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The biggest changes to my wardrobe and what require me to buy things most often are external factors. For instance I went from a business casual office environ

The biggest changes to my wardrobe and what require me to buy things most often are external factors. For instance I went from a business casual office environment to working form home, I lost a lot of weight, I took up a new sport, I have a new injury requiring different sorts of footwear. I’m not sure how to work around some of these issues without buying more clothes. My main rule is that if I buy a piece another piece has to get donated. This keeps the size of the collection in check but wouldn’t put a brake on new purchases in and of itself.

londons_explore 7y ago
The real solution is to buy 2nd hand clothes. Most people hate the idea of wearing someone else's clothes... Having visited a small town in south western Ukraine, no shops even sell new clothes - everywhere is selling 2nd hand clothes, and they sell it by weight. Underwear is one price per kilo, and everything else is a higher price per kilo. Even then, a kilo (2 lbs) of clothes (maybe 3 items) cost around $1.50, which was pretty expensive compared to other prices.
- kasey_junk 7y ago
  For me I have no problem wearing used clothes and grew up effectively always shopping second hand. My issue is _time_. I hate shopping for clothes. Finding something that fits, is in good condition and meets my needs involves searching for hours at second hand shops.
  - HenryBemis 7y ago
    (Not promoting/affiliated to eBay) When I made the decision to buy second hand clothes, I only though of eBay (have been buying stuff since 2001(?). I always seem to find a nice sweater etc, I don't mind if the size is a bit off, I can always resell. I would love it if anyone can suggest any other online stores that sell 2nd hand clothes at the volume/options that eBay (it's sellers) can provide.
    - londons_explore 7y ago
      A consistent sizing code system would dramatically simplify online shopping for both new and 2nd hand clothes. Imagine a system where say 10 critical dimensions of a bit of clothing could be embedded onto a QR code on the label. Then you could scan the code with some app which has your measurements (or potentially just take an average of the existing clothes in your wardrobe). It could tell you "Yes, this fits quite well but will be slightly baggy round the waist." The dimensions could also include "stretchability" figures, so the software could know which dimensions are critical to be correct, and which are "fits all sizes". The QR code could also include a manufacturer code, and blacklists could be made of manufacturers who mis-measure clothing.
      - germinalphrase 7y ago
        I’m on board. I’m a small male, and buying clothes that fit is difficult in the US. Buying online is always a such a crapshoot, but at least smaller sizes are available.
      - Mountain_Skies 7y ago
        As part of a fitness program, last year I had a 3D scan made of my body. The website where I downloaded the model data had optional questions almost all about clothing brands and sizing. Sounded like they were planning to work with clothes manufacturers to create clothes custom tailored to your body. The scan cost $60 but you could get a free scan once a month for a year afterwards. Since this was for a fitness program, the main goal was to track body shape changes over time but the process was easy enough that it seems like a viable way of custom sizing clothes to the wearer.
  - karatestomp 7y ago
    1) find your sizing in a few quality brands that fit you well, 2) only buy those brands; use eBay, go to thrift stores that sort by size and then skip everything that’s not one of “your” brands, shop sales online (when they’re actually sales and not bullshit)
- jotm 7y ago
  Interesting, Ukraine has some good clothes factories. The best winter coat I ever bought was Ukrainian, looks timeless and it's still in mint condition. I'm still looking for something like it, I don't know what the synthetic material is called, it just looks great, really soft, silk-like, but not the same as what I see in stores nowadays. It just looks more natural, more expensive somehow.
- jseliger 7y ago
  The real solution is to buy 2nd hand clothes. A fantastic idea if you like doing so or the value of your time is low, but if your time is valuable, figure out the basics you like and buy those.
- JKCalhoun 7y ago
  When I was in college I bought clothes from thrift stores. The initial hesitation I might have had in wearing someone else's clothes disappeared after the first wash/wear cycle of my own. Suddenly after that they were my clothes.
ghaff 7y ago
Between business getting more casual in general, no longer regularly going into an office, and doing a lot of (lightweight) travel, I have piles of dressier clothing and what at least used to be stereotypical business casual (cotton chinos, button down shirt) that I wear on a pretty occasional basis. I have a good stack of "daily wear" clothing, often picked up at holiday sales, that are still in their original packaging from literally years ago. Stuff doesn't really wear out/get ratty very quickly when you hardly ever wear it.

