My guilty pleasure is reading people's reviews of their fashion purchases. For this week’s newsletter, Every Body Gets Dressed’s contributing editor, , shares her self-imposed clothing budget experiment. Bec is a multidisciplinary creative living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Here’s her breakdown of how she kept experimenting with style while paying down debt, what she learned by funding new purchases through a thorough wardrobe clearout, and how she rated every addition she made this year.
I spent my early thirties pursuing an entrepreneurial path that left me severely in debt and jobless (read: deflated, ashamed, and deeply worried about my financial well-being). Thankfully, I’ve found my footing again; last year I paid off over $10k in high-interest debt, and this year I’ve paid off over $20k. As someone who has always been budget-averse, I can’t credit budgeting for my ascent out of debt (I would attribute it mostly to privilege and the rest to hard work). Nonetheless, as a final push to get out of credit card debt, I implemented a restraint on my clothing purchases. For the past twelve months, I’ve limited my clothing budget to whatever I could make by selling pieces from my closet. What started as a way to save a little money has turned into a practice of making more intentional purchases—leaving me with a wardrobe that feels much truer to my style, and that I actually wear.
Pieces I Let Go This Year
I earned the most by selling on Depop and sending higher-priced designer items to The RealReal. Toward the end of the year, I also started selling via Future Reference.
$187 - Coach bag
$30 - Vintage leather jacket
$37 - Vintage Pendleton blazer + Simon Miller top
$20 - Baserange shorts
$20 - Madewell jeans
$7 - Vintage Ferrari t-shirt
$25 - Everlane boots
$7 - Vintage The Limited top
$20 - Bathing suit
$17 - Vintage tee
$18 - Cole Haan loafers
$11 - Everlane Sweater
$127 - Pamela Love ring + Pollini leather boots
$18 - Vintage 90s red top
$41 - Vintage red/black dress
$9 - Purse
$71 - Anine Bing jeans
$15 - Vintage gold pleated top
$19 - Patterned top
$15 - Vintage lavender cardigan
$251 - Lemaire wide-leg jeans + Comme des Garçons wallet
$125 - Shaina Mote jacket
$33 - Vintage jeans
$45 - Pearl Knits top
$8 - Simon Miller sweatpants
$40 - Bathing suit and vintage knit Gap top
$9 - Nanushka cardigan
$21 - SKIMS bras
$90 - Anine Bing jeans
$13 - Vintage blouse + sweater
$18 - Nu Swim tank
$171 - Jacquemus cargo pants
$6 - Madewell tank
Total: $1,552
What It Paid For (+ Gifts)
Spending Rules
I allowed a few exceptions: tailoring, cobbler visits, socks, and undergarments, and dyeing stained pants at Suay’s Community Dye Bath didn’t count against the budget. If I received a monetary gift (I usually ask for a The Real Real gift card), that money would be added to my budget.
Issey Miyake top, $450 (gift from my partner). This piece was a lovely gift that meant a lot to me. My partner noticed my comment on an Instagram post of the Chiffon Twist Top from a local retailer and went to the store to buy it for me for Christmas. It was an especially good gift because I normally wouldn’t spend $450 on a top. The texture and sheer quality of the fabric have added interest to many of my looks throughout the year, and it’s been my go-to piece for special events and dates. 10/10
Reformation straight-leg jeans, $178. On my hunt for the perfect 90s-inspired jeans, I purchased the Reformation Val 90s mid-rise straight jeans in two sizes. They weren’t quite right; the inseam was a little short on me, and they were too wide to be flattering. Also, the two different sizes fit the same, which didn’t make me feel great about the quality. I lost $8 on this one since Reformation doesn’t offer free returns, but I felt good about not keeping something that wasn’t just what I was looking for. RETURNED 0/10
Gil Rodriguez Fleece City jacket, $285 (gift from my sisters). I adore this jacket. I eyed it for a full twelve months before it landed in my closet. It’s perfectly at home in my casual routine, and it’s always such a win when I find a supremely functional item that suits my personal style. 10/10
Anine Bing jeans, $121. Still on the hunt for the perfect jeans, I tried out the Brie