New Clothes Equal less Money

I went shopping today for new dress clothes in preparation for my upcoming semester which requires me to spend more hours observing in schools.  Before today I had no dress pants and only a couple of dress shirts aka oxfords that fit me.  Just a side note, I think it's a good idea for all of us to go through our closets periodically to get rid of clothes that we no longer wear in order to free up space and to donate clothing to places such as goodwill or the salvation army for less fortunate people.  I like the Carson Kressly rule:  If you haven't worn it in a year get rid of it.  My only amendment to that rule is a suit or tuxedo for males, as it's always good to have one around in case of a wedding, funeral, or black tie event.  The equivalent for women would probably be a simple mid-length black dress but I'm not going to attempt to be a go-to for woman's fashion.  I really don't like clutter and I feel like a lot of people have way too much crap.  If you're not using it get rid of it so that you'll have more space and somebody else may put your items to use; items that would otherwise be collecting dust in your home.

So back to my shopping excursion, I began at TJ Maxx because you can always find name brand items there for very affordable prices.  I've gotten dress clothes there in the past so I started there before moving on to a higher end store.  I was quite disappointed because they didn't have any nice dress pants, or really any dress pants in my size, and all of the shirts were packaged so I couldn't try them on before purchasing.  I ended up leaving with some socks and two dress shirts on the assumption that if they didn't fit well I would return them.  Overall it was a bit of a discouraging start to my shopping adventure as I was hoping that I wouldn't have to spend too much money (something I'm very short on at the moment), but unfortunately when it comes to fashion you usually have to pay more money to look good.

Just another side note; I probably enjoy shopping and clothing much more than the average straight male.  I think it's fun to buy new clothes and shoes and to look good and I'm a big fan of shoes specifically.  Not really sneakers but moccasins, boots, oxfords, wingtips, boat shoes, and sandals are lots of fun.  The only part of shopping that I don't enjoy is the money spending portion, or when I see things that I really want but couldn't possibly afford.

That brings us to the next stop on my shopping trip today, Banana Republic.  Let me just say I'd be perfectly fine-x that, I'd be ecstatic- if all I could wear were clothes from Banana Republic.  I love their clothes and if I had the money my wardrobe would be almost exclusively filled with clothes from Banana Republic.  If you know fashion well I know what you're thinking...Banana Republic isn't THAT expensive.  Well guess what for a suburban 24 year old who works part time at borders and doesn't get too much help from the parentals when it comes to 'vanity items' such as clothing, the place can be quite pricey.  Luckily I had a coupon for buy one item and get another at 60% off, so I wasn't feeling horrible about the amount of money I'd be spending.  Initially I was a bit confused and intimidated by all of the high prices but a nice employee helped me out and gave me some very good suggestions.  In the end I bought 3 pairs of dress pants and one oxford shirt.  I was also able to use a second coupon that a customer gave me because he did not end up buying anything; thanks again random man you saved me some big bucks.  I have another coupon for next Saturday as well (the buy one get one 60% off is only good on Saturdays) and I may have to go back and pick up a couple of sweaters.  I spent more than I was looking to, but I bought good quality items that are tailored well for my body and look really nice.  At first I was feeling really guilty about all the money I spent but then I realized that I deserve to have some nice things, especially when I actually need them for my upcoming observations and student teaching.  I've figured out that's it's ok to go a little overboard every now and then on consumer good like clothes or electronics, because we all deserve to treat ourselves every once in a while.  Sure I could have gone to a less expensive establishment, but I'm happy to know that I will be wearing better quality clothing that looks and feels great.