londons_explore 7y ago

The real solution is to buy 2nd hand clothes. Most people hate the idea of wearing someone else's clothes... Having visited a small town in south western Ukraine, no shops even sell new clothes - everywhere is selling 2nd hand clothes, and they sell it by weight. Underwear is one price per kilo, and everything else is a higher price per kilo. Even then, a kilo (2 lbs) of clothes (maybe 3 items) cost around $1.50, which was pretty expensive compared to other prices.

kasey_junk 7y ago
For me I have no problem wearing used clothes and grew up effectively always shopping second hand. My issue is _time_. I hate shopping for clothes. Finding something that fits, is in good condition and meets my needs involves searching for hours at second hand shops.
- HenryBemis 7y ago
  (Not promoting/affiliated to eBay) When I made the decision to buy second hand clothes, I only though of eBay (have been buying stuff since 2001(?). I always seem to find a nice sweater etc, I don't mind if the size is a bit off, I can always resell. I would love it if anyone can suggest any other online stores that sell 2nd hand clothes at the volume/options that eBay (it's sellers) can provide.
  - londons_explore 7y ago
    A consistent sizing code system would dramatically simplify online shopping for both new and 2nd hand clothes. Imagine a system where say 10 critical dimensions of a bit of clothing could be embedded onto a QR code on the label. Then you could scan the code with some app which has your measurements (or potentially just take an average of the existing clothes in your wardrobe). It could tell you "Yes, this fits quite well but will be slightly baggy round the waist." The dimensions could also include "stretchability" figures, so the software could know which dimensions are critical to be correct, and which are "fits all sizes". The QR code could also include a manufacturer code, and blacklists could be made of manufacturers who mis-measure clothing.
    - germinalphrase 7y ago
      I’m on board. I’m a small male, and buying clothes that fit is difficult in the US. Buying online is always a such a crapshoot, but at least smaller sizes are available.
    - Mountain_Skies 7y ago
      As part of a fitness program, last year I had a 3D scan made of my body. The website where I downloaded the model data had optional questions almost all about clothing brands and sizing. Sounded like they were planning to work with clothes manufacturers to create clothes custom tailored to your body. The scan cost $60 but you could get a free scan once a month for a year afterwards. Since this was for a fitness program, the main goal was to track body shape changes over time but the process was easy enough that it seems like a viable way of custom sizing clothes to the wearer.
- karatestomp 7y ago
  1) find your sizing in a few quality brands that fit you well, 2) only buy those brands; use eBay, go to thrift stores that sort by size and then skip everything that’s not one of “your” brands, shop sales online (when they’re actually sales and not bullshit)
jotm 7y ago
Interesting, Ukraine has some good clothes factories. The best winter coat I ever bought was Ukrainian, looks timeless and it's still in mint condition. I'm still looking for something like it, I don't know what the synthetic material is called, it just looks great, really soft, silk-like, but not the same as what I see in stores nowadays. It just looks more natural, more expensive somehow.
jseliger 7y ago
The real solution is to buy 2nd hand clothes. A fantastic idea if you like doing so or the value of your time is low, but if your time is valuable, figure out the basics you like and buy those.
JKCalhoun 7y ago
When I was in college I bought clothes from thrift stores. The initial hesitation I might have had in wearing someone else's clothes disappeared after the first wash/wear cycle of my own. Suddenly after that they were my clothes.

ghaff 7y ago

Between business getting more casual in general, no longer regularly going into an office, and doing a lot of (lightweight) travel, I have piles of dressier clothing and what at least used to be stereotypical business casual (cotton chinos, button down shirt) that I wear on a pretty occasional basis. I have a good stack of "daily wear" clothing, often picked up at holiday sales, that are still in their original packaging from literally years ago. Stuff doesn't really wear out/get ratty very quickly when you hardly ever wear it.