Extreme Wardrobe Budget Shopping Challenge: What I Bought With $200
I have $200 to spend on clothes. Do I opt for one (or two) more expensive pieces or a handful of cheap clothes?
I went for quantity over quality this time because I need a lot of stuff, especially for summer. I wanted to see how many pieces I could get that was of enough quality to last until next summer (at least).
My taste in clothing is either very basic or very unusual, then I combine them. I hate trendy stuff so anything fashiony is out. I also hate logos. If a corporation or designer wants me to advertise for them, they should pay me, not the other way around. Plus, logos feel "show-offy" and that's not my style.
I hit the Gap first because I need new jeans and I like theirs. They make my ass look good, and that's all that's important when it comes to jeans. The Gap and Express/Limited are similar, in which you have to get there on a good day to find the style you want, in the right size, and right length; and, sometimes on a really, REALLY good day, they're on sale. It wasn't a good day at either store. I couldn't find any straight-leg jeans in my length, and I am so tired of boot-cuts and flares. At the "ExLimited", I found a nice pair of black pinstripe pants, but they were too long (as usual). I think they have something against people who are 5'2".
I went into B. Moss next, which I never heard of before. Two words: Wal-Mart quality. But, I did find a pair of gray/red glen-plaid cropped pants I liked. I checked for quality--seams were tight and no hanging threads. The material felt cheap though, and the button was loose. But, I thought they'd still look cute with a white lace top, red sandals, and some silver jewelry.
Next, I hit a teeny-bopper store called Rave and found a nice top. It's a brown & cream marbled knit sheer sleeveless top with brown lace at the collar and ruching down the middle. I checked it for flaws at the store, but when I got home I noticed a small pull in it. It's not really noticeable, but still...I noticed it. I'm not sure what to pair it with yet because it looks too dressy with jeans.
At some other store, and I have no idea which one, I picked up two inexpensive tee shirts. Both have a tie-dyed effect, but not in a Grateful Dead kind of way. They look more punk than hippie. One is orange and yellow with a heart & skull tattoo motif, and the other is blue and brown with a cross & rose tattoo motif. They border on trendy, and would probably look much more appropriate on someone in their teens or twenties, but I don't care because I like them.
At the same store, it was "buy-two-accessories, get-one-free" day. So I got a pair of stone & wood bead drop earrings and a pair of drops with wooden rings. That pair won't last too long because the gold-tone spray paint will come off in a few months. The other pair is gold-tone too, but you can't really see the gold when they're in my ears, so they should last longer. For the third accessory, I got a pair of socks (to wear with my pajamas)--cream with pink roses that have the word "le fleur" on them.
Next stop, Bath & Body Works. I only got attacked by one salesperson, which must mean they're either cutting down with their trademark aggressive sales approach or some people were on lunch break. I got the Japanese Cherry Blossom Shower Gel and Body Spray. I'll wear the body spray in the summer because it's a light scent and not sickenly sweet like most B&BW scents. Also picked up Botanical Nutrients Hair Reconstructor (deep conditioning treatment) because I have Schizophrenic Hair Disorder. It's true. I mean it's not straight, but it's not curly. It's like half curly-wavy and has no direction whatsoever. Also, it gets oily if I don't wash it every day, but at the same time it's dry and frizzy. Ponytail holders are my friends.
I also picked up Henri Bendel Orange Flower Body Lotion. No, there's no Bendel's in Roanoke, Virginia. They had it at B&BW. Even Banana Republic is considered too high-end for Roanoke. Man, I never get tired of bitching about Roanoke...it's just too easy. Anyway, I like the scent of this body lotion and may go back and pick up the toilette spray too.
UPDATE: August 27, 2007 - How much mileage did I get out of the stuff I bought?
- Glen-Plaid Cropped Pants: I dropped a few pounds, so now they're too big on me and I can't wear them.
- Brown/Cream Sheer Top with Lace & Ruching: Still never found anything to wear it with. To this day, I've never worn that top.
- 2 Tie-Dyed Punk Tees: I wore these often up until I turned 39, then I felt too old to be wearing them.
- Earrings: I don't know what happened to the Stone & Wood Earrings. Guess I lost them. The other pair with Wood Rings, I don't think I ever wore them.
- Cream & Pink Rose Socks: I wear these all the time. They're one of my favorite pairs of socks.
- Japanese Cherry Blossom Shower Gel & Body Spray: I used up the shower gel and still have the body spray. I'm a little tired of the scent though, but I get bored with any perfume or body spray quickly.
- Henri Bendel Orange Flower Body Lotion: I don't know why the hell I buy body lotions because I rarely use them. It still smells good though. I should have bought the toilette spray instead.
Okay, so for $200 I ended up getting mileage out of 2 tee shirts, a pair of socks, a tube of shower gel, and a bottle of body spray. Next time I'm going with one (or two) more expensive pieces.
