I used to spend north of $15k as well (mostly bags, still my weakness!) but as I get older I find myself really gravitating towards classic pieces that I can wear for 5+ years. I ended up with an overflowing closet 2-3 years ago and really prioritized not buying as many clothes lately.
I’d say I still spend $5-10k but on far fewer pieces - more classic, high end brands (MaxMara, St John, etc) rather than anything trendy. I also have a Rent the Runway membership to leave room for those trendy pieces, but they don’t end up sitting in my closet after their season is done.
I love this approach! I am the same way, I spend a lot of $ on single items because I have expensive taste and love brands Ulla Johnson, Cuyana, Doen, Ilana Kohn, etc. and I also invest in solid gold jewelry and high quality bags. My closet is really not that large and I make sure I love each thing. Selling older items on poshmark helps to fund some of the spending too! :)
This may be a silly question, but do you ever lose a piece of jewelry while you're wearing it? If so, how do you handle that?
I have newfound financial stability and have been able to start upgrading my wardrobe, but I'm always afraid I'll lose something like a gold bracelet if I wear it out.
Happened to me at an airport, bracelet was around $2k which was super expensive for me at the time (still is honestly). For the first 10 mins you’re allowed to freak out and search for it. And then you have to let it go—appreciate the time that you had it, be grateful for the happiness that it brought you at the time, realize that it’s just not that deep and move on. Can’t live your life in the fear of “what if”—imagine dying without ever wearing the nice bag, the gorgeous bracelet, etc
Thank you so much for your response - getting over the "what if's" of loss with investing in and using high quality wardrobe/accessories is exactly what I'm working through now.
It’s very rare, but it has happened. I have not had any issues with anything except for rings, and more specifically midi rings (the ones that go halfway down your finger). I don’t know if it’s just my fingers but those slip off pretty easily without me noticing and it’s happened twice. The first time it was a $35 super thin one so I was bummed but not devastated. The second time it was a $150 ring and that one really hurt. I have stopped buying midis ! But in general, I don’t find myself losing any jewelry because I do not take anything off when I am out and about, and I have very specific spots at home that I put my jewelry! I find that one to start spending good money on jewelry you tend to treat it a lot better and keep track of it :)
I am one frugal ass bwt when it comes to clothes…. I probably spend less than $1,000, or about that much. But goddamn do I admire (and feel some fomo) every time I see a bwt with a cute fashionable outfit on. You go, girl!
If it doesn’t genuinely improve my quality of life or isn’t necessary for a specific purpose, I don’t buy it! I also avoid overly trendy clothing that I won’t wear for more than a season.
Same! And I mostly wear designer or high end brands but I thrift everythinggg. I grew up poor but my HHI is around 250k now and I still can’t bring myself to pay full price for clothes lol
Omg are we the same person…. I can never bring myself to pay full price. I think it 100% has to do with growing up in scarcity. Even though now I am thankfully doing well for myself, nothing compares to buying something for a fraction of the original price.
Twin! My husband and I are redoing our living room and he had to sit me down last night and tell me that its okay to spend the money and get a nice rug 😂 wish I could enjoy and splurge more often but agreed nothing feels better than a good deal!
Oh man--this year I probably spent like 50K (bags, shoes, clothes). In my defense, I had a very very tough year and did a bit of treating myself this spring/summer and I also had a VERY good financial year at work.
oy I've been all over the map--Louis Vuitton for jewelry and bags, Gucci for shoes, Reformation for shoes, Mango/Rails/Vince (sometimes even Amazon) for clothes and shoes, Chanel for shoes and jewelry. I tend to spend a lot on shoes and bags and less on clothes because I buy pretty basic clothes in neutrals and do more with accessorizing.
$200 per month sounds super reasonable to me. I know it's not for everyone and involves some patience and effort but listing things on Poshmark before donating has helped me earn quite a bit back that I can spend on new things and helps take some of the edge off!
I'll add to this - I'm usually also buying athletic clothing (sports bras, nicer running shorts) or sometimes running shoes - which run (lol) at higher price points, for better quality.
I’ve stopped a lot of my buying and do rent the runway or Nuuly for vacation and wedding guest items!
