replaced) and to keep using Rent the Runway’s monthly Unlimited option if it continues to be sustainable for me. I love that – it limits me to a set expense (around $175 after tax, which admittedly is not the cheapest, but is in line with what I spend on clothes monthly anyway) and means I’m never stressing about buying a new dress for someone’s wedding/that conference/the big trial I’m second-chairing, but I still get to enjoy that new-clothes feeling. Otherwise, I’m maintaining my budget on a slightly modified and fairly detailed version of the default budget available on Apple’s Pages, and that works well for me.
MissK
I don’t have a specific clothing budget. I tend to buy 2-3 new pieces every season – having something new in my closet makes me more excited about everything else I own and gives me new ideas to combine things. I also make a 1 or 2 investment purchases every year – items which I long think about, are versatile and I will own for many years to come. I do that in light of what other big expenses I have and how I feel about my finances. I’m also trying to be better at reselling clothes I’ve retired on Poshmark.
Ellen
I don’t know my clotheing expenses, and neither does Dad, b/c I asked him. He told me I have to start watching my expenses b/c he is not going to be around forever, and I told him about my New Year Resololution to donate all clotheing that I have not worn in 6 months to NY Cares and Goodwill. He thought that was a good idea, but next time to buy more judicusly. I said I cannot pick clotheing that well w/o trying it on, and since L&T went to Weework, I can’t do that except at Bloomies, which still does NOT want me in there, and Nordstrom’s who I am establishing a new relationship with.
Anon
Depending on how postpartum shakes out, I might need/want a new suit. I’ll sale-stalk Brooks Brothers until I find something that I absolutely love, and then I will keep it for ten years.
Other than that, my only planned clothing purchases are running shorts, running sneakers, dress flats, and maybe a new wrap dress.
Never too many shoes...
Am I the only one here that never thinks about this kind of stuff? I buy what I really like when it crosses my path and otherwise do not really think about it. That said, I do not really browse unless I am looking for something specific.
Anon
Lots of people on this board are very efficiency minded and/or type A so this though process is appealing – or on an actual budget that they have to really think about and limit their spend. I too used to spend like that, but with more expenses in life, have had to consider this kind of stuff heavily.
CountC
I don’t keep track of my clothing budget either. I buy what I need and the few things that I really want but don’t need (Ottoman Tunic). The items that fall in the later category are things that I get a LOT of wear out of – e.g., I’ve had the tunic for four weeks and worn it eight times already. I also try to shop Poshmark whenever possible, so I’m rarely buying new items.
Housecounsel
Keeping track of clothing spending makes me really edgy, much like keeping track of calories and macros. I just try to be mindful.
anonymous
Many professional women do have to think about how much money they spend and cannot simply buy whatever they like without thinking, yes.
Anon
I find that by having an explicit budget, it’s easier to feel like I have “permission” to buy something more expensive. I tend to worry about spending $200 on a dress, but if I know it fits into my budget, I’m more likely to go for it. Since adopting an explicit annual budget, I’ve started buying fewer, more expensive things, thinking about them more before purchase, and have overall been happier with the results.
Anon
Yes– I “plan” to buy certain items that are in my allotted budget each month because it’s in the budget even if I don’t need it. I’m not sure what the solution is but the explicit budget is not an answer for me.
Anon
I don’t have a clothing budget and it’s not because I’m super wealthy and don’t care if I spend thousands on it. I just don’t feel much pull to spend money on clothes, so if I’m clothes shopping it’s to fill a need or to replacement something that’s lost or been worn out.
The original Scarlett
Nope, right there with you
Anonymous
I don’t keep track. I don’t have time to shop IRL, and only have time to shop online every couple of weeks. I start with necessities like food and toiletries and if I get to clothes, it’s a targeted look for something I really need to fill a gap or always need in rotation. The rest of the time I just keep lists of what I am missing.
Lyssa
I generally budget about $300 per month for “clothing and household” (that’s the whole family (husband and 2 kids), plus anything we might buy for around the house). But the spending ebbs and flows.
I do desperately need some new work clothes. I just thought back to my suits and realized that my newest and best one I wore to an interview . . . in 2013! It’s not that I’ve been deliberately not buying, I just find that I haven’t liked most fashions of the past few years and I HATE online shopping (but most of my go-to brick and mortar stores have shut down, so I’m really going to have to figure it out). Ugh.
anon
Can anyone comment on the Infinite Style subscriptions by Loft and/or Ann Taylor? I’m thinking of using those this year.
BeenThatGuy
I used the service from Loft for a few months. I felt that the quality of the clothing did not hold up for this type of service. The constant washing of these fabrics don’t stand the test of time. I went back to RTR Unlimited.
Kate
I’m currently using Ann Taylor Infinite. I had worked for 5 years in the non profit world. I got a new job in private practice and felt like I needed to upgrade my wardrobe. It’s been good to get a variety of pieces to supplement the staples I bought. One issue I have is that there are many pieces I’ve put on hold, even on priority, but they don’t get shipped. It’s been a good way to build back my wardrobe but I’ll probably stop it in a few months.
