Here’s a reader question that warranted its own article. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to budget your clothing dollars, decide what to spend on, and pick which designer pieces to invest in, keep reading!

“How do you splurge!? I’ve been a penny-pincher since birth but I, like many other girls, have cravings for couture… how do you do it?”

The what-to-splurge-on question is something that we all have to worry about. I’ve been asked about this before, and here’s how I calculate my splurges. Contrary to what some people may believe, there are certain times when it’s better to spend more money on an article of clothing than less. Want to know how it works?

Table of Contents

Fashion Theory

Let’s start by talking “fashion theory” – the basics of splurging and saving, while building a fabulous wardrobe. Believe it or not, there is a method to buying expensive clothes, in order to maximize style for the price you pay.

When it comes to your wardrobe, you should splurge on classics – basic items that you will wear over and over. It’s better to spend on quality and save on trendy items that you won’t wear all the time. You can build your wardrobe from there.

If you’re going to buy a designer piece, make sure you get a basic, classic item first. Build up your wardrobe and accessory collection from the basics to the crazy stuff. Buy shiny, trendy pieces later when you can afford to have things you won’t wear very often. It’s all about value for your money.

Cost Per Wear

So how can you figure out how much something is actually worth? How can you know the value of a piece of clothing? Easy. It all comes down to cost-per-wear. If you factor in how often you’ll wear a garment, a pair of designer jeans can end up costing you less than a cheap top from Forever 21! Sounds amazing, right?