When it comes to your wardrobe do you focus on quantity or quality?

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   ElleBeeposted 10 years ago

   When it comes to your wardrobe do you focus on quantity or quality?
   
   I recently read that Parisian women generally have 1/2 as many clothing items as American women, but tend to have very high quality items.  I am curious, what clothing philosophy do you go for - quantity? quality? or a hybrid of both?

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   CraftytotheCoreposted 10 years ago

   Personally, there was a time when I had a lot of clothing.  Most of which I never ended up wearing and giving away.  I've downsized my wardrobe to a measured space in which I keep organized.  I work from home and take care of two children, so my wardrobe no longer consists of the professional wear I once owned.  Now I own 2 pair of slacks, a few sweaters, a few really nice ruffled tanks, with sweaters/shall type pieces to wear over them.  I also have about a week's worth of dresses for nice occasions.  (I own a basic cocktail dress as well as a cotton blue dress for less dressier conservative events.)
   
   The rest of my wardrobe is athletic pants in blue and black.  I walk everyday so they are necessary for me.  As well as basic tees and long sleeve shirts.
   
   I still have a few nice pair of heels, but mostly I wear sneakers. And my favorite are clogs.  I also own boots because I am a farm girl.

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3. 73

   lburmasterposted 10 years ago

   Quality. French women do the same thing. They hit the sales once a year, then only have minimal clothing that fits their bodies perfectly and really shows them off. You can have plenty of clothes and still look horrible.

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      Express10posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      You hit the nail on the head. I know a couple of people who spend an inordinate amount of time and money with the goal of not wearing the same thing, but they look less than good or even decent in a new outfit each day.

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   BuffaloGal1960posted 10 years ago

   As a Native American, I focus no quality because I love my pieces of turquoise and sterling silver jewelry, a beaded fringed leather jacket.  I pick good quality that goes with those favorites.

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      BuffaloGal1960posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      on quality not NO quality..typo!

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   Express10posted 10 years ago

   Quality is most important to me, for example I may spend several hundred dollars on leather boots or handbags but I know I will have them for many years to come. Some of my shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, and jeans are more expensive than I thought I would ever spend on a single item but I took a hard look at the crap I had been buying and how often it didn't fit well, wash well, or simply be comfortable AND be flattering at the same time. It took a long time for me to be satisfied and consider myself as having a full closet but the clothes I have I am happy with and know they aren't going to be passe the day or week after I've bought them.

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      ElleBeeposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Makes sense to me.

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   sheilamyersposted 10 years ago

   I definitely don't go for having a lot of clothes. As for quality, I know some women would look at the tags in my clothes and tell me there's no quality in my wardrobe either. Do I really need to spend a lot more money on the supposedly better quality brand? No, because a higher price and that name brand tag doesn't always last any longer than the things I buy and own. Express spent a hundred dollars on leather boots because they would last years; I have a pair of army combat boots that were standard issue (and not any top-of-the-line name brand) and I've been wearing them for over 20 years. I buy shirts and pants off the rack at Wal-Mart that fit just fine and they've held up longer than any I've bought at the specialty shops. It seems when I spend more than $30 for a pair of tennis shoes, they wear out in months, but the $20 "generic" ones I buy last for at least a couple of years. I guess what I'm trying to say is that cost doesn't always equate to quality. I save money at the time of purchase and, in the long run, I save money because the stuff I do buy lasts a lot longer and doesn't have to be replaced as often.

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   RobinBullposted 10 years ago

   Generally I focus on quality.  I buy from clearance racks and thrift stores.  I end up with both.

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      ElleBeeposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Sounds like my philosophy.  Someone was asking me why I buy thrift all the time (they were grossed out by the used factor) and I said its b/c I would rather a high-quality item second hand then pay $5 for something cheap that will barely last a year

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   jansharesposted 10 years ago

   Quality over quantity works best for me. I tend to like classic, neutral quality pieces that will last for years. Trends are not a quality investment because they will be out of style next season. I used to be more of a clothes horse than I am now and find that I buy a lot less as I've matured.

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      ElleBeeposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Makes sense.  I definitely like to use more classic items and mix them up with scarves, accessories etc. for new looks.  I'm definitely still a clothes horse though haha

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   petenaliposted 10 years ago

   My goal is to have good quality items that fit well but I also have a policy that I will only by brand name items on sale.  My closet is well stocked with such items, so I would say that quality trumps quantity in my case.  However, by hunting around, it is possible to dress really well and spend no more than others who by lots of cheap stuff.  Making clothing items work in different outfits is key as is buying good quality staple items.

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