Tales from the Wallet: Splurge Purchases on Basic Items
Pictured at top: t-shirt / lotion / sneaker / dress / jeans / purple shampoo
Sometimes I sit down to write a story (say, a roundup of weekend jersey dresses), and I bump up against preconceived notions in my head of how much things should cost. For example, weekend jersey dresses — particularly if they just look like a loose t-shirt, but longer — should not, in my opinion, cost more than $100. But maybe they're fantastically thick, and will last you for years and years! Maybe they are ecofriendly and awesome in ways that the online description just . . . uh . . . doesn't state!
So instead of rounding up weekend jersey dresses, let's discuss what inspires you to make splurge purchases on basic items. As far as basics like t-shirts, underwear, sneakers, and lotions go — what has inspired your splurge purchases, and was it worth it?
What's the most you've ever paid for a “basic” clothing item — and how did that work out for you? Are you still wearing it years later? Are you a convert to fancy t-shirt dresses now? Some general categories to discuss:
Casual weekend dresses:
T-shirts:
Denim:
Underwear:
Sneakers:
Lipstick:
Shampoo:
Lotion (hand, face, or body):
I'm sure you can think of other basic items that might inspire splurges or, say, most of the ones in your closet were bought for under $15 but when you saw one for $600 you just couldn't resist. Some general thoughts from me on these categories of basic splurges:
Casual weekend dresses: If I'm going somewhere where I want to look cute, I'm probably pulling out Spanx, spending 30 minutes doing my makeup, and wearing more than a basic T-shirt dress — so this is more about the wash and go dress that is the alternative to shorts and a t-shirt for the day. I feel like I've gotten nice ones for under $25! I think the most I've spent is an Eileen Fisher dress I got on sale for around $125 for an “elevated Mom dress.” This $70 Boden dress is mightily tempting, though. (If it had pockets, it would be mine.)
T-shirts: I went through a phase where I really preferred James Perse and other t-shirts that were $50+ — but most of the ones I wear now are Everlane's $18 t-shirts; I've also got a few from Amazon brand Daily Ritual that I wear to death. (The brand is regularly really affordable but Daily Ritual is on sale today — worth a look if you haven't tried.)
Denim: See, we all have our areas where we'll splurge — one of my first projects as a college journalist interning in New York was to work on an encyclopedia of denim, so I kind of understand the price differences in Old Navy denim versus, say, Barney's denim bar with the latest Japanese denim brands. I think the most I've paid for a pair of jeans is around the $200 mark, but I can easily understand (especially from a cost per wear perspective) how someone would want to spend more for a particular denim cut, wash, fit, or trend.
Underwear: This is probably TMI, but since I prefer cotton underwear my regular underwear is pretty affordable. Occasionally I'll splurge on Hanky Panky or WinterSilks underwear (or I just bought a few Thinx in the Nordstrom sale a few weeks ago), but for the most part underwear is not where I splurge. (Bras are a slightly different story — the most I've ever paid for a bra was $130, I think, but I'm a weird size.)
Sneakers: You can get a pair of basic Chucks for under $60 — or you can spend $500+ on Golden Goose sneakers. I tend to be on the lower end of that scale; even my running shoes were only $150.
Lipstick: I actually just got a sample of a fancy lipstick and thought, “I hope I don't like it — I need a $50 lipstick like I need a hole in the head.” I think the most I've ever spent on lipstick was $42 for a lipstick — but anything over $25 is a big splurge for me, especially since the lipstick I keep going back to is the $18 Clinique Chubby Stick.
Shampoo: I'm a big fan of drugstore shampoos, but I will happily spend $40+ on Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner — my hair never looks as shiny and healthy as it does after I wash with that shampoo. (Oooh, the Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Shampoo is also, to me, worth the splurge.)
Lotion (hand, face, or body): I have yet to get into the La Mer trend (my wallet thanks me!), and most of my preferred lotions are drugstore (CeraVe, Curél). For my dry skin, though, I do love the Bioelements moisturizer Really Rich Moisture for daily use in winter and occasional use in summer; a big tub is about $35. I also bought a big container of Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisture Lotion in the last Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.
How about you guys — what other basics (that COULD be really affordable) do you splurge on, or have you splurged on? What has inspired your splurge purchases, and was it worth it?
