Pant-demic

I was e-mailed an ad today that declared "The perfect summer pant is just $69!"

"Just $69"?

My definition of inexpensive, especially when it comes to clothes, is $20 or less. And it has to fit right -- tailoring is great, but it jacks up the price of an otherwise sale-priced item.

Even when times were good, I never spent $69 -- or $59, or $49 -- on a pair of pants. My friends don't make overt references to me looking like a sloppy mess or ragdoll, either, so I figure my less-pricey slacks are just fine.

I will invest money in a good suit, but that's about the only thing (besides my prom dress, back in 1995) that I've ever spent more than $100 on. And at least a suit is two pieces.

I love buying new clothes as much as I love telling people how great a deal I got on them. One of my recent favorites: a $150 printed dress that fit like a glove for $23. It was brand new, not from a thrift store, and it was simply the very last one on the rack.

What about you?

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Comments

[Jesse Silverglate]

I try to keep my pant purchases to under $20 by shopping during sales or at discount outlets. Once I get a pair of pants I keep them for years. When the cuffs begin to fray in a pair of dress trousers, I use stones to wear holes in the knees making my pants a trendy pair of casual trousers. When the knee holes begin to expand I cut the pants down and wear them as a pair of shorts. Sometimes I unravel the threads to give the shorts a nice South Beach look. By the time the shorts are ready to wear out, I have outgrown them and make a donation to Good Will. I take a tax deduction on the full original cost of the pants.

[Nirvi Shah]

Great ideas Jesse! Thanks for sharing. You really know how to get mileage out of your clothes. I'm impressed.