dlish

i was wondering how often people buy new clothes. for me, i buy my clothes for the comfort. it its not comfortable, if it doesnt sit well on my shoulders, if i cant run it in, if my toes doent fit well - i aint buying it. so for me, the first hurdle would be comfort.

once i do buy something i really do like, i love wearing it to death. i have a few shirts i wear everywhere i go. i have certain shirts i wear whenever i travel, or certain pants i wear for comfort when im flying on a plane etc. i even have a hat ive had for 17 years now.

so it may take a few years for my clothes to wear out, but i love the feeling of comfort and wouldnt trade it in just for looks. the only thing with that is that ill only buy something once the piece of clothing is worn out and no longer usable. i loathe the feeling of someone throwing my stuff out when i can still use it. i may go shopping once or twice a year to splurge on a few items, but generally i love the clothes i have!

then it got me thinking whether im the only one like this, or are there people like me out there?

how often do you buy new clothes?

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

Glory's Sun

I have jeans that I will wear till they fall apart (love me some lucky's) but I tend to buy as I go. I'm a spontaneous shopper. I see something I like and I buy it. I don't buy big ticket items on a total whim, but once I get the bug for something big, I do a bit of research and I make a fairly quick decision.

As far as clothes, it depends on the season and my mood that will determine what I buy. When I'm buying nice clothes, for some reason I always do it in the winter. In the summer, I buy more relaxed style clothing. Maybe it's the heat and cold that determine my choices. I'm always looking for belts (I have a thing for them) and coats. I love coats. Too bad the winters here suck.

most of the time, after 2 seasons of wear I'll just put them in the salvation army box. I tend to not be attached to my clothes, because I can always just buy more and I figure I'm doing my small deed by giving my clothes to charity.

SecretMethod70

Once or twice a year here as well. Between the occasional gift of clothing, and buying a few items when I need them over the course of the year, I find I have what I need.

That said, when I win the lottery I'd kind of like to spend a few thousand on an entirely new wardrobe at once. The idea of removing all legacy from my closet/dresser is appealing to me. Probably because I'm a packrat and I have a harder time getting rid of most other things :P

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Le temps détruit tout

"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

Willravel

I buy new clothes maybe three times a year, but it's usually just a few shirts and pants. Clothes wear out.

snowy

I buy pieces here and there, every couple of months, but I often go months without buying a new pair of pants. This year I've had to buy a lot of new clothes--I had to have an appropriate wardrobe for teaching, and I have been getting geared up for going outside. In the last three months, I've acquired a pair of charcoal gray slacks, a pair of corduroys, a pair of stretchy yoga pants, a nice Marmot shell, a super-awesome fuzzy fleece from Mountain Hardware (I'm so in love with this fleece), and soon a baselayer top from Marmot will be arriving in my mail. I owe my thanks to steepandcheap.com for allowing me to buy some really nice gear for a lot less. One of my favorite new t-shirts is one I picked up at REI on clearance; it has a little image of a bicycle on the chest and says "this is how I roll" below it.

I prefer to spread out my clothing purchases, if possible. I clean out my closet once a year, and I generally have an idea of what I need, if anything (right now: new bras).

There are definitely some pieces of clothing I will wear until it falls apart, like my favorite polo shirt. It's so soft. I imagine my new tee from REI will be the same, as it is also exceptionally comfy. Like you, dlish, I won't wear something if it isn't comfy. I just don't see the point in being uncomfortable.

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Willravel

And the weight loss.

snowy

Well, that was LAST year I think that's one of the reasons I went so long without buying pants this year--I went from a size 14 to a size 8 in 9 months and had to buy so many pairs of pants over that time because I kept shrinking (not a bad thing!).

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Fotzlid

I rarely buy new clothes. The GF is a shopper and buys stuff for me when she gets sick of seeing me wear the same 3 shirts for months on end. I buy new sneakers when the current pair are falling apart. Same for coats/jackets.

The fabric is important to me also. I prefer cotton and loathe most synthetics. I hate the feel of most synthetics on my skin.
Poly/cotton blends are tolerated on an individual basis.

Zeraph

I wear my stuff to death too. I hate shopping (I always feel like I'm being watched) but I also just find comfort in old clothes. A few of my t-shirts have holes in them, it just means that they get put into the wear-at-home-only rotation. I still have some (cheapish) clothes from like 6 years ago for instance.

As far as preference goes, it has to be comfortable, and breathable. Especially the latter as I live in a place that can get up to 120 degrees F.