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Oooh I hope there’s supposed to be a link for that pink dress, because it is super cute.
+1
It’s Boden – the Paulina, I think? I have it in green.
There is one.
My splurge categories: (theme is, if it works for me, it’s worth the $$)
Underwear: I spend big money on bras. I wear underwire solely for work and comfort and proper fit is key. I shop only at a local bra store (though sometimes I’ll scour the river store for the same bra in a different colorway a few months later when it’s likely to be on sale). The best thing I ever bought was the Cosabella Never Say Never Sweetie Curvy Bralette. At first I balked at spending so much money on a “weekend” bra but I love it and now own three. They are the only things I wear outside of work.
Sneakers: I spend decent money on sneakers. I have tough feet (wide toebox, narrow heel, super high arches, PF, sweat in synthetics) so it makes sense to have decent sneakers. I had an M Gemi gift card and recently bought their basketweave slip on sneaker that has great arch support. I’m also a shoe person so I love to have cute sneakers.
Lipstick: Not a huge lipstick wearer, so I don’t switch up colors or anything really. My splurge is the Nars Orga$m afterglow lip balm because it looks natural on me and is moisturizing. I have the perfect shade for me from Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge lipstick so I also bought a full size of that ($20 is a lot for me for lipstick!).
Shampoo: I go cheap with the Costco purple Pureology dupe, but spend big on the giant bottle of Bumble and Bumble Super Rich Conditioner. I have dry, curly hair and nothing works better.
Lotion (hand, face, or body): Thanks to the Hive, I got hooked on Kiehl’s Hand Salve and it has honestly changed my life. I have it on subscription every three months and I keep a full size tube at work, in our living room, and in our bedroom as well as a mini tube in my purse at all times. Absolutely addicted. I would splurge on a rich, fast-absorbing body lotion if I could find one that was worth it. I do like Kiehl’s Creme de Corps but would like something heavier. I pair lotion with oil (currently Everyday Oil) because I have super dry skin. For face lotion, I haven’t found my Holy Grail so I tend to cycle through new products or samples, but I always have Lancome Bienfait cream spf30 on hand for days when I’m in a rush and want to make sure I get my SPF.
I got a free sample of CeraVie from CVS, and it is very nice, no funny smell to it. Every time I go into the CVS, I always am reminded of the cheap chocolates my Ex bought me and gave me after Easter. The bunny was schmusshed, and was virtually unedible. FOOEY!
I bought the Curvy Sweetie but haven’t worn it yet. Glad to hear the good review! I buy sports bras at Lululemon (Enlite) that cost around $100. Truly ridiculous but I can’t find another sports bras that fits and functions as well.
I’ll be curious if you love it as much as I do. I actually just ordered another one after I posted this yesterday, ha. I even wear them to sleep sometimes.
Just sharing that Triumph triactive sports bras are great! I’m a die hard lululemon fan and only wear these now.
How do you decide whether or not to refer someone?
A good friend applied to a position at the “up and coming” company I work at. He is smart, detail-oriented, hardworking etc, but I don’t know anything about the hiring process or what theyre looking for or who the competition is. Should I send along this persons resume as an “FYI” or steer clear because I dont know anything about the role? I’m also fairly entry level myself so while I think this person would be a good hire, I don’t really know.
In my opinion, it doesn’t hurt much to send it as an “FYI” unless you really don’t think the person would be good for the role or have other concerns about the person. I had this backfire when I recommended someone for a role and she was very pushy and put me in a though spot about not being selected. But it harmed my relationship with her more than anything else – my company didn’t really care.
I would take the resume to the hiring manager and say exactly what you said here.
Running shoes that cost $150 aren’t on the lower end of the scale, but when it comes to shoes, it does help to spend more for quality (most of the time).
I don’t really splurge much on any basics, but I also don’t have that many products I love. I used to like the Everlane t-shirts, but the shirts I’ve bought there recently have been thin, cheap-feeling, and have rolled/wrinkly hems. I would love to find a solid replacement that’s better quality.
Sneakers: Allbirds. Or Rothy’s (the pointed flat), which I use as a sneaker alternative when I want to look cute with leggings. I’d have to check current prices, but I think both go for about $150 a pair. I have super sensitive feet and used to get blisters almost every day for the first few MONTHS of breaking in flats, until they were nearly worn out anyway. But now I wear Allbirds almost every single day and Rothy’s around the office, and zero foot problems. Game changer–I can’t stand having my feet hurt!