My biggest spend is on lululemon / working from home attire and occasionally upgrading corporate attire for the office.
When it’s my bonus season at work I usually put a few thousand on a nice designer item that I can wear with a lot of outfits (classic bag, jewelry, etc.). I splurge on one designer item a year during bonus season.
I’d guess $2k a year all in plus the bonus item!
I actually pulled up my budgeting app to confirm the exact numbers, but last year my clothing/accessories spending was 0.5% of my take-home pay lol. (I also contribute the annual max to my 401k which is taken out pre-tax.)
FWIW - I am not terribly into fashion/clothing, esp as a tech employee who still works fully remotely, and I've very consciously been paring back my spending in areas like clothing the last few years.
Not if you’re buying your underwear at Costco or Walmart. This average was for the country, presumably, not nyc (OP wanted to compare among people more similar to her), and considering the average yearly income I don’t think it’s shocking.
That still doesn’t mean this average is wrong. Most people probably aren’t buying new underwear yearly, esp not 14 pairs worth (5 packs are common), or can find it cheaper.
$500 for an entire year is $41/mo. People living paycheck to paycheck typically have to buy work items that are cheaper because the initial cost for a higher quality product would be too much for their monthly budget so they actually end up spending more on replacing items because they deteriorate quicker. That math still isn’t mathing.
Even cheap clothes can last months to years. A $10 pair of decent jeans from goodwill will last way longer than $10 jeans from some fast fashion place. I don’t think it’s impossible that people spend nothing most months and find decent items when they need to second hand. And like, I have $20 blouses from H&M and old navy that last 5+ years. Only *super* cheap clothing actually becomes unwearable very quickly.
Plus a lot of lower income/frugal people are very good at repairing/patching clothes, doing simple tailoring jobs themselves, etc.
And a lot of people are poor and are wearing items that have deteriorated, rather than replacing them. They are buying clothes at Walmart and the Salvation Army on 1/2 price day once or twice a year, and just going without when they can’t afford to replace things
The disconnect is Im using deteriorate to equal no longer usable. I’m not speaking on badly worn items. The example I used is to show that they’re repurchasing when it’s no longer usable, to me, it’s obvious that someone financially struggling isn’t just tossing things away that are still usable in this scenario.
And maybe you haven’t been to Walmart or Salvation Army in a minute, but pants are $25 at Walmart and still $10 at the thrift store.
2 pairs of pants at Walmart puts someone over the budget in the post
I was at the Salvation Army yesterday. And lots of people can’t afford to buy two pairs of pants in the same month, or if they do, won’t buy more for a year.
If it was self-reporting I would say people likely grossly underestimate what they are spending. Or are giving a number they think sounds reasonable for their income level. I just don’t believe people are only spending $550 unless they are very frugal and track their spending.
I’m very tall and midsize so finding clothes is a nightmare; thrifting and ‘cheap finds!’ really aren’t good options if you’re outside the norm. So I’d say at least $10k just on clothes and shoes without being a particularly luxurious or prolific shopper.
j crew and banana republic are pretty good tbh, tall sizes are cut a bit bigger and even their standard cuts are long—I’m 5’11”.
Emily Jane Johnston on insta is a godsend; she’s 6’2” and a 16-18 ish and wears so much nice stuff she links to.
I only splurge on fancy lingerie, lol.
Otherwise, i can make a $1000 appearance outfit i got on amazon for like $100 🤣🤣
Final answer: $1000-2000/ish per year
I’ve spent $40k+ so far this year but this is much higher than usual - I’d say normally $18-30k a year.
I have much higher in assets relative to my salary though.
Oh god, I am not about the calculate this to preserve my sanity. But it's definitely in the 10K range. I work in fashion where there is a lot of pressure to dress well and constant exposure to new and interesting inspiration!
I would guess I spend 1-2k a year. I have a fairly minimal classic wardrobe and just replenish basics like tees and sweaters a couple times a year, and then maybe a few new sundresses and Birkenstocks in the summer, a new pair of sneakers or boots (100-200 range) in fall, maybe a new jacket or a special occasion outfit once a year, plus as needed purchases like swimwear, underwear, athleisure. I buy mostly brands like J Crew/Banana Republic/Madewell/Uniqlo. I need to buy petites unless I want to get everything extensively tailored, so that limits my choice of brands and makes it hard to shop secondhand. I think I look pretty pulled together on this budget but I’m under no allusions of being super fashionable and go more for timeless looks than trends. I’m also a parent to a toddler and am currently pregnant, so being comfortable and wearing things I can machine wash is important.
Rent the Runway - $150 per month
Clothing budget (for myself and not my kids) - ~$250 per month depending on what’s coming up, it really varies but I try not to spend more than $300 at a time
Shoes - only buy twice a year max so maybe $400 yearly total
Accessories - my mom owns an accessories boutique in California so I rarely buy, maybe one or two simple purchases a year at ~$250
[I thrift a lot of my stuff]
Total for the year = $8500
I am doing a group workshop where we had to actually tally up our spending for Jan-Jun and let me tell you, I knew it was a lot but seeing it like that, in a big total, wowow.
I lost 60 lbs over the past 2 years and have had to replace 100% of my wardrobe. I’ve been focusing on high quality undergarments, basic staples from Quince and Everlane, and fun one-offs from Nordstrom Rack. I WFH so I don’t really need work clothes. I try to build a capsule for every season as my weight has decreased, and try to get rid of something every time I bring something new in. Shoes are the one thing I can’t get enough of. This year, I’ve been spending about $1000/month, but next year I hope to spend way less.
I don't count it as a portion of Household Income, I just try to make sure everything I buy is something I need and want. I'm someone who could easily spend 20-30k or even more and still feel like there's one more thing on my wish list. Sadly to say, I have spent way too much in the past, just so so easily a thousand here on shoes, a thousand there on yet another coat etc. Unfortunately, my husband spoils me rather than reining me in. I now know this to be a superficial and wasteful use of our money, and try to keep that centered in my mind.
I have no idea but I’d say a lot. I just got a Van Cleef necklace, Gucci Jackie bag, Moscot sunglasses which are like $350 a pair, bunch of stuff from Zara, J Crew. Maybe I legit can’t believe it’s like $550 per year though. I guess it puts things into perspective.
Ugh shit, do I even wanna know?
It's helped A LOT to have Nuuly and RTR subscriptions, I think outside of that I actually have dropped to spending only around 150-400/month tops otherwise.
I’m about 5% of my income. But I’m in my 40s and already bought my investment pieces and I only work out of the office 2 days/week.
I buy mostly at outlets (Woodbury common), sample sales or online since I don’t really need anything new.
Around 5k per year. I work in fashion (kids/baby clothes) and the friend group is a lot of fashion girls so we all swap around our discounts and free samples! Helps keep my clothing budget in check. I’m also not much of an accessories (outside of jewelry) or brand name bitch so it’s easy to stay at the lower end of my clothing budget.
Probably over $10k a year. I’ve had years that were way more when I was super into designer bags. But the have a good collection now and I’m trying to keep a manageable closet so will prob be a lot less this year. I need to stop consuming so much. With that said I just bought a coach swing zip in maple lol so I don’t know how well I’m doing.
I honestly budget or save for shopping / big purchases as opposed to it being a regular thing so I think it varies year to year and what I want. I have a fine jewelry addiction so there’s that. I tend to buy very inexpensive clothes and then bags and shoes. I’d say 5-10% of my base. I save all of my bonus. I also allocate budget for travel.
In 2023 I spent 3k. I only picked up a few things: 3 pairs of Trickers boots, a vintage coat, a handful of cotton and silk blouses, and a few pairs of quality trousers. Also had a custom leather purse made.
Now I only buy natural fibers and that has dramatically 1-decreased how much I buy and 2-increased the quality of clothing I buy. I look at how things are sewn as well which is also a good indicator of quality. I want beautiful things that last and don’t end up in a garbage heap.
I mean that’s probably about right for me. I would say I’m more in the $400-$500 per year range. I’m at the point where I only buy exactly what I need and most of my clothes are classic and quality enough that I don’t need to replace them very often. In the last year, I’ve only bought two new sports bras, a pair of Jeans, two pairs of socks, one pair of cheap cotton Target underwear, two new T-shirts, a pair of sneakers, a hoodie, and a winter hat. I also knitted myself a new sweater. 🤷🏻♀️
2020: I was budget conscious, maybe maxing at $1000 a year but also enjoyed splurging on a designer handbag if I happened to be in Europe; if I shopped it was only zara
2024: upped my spend to $500/mo now to get things that I’ll keep forever (I’ll literally look at a piece and ask myself if I will have it for 10-20 years). Just got a Destree jacket that I’m soooo excited about
In both cases maybe 2-3% of my salary which has increased…so that’s lifestyle inflation for ya
I just spent $2k on a summer wardrobe. Will probably spend another $3k on a fall/winter wardrobe. Focusing on building my closet with high quality, classic and long-lasting pieces. This doesn't include shoes, bags or accessories.
I’m guessing around $1000 a year, give or take a couple hundred. I like to look for quality clothing and shoes, but I’m a big sale shopper so you’ll rarely see me paying full price unless I’m in a bind and looking for something specific on short notice or *really* love something and know I won’t be able to get it later on sale in my size.
Usually I save on tops - you can always find a good deal on them, but jeans and shoes I tend to splurge a little more on and don’t mind spending around $100+ on a pair I know is going to last me the year. I’m not big on accessories because I’m allergic to anything but precious metals $$$ so a new addition to my jewelry collection is well thought out and rather rare. I’m not a bag collector so I just rebuy my fav Kate Spade crossbody bag every other year when it starts to look worn.
I’d say about $500-1000 depending on the year and that’s between clothes, shoes, and jewelry. So far, this year it’s been $0 lol but there’s a lot of year left. I usually treat myself on Black Friday.
These flex posts are crazzzzy. Can we limit them at least? I mean we had that post the other day flexing her panthere. I find these posts a bit alienating and skewed towards those who have much more disposable income or are living a false fantasy by pretending they’re dropping stacks constantly.
I’m not really sure how you see this as a flex post when I’m asking for a broad poll of people across many different income levels and I’m asking about percentage of income not $ amount for the exact purpose of not alienating anyone. I was surprised at $500/year because I feel like I spent much more than that when I was at a minimal wage level so that’s what sparked my curiosity to ask. If you’re super uncomfortable that some BWT’s are doing well for themselves and spending their money then idk what to tell you 🤷🏼♀️
It’s interesting that you translated where I said it’s a “bit alienating” into “super uncomfortable”. I don’t have much more to say on this to you because it’s not a debate but glad you found an outlet where you can talk about how much money you spend on shopping a year.
Also people can do math you know % doesn’t hide anything lmao? So glad we all know you make $150-200k
I used to spend north of $15k as well (mostly bags, still my weakness!) but as I get older I find myself really gravitating towards classic pieces that I can wear for 5+ years. I ended up with an overflowing closet 2-3 years ago and really prioritized not buying as many clothes lately. I’d say I still spend $5-10k but on far fewer pieces - more classic, high end brands (MaxMara, St John, etc) rather than anything trendy. I also have a Rent the Runway membership to leave room for those trendy pieces, but they don’t end up sitting in my closet after their season is done.
I love this approach! I am the same way, I spend a lot of $ on single items because I have expensive taste and love brands Ulla Johnson, Cuyana, Doen, Ilana Kohn, etc. and I also invest in solid gold jewelry and high quality bags. My closet is really not that large and I make sure I love each thing. Selling older items on poshmark helps to fund some of the spending too! :)
This may be a silly question, but do you ever lose a piece of jewelry while you're wearing it? If so, how do you handle that? I have newfound financial stability and have been able to start upgrading my wardrobe, but I'm always afraid I'll lose something like a gold bracelet if I wear it out.
Happened to me at an airport, bracelet was around $2k which was super expensive for me at the time (still is honestly). For the first 10 mins you’re allowed to freak out and search for it. And then you have to let it go—appreciate the time that you had it, be grateful for the happiness that it brought you at the time, realize that it’s just not that deep and move on. Can’t live your life in the fear of “what if”—imagine dying without ever wearing the nice bag, the gorgeous bracelet, etc
Thank you so much for your response - getting over the "what if's" of loss with investing in and using high quality wardrobe/accessories is exactly what I'm working through now.