Meditrina

I buy myself new clothes here and there, when the mood strikes or if something needs to be replaced, like shoes. Usually at the beginning of a season, I will want some new clothes. Which reminds me, spring is near... where is my Chadwick's catalog?

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"Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles." ~Alex Karras

genuinegirly

I don't typically purchase clothing. If I have something that is wearing out, and I cannot find an alternative, I will purchase something to replace it. This really only seems to happen with shoes, socks, bras, and underwear.

I prefer clothing swaps and "hand-me-downs" when it comes to switching up my wardrobe.

I am often given clothing as gifts for birthdays/holidays. I suppose they might be telling me something.

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

Punk.of.Ages

I tend to lose clothes. I'm still baffled as to how I lose clothes at the rate I do, but once I'm down to a low enough amount I get new clothes.

I'm never low on shirts though. I buy a new one every time I go to a concert.

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"The fact is that censorship always defeats its own purpose, for it creates, in the end, the kind of society that is incapable of exercising real discretion..." - Henry Steel Commager

"Punk rock music is great music played by really bad, drunk musicians." -Fat Mike

sapiens

I buy new clothes when the old ones wear out. How long that is depends on the item of clothing. I No new socks in 3 years. No new t-shirts in two years. No new pants in 3 years. No new shoes in 3 years...

little_tippler

Whenever I feel like it! I can go a couple of months without buying anything new. But then usually I get the bug and just have to. My clothes also seem to get worn quite fast, or I start to not like them as much as when I got them because I get tired of them. I can't go for too long without buying a new top, underwear, or trousers. Everything else I sometimes can go for a year without buying. When I have too many clothes, I take out anything old and worn to make room for new things. I love clothes and I'd change my wardrobe more often if I could afford it.

__________________
Whether we write or speak or do but look
We are ever unapparent. What we are
Cannot be transfused into word or book.
Our soul from us is infinitely far.
However much we give our thoughts the will
To be our soul and gesture it abroad,
Our hearts are incommunicable still.
In what we show ourselves we are ignored.
The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged
By any skill of thought or trick of seeming.
Unto our very selves we are abridged
When we would utter to our thought our being.
We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams,
And each to each other dreams of others' dreams.

Fernando Pessoa, 1918

Sherk

I only buy new clothing when I have to - jeans, etc, last for as long as they don't have holes in them or are otherwise worn out. Being "fashionable" isn't something I care about - and a bunch of the fads that come around are horrible looking, to me. So I don't get clothing that's "in".

What I really don't get is there are a lot of jeans out there right now that are coming with huge holes already in them, or are colored like they are incredibly dirty. I don't get it. *shrug*

Bear Cub

Its hard for me to find clothes in my style that fit. I tried on a short sleeve shirt today that fit in the chest and abdomen, but I started to rip the sleeves. Same goes for jeans. So when I come across something I like that fits, I just buy it. If I need something for work I'll buy it, everything else is on a whim. I buy sneakers/shoes more frequently than clothes probably.

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Living in the United Socialist States of America.

*Nikki*

I am addicted to clothes shopping. I don't care about shoes or purses, I want clothes.

I would but them all the time if I had the income to do so. That being said, I buy every few months or so. Or a piece here and there.

FuglyStick

I'm a jeans/t-shirt guy, but I'm hard on my clothes. 'Bout twice a year, I reckon.

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AZIZ! LIGHT!

Eweser

Lately I've had to buy quite a few new clothes, because I've been slimming down. Usually I wear my jeans until they have holes in embarrassing places. Other clothes, it depends on if I continue to like the fit, if they aren't worn out, etc.

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"Whoever wrote this episode should die!"

Glory's Sun

I think I'm gonna go buy some stuff today.

mixedmedia

I almost never buy 'new' clothes. But I buy clothes from local thrift stores and garage sales fairly often. And it's really awesome. I have people compliment me on my clothes all the time and when people ask me, 'where did you get that?' it's great fun to tell them that I bought it off of someone's front lawn last week for a dollar.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

snowy

Right after replying to this thread and saying I needed new bras, I went on to the VS website and ordered two! The kind I like were on sale

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

World's King

I try to only buy stuff when I need it. Like really need it.


This might actually come as a surprise but I'm not a "go shopping cause I have money" kind of person. Actually that's not true. I do have a few things that I will go and buy just cause I may have a little extra scratch. Pens and shoes. And coats. I seem to buy coats a lot. It's cold here. What? I did just order a new pen the other day. This one was even on the inexpensive side. Only $75.

