The theory of small expenses: How to save money on buying clothes and not to suffer
In times of crisis it becomes especially obvious that absolute financial stability is a luxury unavailable to most. Money comes and goes, and when this happens, the first item under the knife is “new clothes and accessories”. Meanwhile, the path of consumer culture by 2015 became extremely quirky and ruthless. Everything around is screaming about the need to buy more, buy new things: from cute instagrams of fashion brands to contextual advertising, which will forever remember that you once clicked with a quivering hand on the photo of new Nike sneakers. A dozen glossy magazines ceased to influence minds as they used to, but hundreds of online publications quickly occupied this niche, and smart people realized that advertising in them was much more effective and hit the target (ideally offering the opportunity to buy in one click). What do banners on Highsnobiety tell us? Yes, the same as the turn in the magazine i-D. "Choose a three-piece suit of the best company from the most expensive material", - the thoughts of the hero "On the needle" have been relevant for almost twenty years now.
It seems that we began to spend much less time wandering around huge malls and random purchases between the escalator and food court, but we order things from online stores. Those, in turn, acquired their own publications with full-fledged editors. Thanks to their work, we began to make purchases more consciously, but in fact we wanted to get more. Social networks are also subordinated to their celebrities - and this is not only about a big famous family, in honor of which Balmain and Givenchy, but also about athletes, indie stars, stylists of niche publications, and so on. Their snow-white sneakers, perfect cashmere sweaters and jeans in sequins are hinting: it's time to go shopping.
Because of the dramatic change in the euro and the dollar, many of us a year ago realized that the world will never be the same. There is no more room for Lemaire coats from La Garçonne - buying simple outerwear for 120,000 rubles with any discounts seems insane. Modern realities are such that even a coat from the joint collection of Uniqlo and Lemaire is something for which one has to restrict oneself. So how to get out?
For a start it is worth supporting the world course on conscious consumption and to deal with your closet. Seriously, it will take only one day off, and it will make life easier for at least a year. Do you hang in front of a photo of a perfect white T-shirt for $ 100? A careful examination of the wardrobe will help you remember that you have about five of the same (just add bleach). Try to sort out old things: first of all, it is better to put aside those that have lost their original appearance (this almost always concerns democratic brands), and after that - take it to those in need that you haven't worn for a long time. Do not believe the inner voice, whispering that the time of red tights just has not come yet. It will never come. But not far from them - in the far corner or a forgotten box - the nameless silk dress that you bought at sea two years ago may well hang around, and you never wore it.
But even if you do not find anything new for yourself, a dry residue will help you to understand what exactly it is worth investing (which, of course, someday will appear), and even more important - what you should not invest in. If this process does not save you from minute cloudiness, then at least minimizes them.
Another unobvious source to replenish the wardrobe - mezzanine in the country. Ten years ago, parents could have put real treasures in there: huge sweaters, work jackets, worn boots, and flowered dresses. Together with modern clothing, all this has the right to life today. And the phrase: "It seems that this is still my grandfather," besides, it gives you a person with affection for history - not just a family one.
If there is no summer house, it may be time to discover a new wonderful world of seconds. Suppose you’d hardly find a Christian Dior 50's bar jacket for 1000 rubles, like in Berlin, on Russian flea markets, but on the other hand, do you need someone else? We urge you to pay attention to the most ordinary seconds at the subway and the collapse. A list of the largest and most famous (but, unfortunately, often the most expensive) can be found here.
Successful searches for masterpieces in a pile of junk can only be done by people with incredible taste, perseverance or luck: the Wonderzine or Poster-Cities experiments prove that things from the huge Moscow second-market "Megastil" on "Savelovskaya" may well compete with Gucci and Vetements . No wonder that the guests of the capital, foreign designers and musicians, were led here "on the hunt". They know for sure that the label on the label now means about nothing. See for yourself.
If unnamed things on weight confuse you, then vintage, “improved” by time, is another way to support the circulation of things in nature, and not overproduction of new ones. It is worn by Oscar-winning actresses and Brooklyn students. And only in Russia, despite the apparent boom in recent years, neglect of such things still persists. And in vain. Elena Kamai, the founder of Lambada-Market and a lover of vintage clothing, explains why: “The place is completely irrelevant, you can find a worthy thing everywhere, sometimes in a completely unexpected place. I can’t say that it saves my personal money, but if you set a goal , you can easily save and continue to dress cool. Fashion is cyclical, all top things can be found in the past, the main condition is good taste and ability to combine. "
If the soul still doesn’t lie with vintage and second-hand, the simplest way to update your wardrobe for free is to follow the news feed. As practice has shown, you can exchange clothes that you are tired or which for some reason did not suit you, not only with close friends or relatives. Recently, party parties are becoming more and more popular, which can also be reached through distant friends, and leave with them a dozen new acquaintances. The idea of exchanging unnecessary things in the atmosphere of a bachelorette party - from shoes to books and cosmetics - does not seem so crazy: what you have put up with a cross on a long time can be torn off with your hands. Coming here with a suitcase of unwanted clothes, you will most likely leave with the suitcase you need - it's a thrilling business and it's not easy to stop.