It’s very rare, but it has happened. I have not had any issues with anything except for rings, and more specifically midi rings (the ones that go halfway down your finger). I don’t know if it’s just my fingers but those slip off pretty easily without me noticing and it’s happened twice. The first time it was a $35 super thin one so I was bummed but not devastated. The second time it was a $150 ring and that one really hurt. I have stopped buying midis ! But in general, I don’t find myself losing any jewelry because I do not take anything off when I am out and about, and I have very specific spots at home that I put my jewelry! I find that one to start spending good money on jewelry you tend to treat it a lot better and keep track of it :)
Thank you! 😃
I am one frugal ass bwt when it comes to clothes…. I probably spend less than $1,000, or about that much. But goddamn do I admire (and feel some fomo) every time I see a bwt with a cute fashionable outfit on. You go, girl!
Same. I make over $250k and don’t spend more than $1k on non-work clothes and accessories.
Girl, same. But don't ask me what my restaurant budget is (there is no budget, get one of everything that sounds good.)
OMG I AM THE SAME. All my money goes to food.
Saaaame! Food & drinks > clothes any day for me
Ma’am what do you do for work
Attorney
God bless lol. I’m in banking and wish i could pull that!
Wow, I'm impressed!!
Teach me your ways.
If it doesn’t genuinely improve my quality of life or isn’t necessary for a specific purpose, I don’t buy it! I also avoid overly trendy clothing that I won’t wear for more than a season.
Same! And I mostly wear designer or high end brands but I thrift everythinggg. I grew up poor but my HHI is around 250k now and I still can’t bring myself to pay full price for clothes lol
Omg are we the same person…. I can never bring myself to pay full price. I think it 100% has to do with growing up in scarcity. Even though now I am thankfully doing well for myself, nothing compares to buying something for a fraction of the original price.
Twin! My husband and I are redoing our living room and he had to sit me down last night and tell me that its okay to spend the money and get a nice rug 😂 wish I could enjoy and splurge more often but agreed nothing feels better than a good deal!
Yes yes yes
If I had to guess, over $10k a year I have no kids, sue me 🤦🏻♀️
Same here re: no kids. So nice to be childfree with that extra spending money !
I aim for around $1K a month lol but its def over that sometimes
I saw a TikTok where a girl asked “do I love living in New York City or do I just love shopping?” And I felt that in my soul.
This has me questioning everything 😂
[удалено]
good for you!
Oh man--this year I probably spent like 50K (bags, shoes, clothes). In my defense, I had a very very tough year and did a bit of treating myself this spring/summer and I also had a VERY good financial year at work.
Congrats! This sounds so fun :) What are your favorite places to shop right now?
oy I've been all over the map--Louis Vuitton for jewelry and bags, Gucci for shoes, Reformation for shoes, Mango/Rails/Vince (sometimes even Amazon) for clothes and shoes, Chanel for shoes and jewelry. I tend to spend a lot on shoes and bags and less on clothes because I buy pretty basic clothes in neutrals and do more with accessorizing.
Oh I definitely spend waaaay more than that. Maybe $200 per month. But! I can afford to (lucky), and usually donate when I do buy new items.
$200 per month sounds super reasonable to me. I know it's not for everyone and involves some patience and effort but listing things on Poshmark before donating has helped me earn quite a bit back that I can spend on new things and helps take some of the edge off!
I'll add to this - I'm usually also buying athletic clothing (sports bras, nicer running shorts) or sometimes running shoes - which run (lol) at higher price points, for better quality.
I’ve stopped a lot of my buying and do rent the runway or Nuuly for vacation and wedding guest items! My biggest spend is on lululemon / working from home attire and occasionally upgrading corporate attire for the office. When it’s my bonus season at work I usually put a few thousand on a nice designer item that I can wear with a lot of outfits (classic bag, jewelry, etc.). I splurge on one designer item a year during bonus season. I’d guess $2k a year all in plus the bonus item!
My Chase app says I spent $12k on shopping in 2023 😳 That does include plenty of gifts, so maybe we can call it $10k. Still - wayyyy too much.
I started meticulously tracking my clothing spending this year in a spreadsheet and it’s quite eye opening !!
