Random Fashion Thoughts (Part 3: Style farmer strikes back) - our general discussion thread

[zissou]

I'm taking a summer course called Dress and Humanity that explores how/why we dress, consumerism, and the history of dress. It's all very interesting and easy (thanks, SF). Today, I had to do a wardrobe inventory to explore my personal consumerism, and, well, it turns out that I own 45 button down shirts, 36 sweaters, 19 pairs of trousers, and just over 100 pairs of socks. And, that's after paring down my wardrobe over the past few months!

 

[mmmargeologist]

I just buy side zips and leather jackets over and over

 

[sinnedk]

I just buy side zips and leather jackets over and over

same but boots

 

[Chaconne]

I'm taking a summer course called Dress and Humanity that explores how/why we dress, consumerism, and the history of dress. It's all very interesting and easy (thanks, SF). Today, I had to do a wardrobe inventory to explore my personal consumerism, and, well, it turns out that I own 45 button down shirts, 36 sweaters, 19 pairs of trousers, and just over 100 pairs of socks. And, that's after paring down my wardrobe over the past few months!

I won 3 very nice button downs that I never war so your 45 that you probably wear regularly makes much more sense than my 3.

 

[BlakeRVA]

I'm taking a summer course called Dress and Humanity that explores how/why we dress, consumerism, and the history of dress. It's all very interesting and easy (thanks, SF). Today, I had to do a wardrobe inventory to explore my personal consumerism, and, well, it turns out that I own 45 button down shirts, 36 sweaters, 19 pairs of trousers, and just over 100 pairs of socks. And, that's after paring down my wardrobe over the past few months!

Sounds like you need more trousers to go with all your shirts and sweaters

Also, curious did each student share their inventory? I think I spend more money than almost everyone I know, but surprisingly with fast fashion (Zara, H&M, Fashion Nova etc.) I don't have the biggest closet compared to several female friends. I always wonder if that's normal or not.

 

[1969]

Today, I had to do a wardrobe inventory to explore my personal consumerism, and, well, it turns out that I own 45 button down shirts, 36 sweaters.....

Quick question, when you say "button down" are you referring to the collar, or is that a catch all for spread collars, etc? Many people don't distinguish correctly and....

 

[imatlas]

Quick question, when you say "button down" are you referring to the collar, or is that a catch all for spread collars, etc? Many people don't distinguish correctly and....

My wife for one. Drives me a little bit nuts.

 

[zissou]

I won 3 very nice button downs that I never war so your 45 that you probably wear regularly makes much more sense than my 3.

Uh, I probably wear about 10 of them on a regular basis. ?

Sounds like you need more trousers to go with all your shirts and sweaters

Also, curious did each student share their inventory? I think I spend more money than almost everyone I know, but surprisingly with fast fashion (Zara, H&M, Fashion Nova etc.) I don't have the biggest closet compared to several female friends. I always wonder if that's normal or not.

They didn’t share them, except one woman in the class confessed that she has 60 pairs of socks, and I thought, “Wow, that’s a lot!!”

My wife and I have a decent size walk in closet, and my **** takes up a solid 70%.

Quick question, when you say "button down" are you referring to the collar, or is that a catch all for spread collars, etc? Many people don't distinguish correctly and....

A shirt that buttons down the front, as in Oxford cloth button down.

 

[KaleidoscopicK]

Anyone have rules for splurging? As in, a splurge item can't take more than X% of my monthly income or whatever. Just curious. I'm looking at a potential splurge cop (a knit polo shirt) that would be more expensive than any retail purchase I've ever made, save for a coat and a custom sportcoat.

Another consideration - is your splurge item always intended to be part of your regular clothes rotation? Or it's just simply a really nice statement piece that you don't mind paying for, even if worn less often or rarely.

While I don't have any hard rules, I do have some mental blocks that get in the way of me making that splurge purchase - or any clothing/shoe purchase, for that matter.

In the past and during the start of the pandemic, it was:

- The "do you really need this?" test: "Do you really like these beige pants so much that you want to spend $300 on them? Or can you make do with the Uniqlo/Muji/Club Monaco equivalent (on sale)?
- "Hmm, I've already splurged on a pair of Alden LHS, two Undercover tops that have Creamy Mami on them (no, it's not pr0n) and yet another Blue Blue Japan reversible jacket that you only bought because you collect them like how you collect Pokemon. I think I should hold back."

Other limits I put on my self the past several months were:

- No pants purchases until I shrank at least one waist size. I'm fairly confident that I've now shrank to a Size 30 waist after over a year of weight loss, so I did "splurge" on a couple of pairs in May after not having purchased any in maybe 8-10 months - and some of the payment was covered by family as a belated birthday present.
- The item ideally needs to fill a "hole" in the wardrobe. While I still get tempted every now and then with some things, I've managed to hold myself back pretty well this year on clothes I truly felt like I didn't need.
- No EMS access = No clothing purchases from Japan allowed.
- The voice in my head telling me "Yeah those Visvim 7 Holes are calling your name, but wasn't your other goal to shove as much extra money into your investments as you can? I mean, now is as good a time as any now that you can't dine out with friends and aren't commuting to work".

The last point led to me gamifying the act of not spending money on clothing/shoes, or seriously considering mall brands for basics/wardrobe staples instead. I've held myself to two net purchases so far this year - three purchases minus the Air Max 90s I sold - and I've been slowly selling off stuff I bought on final sale that didn't work for me as well. Feels good man

With that being said, I'm still hoping to make a couple of purchases this SS season + save up for some potential Fall Camoshita purchases, given the circumstances surrounding that brand. I like to support Uncle Yasuto when I can.

 

[1969]

A shirt that buttons down the front, as in Oxford cloth button down.

Sorry, that was supposed to be a joke, but maybe a little too inside baseball even for SF.

RFT: Every time I watch The Departed I think maybe I'll just go Billy Costigan and pair down to nothing but t-shirts, hoodies, CPO shirt, a harrington and a black leather jacket.

 

[imatlas]

A shirt that buttons down the front, as in Oxford cloth button down.

No that's not what button down means. That's a "button front" or simply a shirt.

 

[King Calder]

I’ve seriously curbed my sale spending in the last year. I end up flipping way more things I bought on sale than at full price so it’s nice to feel like I’ve escaped that cycle. I have entirely unplugged from the Mr Porter/SSENSE/End end-of-sale spending sprees. I’ll still pick up an item or two on sale from a shop I feel some affinity to, but largely focus on trying to buy the things I really want at retail. The things I buy on sale will be the things I really wanted previously but didn’t have the liquidity to afford at the time.

 

[zissou]

No that's not what button down means. That's a "button front" or simply a shirt.

Yeah ok, it’s a button up rather than a button down. Sheesh I’ve learned my lesson to not reply to important posts about buttons late at night.

 

[malcb33]

Yeah ok, it’s a button up rather than a button down. Sheesh I’ve learned my lesson to not reply to important posts about buttons late at night.

Imagine living in a world where an internet stranger gets upset because you didn’t clearly identify if your shirt’s collars have buttons or not.

 

[dieworkwear]

Imagine living in a world where an internet stranger gets upset because you didn’t clearly identify if your shirt’s collars have buttons or not.

i think 1969 was just making a funny about sf pedantry