JuliaBOS
I can’t speak to Infinite Style, but like BeenThatGuy, I was doing RTR Unlimited for most of 2019 and I have to admit that I really LOVE it. $175 after tax feels a little steep, but I found myself spending that much on new clothes I barely wore anyway, and then had to find room for in my closet (and battle the related existential guilt). RTR lets me experiment with new styles, and it also means I can wear really nice pieces for pretty much any occasion (this week, it’s a unique top for work, a jumpsuit that can take me from the office to date night, a dress for a Friday conference I found out about today, and a casual dress for a housewarming this weekend). I’ve found it to be extremely convenient (the return process could not be easier, I don’t have to deal with dry cleaning, etc.), and since clothing and personal style is something I get a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment from, it feels worth it to me. At least for RTR, it’s pretty straightforward to pause/cancel, so you could try it for a month or two to see if it works for you (hopefully that is also true of Infinite Style). There are always promos, but if you need a code, this one is for $100 off: https://rtr.app.link/e/laBNW9Z532
JuliaBOS
I replied to this already but included a link to an RTR discount (it’s for $100 off, which is pretty good, so if you’re interested I’d be happy to find another way to provide it), so I think it wasn’t published – in any case, sorry if this is a duplicate.
I can’t speak to Infinite, but I really love Rent the Runway’s Unlimited service. I find it incredibly easy to use and very straightforward, and it’s easy to pause or cancel (so you can try it for a couple of months and see how you like it). It’s a great supplement to my wardrobe, which I’ve been able to fill with quality basics because I know I can easily rent ‘event’ pieces – whether that’s a blazer for a conference, a dress for a wedding, or a fun pair of pants for a holiday party. I can even rent clothes for skiing! It makes me feel like I actually have a wardrobe full of possibilities, for about the same as I was spending on clothes every month already (a little under $170 after tax). It scratches that shopping/new-clothes itch for me, but it feels a lot more sustainable. In May, I thought I would just give it a try after a friend recommended it and I’d just “had to” buy two new dresses for two weddings (and I had an $80-off discount code – why not!), but I loved it so much that I’m still doing it.
Anon
$2k a year. I aim for $500 for each quarter so I don’t run out too early. This has been my budged for the last two years and it works well for me. More than half is work clothes.
This year, I know I need to replace my everyday work shoes and get new summer sandals and possibly some sneakers. I also probably will want some new Ts and casual shirts for summer. Otherwise? My wardrobe feels pretty complete right now, especially the expensive pieces — coats, boots, denim, sweaters, work dresses and suits. Hopefully that means I’ll spend less than my budget!
Anonymous
I am coming off several years where I spent upward of $6000 on clothes each year (up to maybe $9-10k), in large part because I was gaining weight and also because I was unhappy and shopping to medicate and also disorganized about making returns. This year would be much, much lower ($2000 maybe?), and involved some higher end pieces and shoes that are all in good shape and wearable in coming years, but I didn’t track it well. I am currently losing weight and hoping that I can backtrack through unworn clothes of the past and avoid buying much at all this year other than some fun, casual pieces and jeans. I am also looking forward to doing a true purge of my closet, which is easier when I can say “this fits, but it doesn’t flatter” as opposed to “this might be great if it fit.” That reminds me, I need to look into Poshmark as a way to distribute those items …
Heidi
Just want to highlight this angle of online shopping and its challenges – most of what we return goes not to a stockroom or store floor but to landfills. This has encouraged me to even further curtail online buying.
https://www.npr.org/2019/12/29/792146756/report-many-returned-products-thrown-out-instead-of-resold
https://money.cnn.com/2017/12/26/news/retail-returns-landfill/index.html
Senior Attorney
OMG this is horrible. I had no idea.
JuliaBOS
Thank you for sharing this, Heidi! Seriously, the environmental impact of online shopping/fast fashion has played a big role in the way I’ve altered my shopping habits in the last 5 or 6 months.
Mellifluy
Your comment about returning got me thinking. I would really advise limiting the number of returns you do for the sake of environmental waste. That is so much wasted packaging and other related waste caused by purchasing something you don’t want or need. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t return something you dislike, but I only buy things I know will most likely be a good fit instead of buying 5 different sizes/styles just so I can use my home as a fitting room.
anon
I agree with you in theory, but in my small city, almost every B&M store that I used to rely on for work clothing has closed, forcing me to order stuff online. BR, Loft, AT — it’s all gone. If it’s a style I’ve tried before, then no problem. I can be very efficient in my online ordering. But for anything I haven’t tried before and given how much fit can vary even within the same brand? Well, I have to order a lot more than I’d like. I don’t like it, but I’m not sure what the alternative is. Driving 60 miles to the nearest store, I guess.