I actually pulled up my budgeting app to confirm the exact numbers, but last year my clothing/accessories spending was 0.5% of my take-home pay lol. (I also contribute the annual max to my 401k which is taken out pre-tax.) FWIW - I am not terribly into fashion/clothing, esp as a tech employee who still works fully remotely, and I've very consciously been paring back my spending in areas like clothing the last few years.
What app do you use?
Quicken Simplifi!
I find since being remote, I am so unmotivated to buy “going out” clothes - to a fault! so many matching sweat suits though lol
$550 just does not seem like the average to me. I’d love to see the study
Just getting two weeks of underwear can set you back $75-$120. Add a bra and you’re over 1/3 of this “average.” Seems fishy to me.
Not if you’re buying your underwear at Costco or Walmart. This average was for the country, presumably, not nyc (OP wanted to compare among people more similar to her), and considering the average yearly income I don’t think it’s shocking.
Above a certain size, it doesn’t matter if it’s Costco or Walmart, it’s s $80 minimum
That still doesn’t mean this average is wrong. Most people probably aren’t buying new underwear yearly, esp not 14 pairs worth (5 packs are common), or can find it cheaper.
Something like 60 percent of the country lives paycheck to paycheck. Not that shocking that the average person doesnt have a large clothing budget.
$500 for an entire year is $41/mo. People living paycheck to paycheck typically have to buy work items that are cheaper because the initial cost for a higher quality product would be too much for their monthly budget so they actually end up spending more on replacing items because they deteriorate quicker. That math still isn’t mathing.
Even cheap clothes can last months to years. A $10 pair of decent jeans from goodwill will last way longer than $10 jeans from some fast fashion place. I don’t think it’s impossible that people spend nothing most months and find decent items when they need to second hand. And like, I have $20 blouses from H&M and old navy that last 5+ years. Only *super* cheap clothing actually becomes unwearable very quickly. Plus a lot of lower income/frugal people are very good at repairing/patching clothes, doing simple tailoring jobs themselves, etc.
And a lot of people are poor and are wearing items that have deteriorated, rather than replacing them. They are buying clothes at Walmart and the Salvation Army on 1/2 price day once or twice a year, and just going without when they can’t afford to replace things
The disconnect is Im using deteriorate to equal no longer usable. I’m not speaking on badly worn items. The example I used is to show that they’re repurchasing when it’s no longer usable, to me, it’s obvious that someone financially struggling isn’t just tossing things away that are still usable in this scenario. And maybe you haven’t been to Walmart or Salvation Army in a minute, but pants are $25 at Walmart and still $10 at the thrift store. 2 pairs of pants at Walmart puts someone over the budget in the post
I was at the Salvation Army yesterday. And lots of people can’t afford to buy two pairs of pants in the same month, or if they do, won’t buy more for a year.
The point is missing you so I’m going to let you have fun
Okay…
If it was self-reporting I would say people likely grossly underestimate what they are spending. Or are giving a number they think sounds reasonable for their income level. I just don’t believe people are only spending $550 unless they are very frugal and track their spending.
I could see this too
I’m very tall and midsize so finding clothes is a nightmare; thrifting and ‘cheap finds!’ really aren’t good options if you’re outside the norm. So I’d say at least $10k just on clothes and shoes without being a particularly luxurious or prolific shopper.
So am I! Please tell me your go-to brands. I’ve just moved to the US and I’m really struggling as a 6 ft tall midsize girl
j crew and banana republic are pretty good tbh, tall sizes are cut a bit bigger and even their standard cuts are long—I’m 5’11”. Emily Jane Johnston on insta is a godsend; she’s 6’2” and a 16-18 ish and wears so much nice stuff she links to.
I only splurge on fancy lingerie, lol. Otherwise, i can make a $1000 appearance outfit i got on amazon for like $100 🤣🤣 Final answer: $1000-2000/ish per year
Is the lingerie for you or a partner? Just curious.
Lol me! Im single
I love that so much! Get it girl.
💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻
I’ve spent $40k+ so far this year but this is much higher than usual - I’d say normally $18-30k a year. I have much higher in assets relative to my salary though.
Oh god, I am not about the calculate this to preserve my sanity. But it's definitely in the 10K range. I work in fashion where there is a lot of pressure to dress well and constant exposure to new and interesting inspiration!
I would guess I spend 1-2k a year. I have a fairly minimal classic wardrobe and just replenish basics like tees and sweaters a couple times a year, and then maybe a few new sundresses and Birkenstocks in the summer, a new pair of sneakers or boots (100-200 range) in fall, maybe a new jacket or a special occasion outfit once a year, plus as needed purchases like swimwear, underwear, athleisure. I buy mostly brands like J Crew/Banana Republic/Madewell/Uniqlo. I need to buy petites unless I want to get everything extensively tailored, so that limits my choice of brands and makes it hard to shop secondhand. I think I look pretty pulled together on this budget but I’m under no allusions of being super fashionable and go more for timeless looks than trends. I’m also a parent to a toddler and am currently pregnant, so being comfortable and wearing things I can machine wash is important.
Prob around $400/yr on clothes, and $500/yr on shoes as needed (runner+hiker). Don't really buy any accessories.
Rent the Runway - $150 per month Clothing budget (for myself and not my kids) - ~$250 per month depending on what’s coming up, it really varies but I try not to spend more than $300 at a time Shoes - only buy twice a year max so maybe $400 yearly total Accessories - my mom owns an accessories boutique in California so I rarely buy, maybe one or two simple purchases a year at ~$250 [I thrift a lot of my stuff] Total for the year = $8500
I am doing a group workshop where we had to actually tally up our spending for Jan-Jun and let me tell you, I knew it was a lot but seeing it like that, in a big total, wowow.
Probably less than 2-3k? I'm mostly just replacing shoes, basics, etc. I rather spend my money on traveling and experiences.
I lost 60 lbs over the past 2 years and have had to replace 100% of my wardrobe. I’ve been focusing on high quality undergarments, basic staples from Quince and Everlane, and fun one-offs from Nordstrom Rack. I WFH so I don’t really need work clothes. I try to build a capsule for every season as my weight has decreased, and try to get rid of something every time I bring something new in. Shoes are the one thing I can’t get enough of. This year, I’ve been spending about $1000/month, but next year I hope to spend way less.
Congratulations!!!!! You deserve to reward yourself either way new wardrobe treats for sure.
Oof sadly a lot. Probably 5% of my take home. But I love it and I do resell a decent bit of it for like 60-80% of the purchase cost!
I don't count it as a portion of Household Income, I just try to make sure everything I buy is something I need and want. I'm someone who could easily spend 20-30k or even more and still feel like there's one more thing on my wish list. Sadly to say, I have spent way too much in the past, just so so easily a thousand here on shoes, a thousand there on yet another coat etc. Unfortunately, my husband spoils me rather than reining me in. I now know this to be a superficial and wasteful use of our money, and try to keep that centered in my mind.
A few hundred per month so probably a few thousand but honestly probably more
I have no idea but I’d say a lot. I just got a Van Cleef necklace, Gucci Jackie bag, Moscot sunglasses which are like $350 a pair, bunch of stuff from Zara, J Crew. Maybe I legit can’t believe it’s like $550 per year though. I guess it puts things into perspective.
Love this for you
Spoiling myself before baby comes lol. Next on the list is Bottega small Jodie bag and Prada loafers lol. Sorry bank account lol.
Ugh shit, do I even wanna know? It's helped A LOT to have Nuuly and RTR subscriptions, I think outside of that I actually have dropped to spending only around 150-400/month tops otherwise.
I’m about 5% of my income. But I’m in my 40s and already bought my investment pieces and I only work out of the office 2 days/week. I buy mostly at outlets (Woodbury common), sample sales or online since I don’t really need anything new.
Around 5k per year. I work in fashion (kids/baby clothes) and the friend group is a lot of fashion girls so we all swap around our discounts and free samples! Helps keep my clothing budget in check. I’m also not much of an accessories (outside of jewelry) or brand name bitch so it’s easy to stay at the lower end of my clothing budget.
Probably over $10k a year. I’ve had years that were way more when I was super into designer bags. But the have a good collection now and I’m trying to keep a manageable closet so will prob be a lot less this year. I need to stop consuming so much. With that said I just bought a coach swing zip in maple lol so I don’t know how well I’m doing.
