Fall clothes tend to cost more than Spring ones - cashmere and leather, coats and boots, everything really adds up.
There’s great vintage finds in those categories, and J. Crew’s latest batch is crisply awesome, but still -
There’s that one big thing, the coat or the bag or the shoes, that probably cost more than rent. And still, it tugs at your gut until you finally give in and buy it.
So we have a system in our heads:
Buy that Big Thing and wear it once - it cost you $1100.
But wear it twice, and it only costs $550.
And if you wear that Big Thing to work every day for a year… well, you get how it goes. Pretty soon we’ve convinced ourselves that the $1100 trench or the $1500 bag really costs 75 cents - even negative money, if we imagine giving it to our (equally imagined) daughter.
We call this system Pay-for-Play fashion, and though it’s risky and can only be done in moderation, it does soothe our panic when we know an item is extraordinary, but we also have a budget.
Are you a Pay-for-Play girl, or do wait for the Sample Sale?
posted by h
Aug 09, 2007 11:42AM
When I was in middle school, my mother forced me to go to Barbizon modeling school in an attempt to correct my posture in a way that would be "fun". Part of their brainwashing scheme was this theory, but they called it "price per wear." Yes, in theory it's a wonderful idea that can help you pluck down that cash, but if you can't make rent that month than that cute little trench coat will become your home. Just think smart, if you're going to wear it right then go for it. If it's going to be a few months, wait for the sale.