Anon
I’m single, no kids, and I budget $100 each month for clothing. I went over budget 7 out of 12 months in 2019 so don’t give me any budget awards. I wound up spending $1,840 total for the year. I felt like this was still a pretty reasonable spend given my income and other savings rate. I work in a casual environment, so literally anything I buy could be considered work clothing.
A Ruthless Economist
I spend around $2,000 per year on clothing, but when I just looked at that number, I didn’t feel good about it. I bet I could cut that in half and feel so much better buying a thousands’ worth of fitness classes, good meals, and experiences – or even just saving it! Additionally, most of the guys in my life (partner included) spend $600 or less annually on clothes. Why do women spend so much? I am admittedly frugal and by no means mean to come across as judgmental, but this whole thread got me thinking about whether or not we all really value our clothing, in dollar terms, equal to what we spend on it. To some extent, it feels like I spend as much as I do partly because “I’m expected to” or something, like I need to show up in a new dress every once in awhile, and couldn’t possibly wear the same dress to both weddings I have to go to this year (even though they’re completely separate groups of people and I don’t even think my partner would notice). Do you think there’s any way to change this culture or expectation? Or do other people feel better about buying clothes than I do?
CPA Lady
I spent about $2,400 in 2019, mostly due to a fairly significant weight loss situation where I had to get a bunch of new work clothes and new bras since my old ones got sloppy big.
I’m hoping to keep it to around $1,000-$1,500 in 2020. We’ll see how it goes.
Legally Brunette
I meticulously track all of my clothing expenditures on a spreadsheet and have done so for the last 8 years. In past years, when I worked in an office, I would spend anywhere from $2 – 4k on clothes/shoes. In 2019, now that I work from home, I spent $525.
Annie Q
I buy too much and don’t wear the things I have. So I bought several packages of ponytail loops and every time I wear something, I put a loop on the hanger. I’m trying to wear everything once before I repeat (except for basics like black pants). If I find something I haven’t worn that I don’t want to wear, out it goes. This has definitely made me find new outfits in my closet which has been more fun than buying yet another thing I may forget I even have.
Anna Wagner
I budget $300/mo for “personal,” most of which tends to be clothing. I track all purchases in a spreadsheet monthly, adding things like eBates cash bank and Poshmark sales and carrying over if I went under budget one month. I try to mark my returns in the spreadsheet as it helps me track “actual” spend, but for things like the Nsale where I end up having to return a lot I sometimes just track the pieces I keep. Now that I’m back to business casual after years of a casual office, much more of my budget is work clothes than it used to be but still probably half at most. I’ve also created Pinterest boards where I put each clothing purchase for each year and then at the end of the year go through and create sections within the board for “best purchases,” “worst purchases,” and “no longer own.” It’s helped refine my purchases going forward. I’d love to curb my online purchases, but being 5’3″ petite sizes are often the best fit and most stores don’t have much, if at all, of a petite selection in store. Hoping to just buy less this year.
Anonymous Economist
I spend about $2,000 per year on clothing – which judging from comments is close to average – but am I alone in feeling like this is not money well spent? Do I really value every years’ worth of new clothing at $2,000? I feel like I often buy new outfits because I feel that I’m expected to – I get self-conscious about wearing the same work dress twice in a month and god-forbid I wear the same dress to both weddings this year (even though my partner will be the only person who sees me at both and he absolutely will not notice). Would I be happier just being more confident, caring less what other people think (if they even notice, which they won’t), and spending an extra $1,000 on a fitness class or a few nice meals or – saving it!? It seems like women spend a lot relative to men (most of the guys I have polled spend under $800 per year) and I really find myself struggling with why is the case. I don’t mean to come across as judgmental, but I just wonder if there’s anyone else out there who feels like maybe culturally as women we need to take a hard look at if we should really be spending as much as we do? Seems like this question has a few implications from a number of standpoints, including budgetary and environmental.
Alice
What is your annual clothing budget for 2020 — and how will you keep track or enforce it?
– 1200$
– Enforced using YNAB
– Allow for 100$ per month, more or less
At this point in the year, do you already know how you want to spend that budget in 2020?
– Midi dresses for work
– matching blazers for the dresses
– Replace gym sweatpants/leggings
– May need a new winter coat/puffer by December 2020
Where do you spend way too much money on clothing?
– Online shopping from American stores (live in Canada).
– Shipping, handling, and converting USD is a huge waste from my budget, and could yield obvious savings.
– I need to stop shopping online so much, and go to local stores instead. This year, I plan to try clothing in stores at the beginning of the season, and to buy it online if/when it goes on sale (if it isn’t still available locally).
For those of you who do a lot of returning, how do you keep track of your clothing budget?
– I’ve never returned any clothes purchased online. Usually buy as little as possible online, once I am 100% decided. If it doesn’t fit (which seldom happens), I give the item to my skinny sisters, or donate.
Good exercise, thank you Kat!