But yeah, I try to only buy thing when I really need them, unless it's a good deal.

__________________
heavy is the head that wears the crown

little_tippler

hmmm went shopping today and bought a new top and some new bedtime clothes (not sure what it's called...a little top with shorts for bed?)...I may just be a clothes addict. Considering whether I should make a thread documenting (with pics!) my craziness....heh

edit: ok apparently it's a camisole and shorts...

__________________
Whether we write or speak or do but look
We are ever unapparent. What we are
Cannot be transfused into word or book.
Our soul from us is infinitely far.
However much we give our thoughts the will
To be our soul and gesture it abroad,
Our hearts are incommunicable still.
In what we show ourselves we are ignored.
The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged
By any skill of thought or trick of seeming.
Unto our very selves we are abridged
When we would utter to our thought our being.
We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams,
And each to each other dreams of others' dreams.

Fernando Pessoa, 1918

drag0nmanes

Except for socks and boxers I rarely buy new clothes at all. Work clothes are all uniforms supplied by my company, and everything else I wear tends to last pretty well. Hell, I've worn the same size clothes for so long that there's rarely even a need for me to buy more.

dlish

my heart just fluttered...


we're not worthy! we're not worthy!

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

SabrinaFair

I tend to buy clothes as I need them. Two or three times a year I "stock up" (AKA, hit the sales) and get a few things at once, but generally speaking I buy things as I need them. My last major purchase was a suit I needed for a political event. My next major purchase is a dress I need for a dance. (Barrister's Ball, AKA Law Prom)

I love clothes...if I had the money, I'd probably have a much bigger wardrobe. Luckily I have a fairly classic style, so my wardrobe doesn't go out of style with each season.

__________________
"With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy."
-Desiderata

Martian

When I do buy clothes, I buy high quality ones. Not necessarily brand name, but well constructed clothes are an investment. The larger up-front cost balances out, because they last longer. I still have some shirts from when I was a teenager, including a Levi Strauss shirt I got at about age 14. Granted, it was huge on me then and just fits me now, but the very fact that it's been in my wardrobe for over a decade is testament to the quality of the shirt.

As a result of this, I do generally buy clothes about once a year. I did just but some relatively cheap shoes. They were about $40, which isn't a lot for shoes for me; given how much walking Magpie and I do, good shoes are essential for us. Sadly, there isn't a good men's shoe store in my town, which limits my options. We have an athletic store where I can get runners, but for dressy work-type shoes I'm kind of stuck.

__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

World's King

Yes please.

__________________
heavy is the head that wears the crown

dlish

ok so its not just me then?

does anyone get really upset when their partner throws a ripped shirt in the rubbish?

i get reallly sentimental with some of my clothes. they bring back memories of certain periods of my life, or certain moments, or certains feelings. yet another reason why i dont like buying other clothes. im comfortable with what i have and the comfort comes with the feeling of security.

anyone have sentimental values to their clothes

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

Glory's Sun

ripped shirts make great dust cloths.

but no, unless it's my jeans (which I wear the destroyed version most of the time anyway) the rubbish bin is fair play.

genuinegirly

My husband pouts when I offer to jettison some of his hole-filled or tattered clothing. I find it exceptionally odd when I can't tell the difference between the one I want to throw away and the rest of his nondescript Hanes white undershirts.

Guys are weird.

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

Strange Famous

When I have less than five work shirts, less than 1 coat, less than 1 pair of Astroturf boots, squash shoes, trainers, or work shoes, less than two smart pairs of trousers, less than 5 decent ties...

Otherwise I have a whole lot of fucking tee shirts and shorts and tracksuit trousers etc. I even have some jeans if I want to look smart. I wont run out of those anytime soon unless I get fatter or thinner.

To be honest I really find trousers too much effort, and normally just wear boxer shorts round the house unless its winter or I have guests. Its such a hassle having to take them up and down every time you need to go to the toilet and so on.

__________________
"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."

The Gospel of Thomas

dlish

umm...so whats the difference between taking shorts off to go to the bathroom vs taking pants off to go to the bathroom?

how is the effort different?

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

Xerxys

I buy clothes when the occasion calls for it. I have a shitload of clothes I have to get rid of and revamp my closet soon.

dlish, I don't understand why your questioning a man's hate for pants. I mean, pants just suck. I'm all for pantsism. I wanna be known as the one that wears the pants but I don't actually want to wear them!!

dlish

im questioning the 'effort'. i would have thought that the effort to take them off be it pants or shorts would be similar.

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy