Monday, March 2, 2020

Preparing to buy list for buying clothes

Two years ago we bought this house. Now that we have been here we have noticed how we dress different and how clothes and shoes/boots are wearing out. Hubby wore uniforms when he worked factory. So he didn't wear out clothes much.

We set the budget at $1000... that sounds like a lot but actually we have more than that in the clothing budget. We both need winter coats. Hubby wears carhartt... not cheap but they will last him about 5 yrs... He usually only replaces one set (coat and bibs) for good and then moves the old good one down. He picked up about 4 inches on his waist and can't get the good set zipped. I told him to put that set back (as he is trying to lose the weight) and get 2 new sets.

First thing we did was go through Hubby's clothes. His clothes are ragged and stained so I pulled most of them. Daughter 4 is going to use them for rags and donate what ever she doesn't use. He has nice tee shirts (that were in a bottom drawer where there was 2 dozen from when he told the kids to buy him colored tees ), nice undies and socks. Jeans for work... he is down to 4 pairs and 2 of them should be replaced ASAP due to where they are worn thin in areas it would be an issue if it gave way. He has 3 pairs of dress pants *he very seldom wears* His work long sleeve jean shirts he always wears year around... toast.. all 8 of them are toast.  I ordered one from Amazon(wardrobe prime) and if he likes how it fits I will order more *$10 each*.  He like Rural King carpenter pants but they were out of his size for awhile. I just found them again on line so ordered him 3 pairs *$10 each*
He needs 2 carhartt bibs *1 work 1 other* and 2 carhartt coats *1 work 1 other*. But those he will have to suck it up and try on when we go to doctor's appt and run errands on Thursday.

I will need a new winter coat. SIGH... Mother used to buy a coat a little big on her and than give it to me. Daddy would give me which ever coat he decided he didn't want anymore as he was always shopping at the thrift shops for leather coats.I haven't bought a winter coat for a decades.

I need one pair of dress pants in brown and one in black.
I need one pair of white jeans(ordered with sale of half price).
I need no sleeve blouses  (ordered with sale of half price).
I need long sleeve white blouse (ordered with sale of half price).
I need 2 maxi skirts (ordered with sale of half price).

I do not know about skorts as those are still in storage of the barn but I have new shorts from last year,I hope they still fit as I have found most of what I had to be about 2 sizes to big even after I took things in last year.I am hoping that's not the case with the shorts I bought last year.

I need shoes for summer... slip on tennis shoes. I started looking last year, made due with 2 pairs my granddaughter passed down to me... Still looking.

I wear a chef croc in the gardens so I can spray the dirt off.A men's work boot when mowing. I have nice dress shoes and sandals. I have light weight coats and jackets and hoodies. I have shawls and scarfs.

I tried on my jeans. Passed 3 pairs to Daughter 4 as I have lost weight, rotated the pair I have been wearing with another pair.

Decided to do some clothing capsules to get more wear out the nice clothes but for right now tee shirts and sweat pants are my around the home clothes

How do you work your wardrobe and replacing things?





7 comments:

  1. My husband is constantly telling me to buy clothes. I have a lot of nice clothes right now but, like you, I have lost weight and my tops are sliding off my shoulders. Pants are looser but still have Kay for now. I rely heavily on clearance sales. When I get the chance I stock up. I like nicer clothing so it has to be clearance or nothing. I like me expensive underwear so I watch for for the occasional $5 a pair sale and buy then. I have about $500 sitting unspent in the budget but we really don't need anything. I am hopeful ng to hold off on replacing shirts and look through what I have because I am sure I have some smaller things. I have in the past put a small running stitch by hand around the neck of tops and pulled them in a little bit.

    I have seen a lot of coat clearance sales recently. Maybe be Lands End?

    ReplyDelete
  2. When you house is destroyed and you are left with only the clothes on your back, it is hard to think. However, I am doing what I generally do. I buy only short sleeves, so my whole wardrobe of tops in bought in the spring and summer, capitalizing on sales later in the summer. I wear black pants in the winter and light gray in the summer. I would wear black in the summer, but they are too hot, even in the house and under ac. I have to wear knit pants due to knee that was hurt and surgery. I cannot stand for knit pants to touch it. I must wear elastic waists for pants and skirts.

    After the house was destroyed, a woman neighbor bought me two pair of pants and seven blouses. All the blouses were too tight except the one that was too sheer. I told her I had to have elastic waists. She bought 2 pair of expensive pants with waistband and button and from woven material. I took those back and got three nice outfits for dressy, all on sale. The black outfit goes to church each Sunday with different accessories, different sweaters in colors.

    I had a pair of pants on and saved another pair because they were in the car. Those and two pair of sleep pants bought on sale have been what I wear around the house.

    I keep a black skirt and a leopard print one. But, now I have neither.

    I do the same as you and your husband, move the best down to second best when I get new. I had found two pair of Sunday sandals, one white and one black, just before house was destroyed. I did manage to save those because they were in my car. Then, I bought a pair of SAS, heavy, flat black sandals. The pair I had on at the end lives under the car seat so I can put those on if I need to get out of the car in emergency and for going to yard sales.

    I finally got a decent pair of gloves and have needed them only one day. I lost nice leather gloves bought on deep sale at Macy's about 30 years ago!


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I understand. I lost all my clothes in our house fire.

      Delete
  3. My late husband used to go to a store he knew was having men's clothes on sale, and buy what he knew he needed. That happened every few years. Sometimes he would see something on special at Farm'n Fleet. I always try to not pay retail and get things I need on clearance. Usually thrift store shopping doesn't work for me. I have always ordered a lot of things. In the old days from Sears catalog, and now from Blair, Haband, etc. My goal and his was to dress appropriately for the occasion whether just going to the store or to an event.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. we check a lot of "farm" stores that also carry clothing. I also will look when we are at Sam's club...which will be soon as a great grandson is due this summer and his grandma is having a sprinkle party (basic stuff like diapers, wipes etc)

      Delete
  4. Somewhere else you said you went from a size 16 to a size 10. That is a big weight loss. Was it because of illness or were you trying?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. more of trying, I only lost 1 size after getting my Crohn's settled.

      Delete