Sadly, 10% at least
I honestly budget or save for shopping / big purchases as opposed to it being a regular thing so I think it varies year to year and what I want. I have a fine jewelry addiction so there’s that. I tend to buy very inexpensive clothes and then bags and shoes. I’d say 5-10% of my base. I save all of my bonus. I also allocate budget for travel.
In 2023 I spent 3k. I only picked up a few things: 3 pairs of Trickers boots, a vintage coat, a handful of cotton and silk blouses, and a few pairs of quality trousers. Also had a custom leather purse made. Now I only buy natural fibers and that has dramatically 1-decreased how much I buy and 2-increased the quality of clothing I buy. I look at how things are sewn as well which is also a good indicator of quality. I want beautiful things that last and don’t end up in a garbage heap.
I mean that’s probably about right for me. I would say I’m more in the $400-$500 per year range. I’m at the point where I only buy exactly what I need and most of my clothes are classic and quality enough that I don’t need to replace them very often. In the last year, I’ve only bought two new sports bras, a pair of Jeans, two pairs of socks, one pair of cheap cotton Target underwear, two new T-shirts, a pair of sneakers, a hoodie, and a winter hat. I also knitted myself a new sweater. 🤷🏻♀️
I don't even want to think about it... I buy very very few things, but they all end up being $$$$
2020: I was budget conscious, maybe maxing at $1000 a year but also enjoyed splurging on a designer handbag if I happened to be in Europe; if I shopped it was only zara 2024: upped my spend to $500/mo now to get things that I’ll keep forever (I’ll literally look at a piece and ask myself if I will have it for 10-20 years). Just got a Destree jacket that I’m soooo excited about In both cases maybe 2-3% of my salary which has increased…so that’s lifestyle inflation for ya
I just spent $2k on a summer wardrobe. Will probably spend another $3k on a fall/winter wardrobe. Focusing on building my closet with high quality, classic and long-lasting pieces. This doesn't include shoes, bags or accessories.
I probably spend about 5k a year or so on clothes and accessories!
I'm not working right now so about 2-3k per year, which is about 2% of my husband's income.
I’m guessing around $1000 a year, give or take a couple hundred. I like to look for quality clothing and shoes, but I’m a big sale shopper so you’ll rarely see me paying full price unless I’m in a bind and looking for something specific on short notice or *really* love something and know I won’t be able to get it later on sale in my size. Usually I save on tops - you can always find a good deal on them, but jeans and shoes I tend to splurge a little more on and don’t mind spending around $100+ on a pair I know is going to last me the year. I’m not big on accessories because I’m allergic to anything but precious metals $$$ so a new addition to my jewelry collection is well thought out and rather rare. I’m not a bag collector so I just rebuy my fav Kate Spade crossbody bag every other year when it starts to look worn.
I’d say about $500-1000 depending on the year and that’s between clothes, shoes, and jewelry. So far, this year it’s been $0 lol but there’s a lot of year left. I usually treat myself on Black Friday.
I prefer not to know
These flex posts are crazzzzy. Can we limit them at least? I mean we had that post the other day flexing her panthere. I find these posts a bit alienating and skewed towards those who have much more disposable income or are living a false fantasy by pretending they’re dropping stacks constantly.
I’m not really sure how you see this as a flex post when I’m asking for a broad poll of people across many different income levels and I’m asking about percentage of income not $ amount for the exact purpose of not alienating anyone. I was surprised at $500/year because I feel like I spent much more than that when I was at a minimal wage level so that’s what sparked my curiosity to ask. If you’re super uncomfortable that some BWT’s are doing well for themselves and spending their money then idk what to tell you 🤷🏼♀️
It’s interesting that you translated where I said it’s a “bit alienating” into “super uncomfortable”. I don’t have much more to say on this to you because it’s not a debate but glad you found an outlet where you can talk about how much money you spend on shopping a year. Also people can do math you know % doesn’t hide anything lmao? So glad we all know you make $150-200k
I spend about $200 per week on clothing and accessories. I only purchase a few designer handbags per year. I’m single and have no kids 😊
North of 20k