Journalist and artist Alisa Taezhnaya recalls: “My friend Nailya arranged for the first swap at home. There are people with talent to collect perfect things around them, and now Nailia is one of those people. We all love collecting and folding beautiful things, but the truth is that a person doesn’t need so much for himself. After the first swap, I realized that I’m still gathering a wagon of all sorts of things for the next one, like my friends. In the original Brooklyn idea, the swap is an exchange of one thing for another. I changed these rules so that on the swap we n rinos everything we want to give up, and take everything you like. At the swap you drink wine, talk about all sorts of nonsense, light up and cool off clothes. "
Alice admits that a swap is not only about the fact that good things can be free, but also about the fact that it's time to stop doing stupid hoarding. After all, the more you share - the more you get: "All unnecessary things we take to church or crisis center, where you always need neat and clean clothes for thousands of those who are less fortunate. I grew up in a fairly modest family, where it was customary to have one jacket for the winter and one for the autumn. In truth, it’s good to come to the same after long years of consumerism. "
Finding clothes and shoes at swap parties, you also limit yourself to unnecessary and random purchases from brands (again, this applies mainly to the mass market), which often lead a very unethical business. “If you know a little about the issue and understand how the economy of fashion houses or the mass market is built, then you know how much Zara dress or Michael Kors bag actually cost. After I learned the conditions in which seamstresses work, after that Nobody will persuade me to buy these things in the Primark label. While I can’t change all my habits, but I’m learning to do with a small amount. For the last year I only bought T-shirts and sports shoes - I hope that I’ll continue to limit myself to them "- says Alice. It remains to take an example. Nothing prevents you from trying to organize such a party yourself.
If you do not like parties as a fact, and your favorite pastime - to be at home, you may want to think about buying a sewing machine. In Soviet times, girls whose mothers sewed clothes were always visible from afar. And now, after so much time on cutting and sewing courses, the complete record is again. Yes, initially it is also worth the investment, but if you are confident in your own enthusiasm - it can pay off with interest.
Buying T-shirts and basic sweatshirts will still be cheaper in the mass market, but if you really love beautiful clothes and are tangled with the design, then this method will suit you. As, for example, Galina Babina, an assistant designer and costume designer, approached: "When I first started attending courses, I was an enthusiastic neophyte and promised myself not to buy anything more from clothes, only to sew. Then my experience as a stylist joined me and I I began to approach the issue of shaping a wardrobe more sanely and comprehensively. Still, I bought several basic turtlenecks and invented and sewed nissies (culottes, skirts) so that everything combined and worked as a designer. But I think if I continue to continue in In the same vein, substantial savings will be made. For example, I have already decided that I will sew a coat myself and look after the fabric. In general, it is difficult to recommend going to learn to sew to people who just want to save. Training, fabrics, equipment - all this costs money, and considerable ones. But if we look at the long-term perspective, the cost of training will pay off with interest, we can buy fabrics in stock warehouses, and they will be of much higher quality than those from which they sew mass-market brands. "
This option is not quite for those who are limited in time, as The Village editor Tanya Reshetnik complains: "It is more profitable to buy a piece of fabric than a ready-made dress even in Zara (not to mention marks a level higher), but then the long process of selecting the style , fittings, notes and working on a sewing machine.In a relaxed mode, if you start sewing only in the evening after work or on a day off, I can do one simple thing in a week and a half.So the temptation to buy your favorite thing in the store does not disappear . On the other hand, if there is enough free time, patience and skills are even more, and money, on the contrary, is sparse, sewing can be the most affordable way to update your wardrobe. Finding a good cloth in Moscow is not so difficult, good and inexpensive - more difficult, but also possible. "
But the most important thing when saving is not to get on the closed sample-sale in Aizel, but to invest in yourself, not in clothes. It always sounds trite, but it's true. You are far from what you wear. Instead of spending money and time on shopping, it's better to take care of yourself: learn languages, go to lectures and museums, read books, travel. The main thing - it will serve much more than the highest quality leather jacket in the world. You do not prove anything to anyone by your appearance, and by investing in the mind, you invest in your future. If you want to look good and feel good at the same time, it is better to spend money on good doctors, cosmetologists, and sports. By undermining your health, the last thing you’ll think about is things.
Photo: 1, 2, 3 via Shutterstock, Zara, Vintage Goods