Lotion: I almost never use body lotion but I did recently upgrade my facial moisturizer to the NeoCutis BIO CREAM Bio-Restorative Skin Cream ($160 but I grabbed it during one of the DermStore sales), and I have to admit, it’s been amazing. I did get it after my first microneedling session, so it’s possible that some of the improvement in acne scarring and dullness is from the procedure–but I really love this cream so far. It’s thick and plumps my skin without feeling greasy or oily, and hasn’t caused any breakouts, which is normally a real issue for me. Apparently it was originally developed for burn victims, and so far seems to actually promote cellular repair and turnover as promised.
Shampoo: Also recently switched to Oribe Gold Lust Repair Restore Shampoo and Conditioner. I’ve used everything from Suave to the trendy custom formulas out there, but this is by far the best. My soul died a little at the price for the normal full size (but not extra large)–around $50 for each (so $100 all in). I know I could spend under $10 on both shampoo and conditioner and have for most of my adult life–but I’m just past 30 and have noticed my hair needs a little extra TLC to look good without much intervention. I wash and comb out my hair, and do literally nothing else to it in terms of product or styling (other than occasionally brushing it once dry), and in addition to keeping my hair soft and shiny, it allows me to go longer between washes (I have long, very fine hair that otherwise needs to be washed at least every other day). So far, worth the price to me–but we’ll see if my hair gets used to the formula and if that cuts its effectiveness.
Second Oribe Gold Lust shampoo and conditioner. I use the masque instead of the normal conditioner. It is life changing. I’ve been trying other things–Prose, Pantene, Redken, Bumble & Bumble–because of the sticker shock, and my hair is a mess. Going back to the Oribe.
Honestly, I generally find “basics” to be the best material for splurges. I wear the heck out of them, so quality is important.
+1. I splurge on everything but I truly do own fewer, better things.
Denim is the big basic splurge for me. I love Imogene + Willie, specifically the Imogene Slim, and I just bought two pairs at >$200 each. But I last bought jeans (from them) for years ago, so cost per wear certainly comes out in my favor because I wear them multiple times per week, year round.
I really love my Rothy’s flats at work – I have them in a bunch of colors and they feel great with virtually no break-in period. (Referral link to get $20 off a purchase: https://share.rothys.com/x/NLcgk9)
I also recently discovered Bombas socks and they are fantastic. I just ordered a second 4-pack. They are comparable in price to other tech socks, so I don’t know if they qualify as a “splurge” but somewhere my depression-era grandmother is rolling in her grave at spending $12 on a pair of socks.
I stopped splurging on denim because no matter the price point, I can never get more than 2 seasons out of them. I guess I’m just really hard on jeans.
I just spent $22 on a bottle of Malin & Goetz shampoo, which is way more than I would normally spend (i’m more the whatever basic shampoo brands looks fine at Target type), but tried it at a hotel I was staying at and liked it so much I decided to splurge.
Suncare for face: EltaMD mineral sunscreen SPF41, about $40. Cost per wear is quite low as a tube will last me nearly two years as I only use on face & chest. I’m fair, freckled and NEVER burn with it. Excellent water resistance. Is slightly drying but I haven’t found anything better since I switched away from Shiseido 5+ years ago.
Denim: I have an hourglass figure with a long torso so I’ll spend on fit – i.e. high-waisted denim that makes my booty look rockin’. The fit of GAP can’t really touch the premium brand styles that work for my bod (Paige, AG, etc.), especially with stretch recovery. I wore my Paige’s 2-3x per week for more than 2 years and they held up really well.
Bras: I’m curvy up top too so I have to splurge on them. I buy them out of Poland tho: my favorite brand is Dalia.pl for my narrow back/shoulders & ample boobage.
Shoes: similar fit as Kat (wide forefoot, narrow heel) so my choices can be limited. I splurged on Cole Haan zerogrands brogue/sneaks in an 8W and they’ve lasted really well, 3+ years. Comfort + cost per wear is well worth it.
I have never in my life spent more than $50 on shoes without regretting it.