Which pair is more expensive?

i would not spend more than mayb $250 on a pair of shoes unless it was a special occasion....i don't really hav that much money to spend money on shoes....i like target and payles :P

Generally I don't go more than fifty. Expensive shoes aren't made with any better quality than cheap ones. They just come with a pretty designer name and an ugly price. I know sometimes it's heart breaking to tell yourself no, but you have to admit that you'd probably barely ever wear them. You'll find a knock off somewhere if you're prepared to wait.

Too much. For everything. Heh. I'm probably a little older than a fair number of people on Kaboodle, though, and I don't have kids or anything, so I don't feel *too* guilty about it. :) But, yeah, I'd probably spend up to $800 or so on shoes (I've yet to do so, but I probably would if I felt like I *had* to have something). Double that on bags. :\ The priciest stuff in my closet (some shoes and bags around the price points I mentioned above) were gifts. The priciest thing I've bought myself are probably a couple of $500 bags/wallets and a $350 blouse and $350 pair of shoes.

I tend to do the opposite. For things that I'm going to wear pretty regularly, I want a good deal so I don't get depressed if I wear them out or get tired of them quickly. I buy well-crafted brand items secondhand much of the time and fill it in with things on sale in stores. But I do save up and shell out for special, one-of-a-kind items that I'll only wear a couple of times a year and keep forever. Even with boots, I try to keep the cost under $200, even if they'll last ten years. There are also certain things I always know I'm going to buy the minute I find them under a certain price point, like if the LV Cerise bag I want ever falls under $500 secondhand, or if I ever find a riding boot that I think is completely perfect I'll buy it even if I have to spend $400.

With beauty products I try to keep myself under control but mostly fail. In general, I won't spend more than $40 on a single makeup or skincare item, but I don't manage to stop myself from buying a couple of $40 items.

In the last year, the only pricey items I've bought are a Baby, the Stars Shine Bright dress ($450) that I bought on my honeymoon in Paris and a custom-sized corset ($350). Both are things I intend to keep for a very long time. Separate from those two things, my average spending on a single item is about $10. I'm a pretty obsessive bargain shopper.

Good topic.

(That all said, I'm far more likely to spend $600-$800 on dinner for me and my boyfriend a few times a year than I am to drop that on a pair of shoes.)

It really depends for me. I'd be willing to spend up to $500 for shoes or a dress (the only thing more expensive was my wedding dress- $1,500 custom made which wasn't a bad price). However, I am totally unwilling to drop any significant cash on a bag. I've found really cute ones for under $40 and I'm happy with that.

The pair on the left is more expensive. When it comes to clothes, I'm a bargain sistah. Always get things on sale. I don't have the "priciest item" item in my closet, except for prom dresses. Those are the last things I ever gotten that was higher than anything I would normally get.

ha i think my christmas party day and night dress it was pretty high costing i think i rarely spend more than 3oo dolarrs

@stellastylista - The Steve McQueen's on the left are the more expensive pair.
@alicatstrut - Have you ever seen Kamikaze Girls? The lead character is obsessed. I'd recommend that movie just for the amazing shoes and outfits!

I'm on crack...I meant Alexander McQueen, not Steve. Maybe I've been watching too much "Great Escape".

@elenalee - I haven't yet! It's always on my mental "to get" list but it's not the kind of movie that you just stumble on in a store. I need to make a more concerted effort to get my hands on it.

well, i have recently had to cut back my shopping majorly because i am determined to pay off all of my credit cards so that my husband and i can start traveling next summer when he gets out of law school. since he is still in school and not working much and i only work part time, we have to stay on a tight budget for the time being. i have a weakness for anthropologie, the most expensive thing in my closet is a $250 dress from there. it really all depends on the item and how much i want it as to how much i will spend on any given thing. i really dont care to spend a whole lot on purses or shoes for the most part just because they get worn out too quickly no matter what brand they are. my general (sometimes there are exceptions) rules: i wouldnt spend more than $70 on a purse, $120 on shoes, $200 on a dress, $120 on a blouse, $80 on a skirt, $140 on a coat, $50 on jeans. most of the time i dont spend that much on any of those though, and i would shop vintage at thrift stores all the time if i had a decent one in my town and could ever find my size.

I live in PA so this is probably especially weird :) but where I tend to spend the bucks is bathing suits. I love bikinis and go insane when I get the VS swimwear catalog or go into a store that only carries bathing suits. It's a strange obsession. I can wear my Charlotte Russe $8 flip flops every where I go yet I have no problem dropping $120 on 2 stupid little pieces of material that I can only wear 3 months out of the year and maybe (if I'm really lucky) for a week in the winter if we can get away. I also love bathing suit cover ups. I pointed one out to my husband the other night and he said "oh just what you need" I think I have like 25 right now :)

I tend to use the same budget as you, elenalee, but if I had a bigger income I'd probably spend more. I am married and have a step-daughter, and that takes a lot of our income (child support, her clothes, her "fun" stuff) --- and it affects the decisions I make about extra spending money. I feel guilty buying things for myself sometimes. Plus my husband has some debt from his previous marriage that we are trying to pay off, and that uses up a lot of money.

Our income is not big anyway, so if we get that stuff paid off the extra money will go towards moving out of our apartment into a home.

I don't really think the economy has affected us. Our budget has been tight ever since we've been married and will continue to be as long as we have a child to provide for.

This post intrigued me, so I'll chine in. Shoes are my big thing that I have trouble with. But not with dollar amounts, just with wanting too many. My "I really have to stop and think about it" point for shoes I guess is $60-$80, but I have many pairs I've gotten in the $15-$30 range that I love and wear all the time. I work in an office and need nice looking things, but price does not equal nice to me. Boots I'll go maybe twice as high, but again I have many I have gotten for under $50. Bags I will not spend a lot on at all. To me they are a functional item, not a fashion statement. Sure, they need to look nice and be me, but they certainly don't have to be pricey. The rest of the stuff I guess I can pretty much relate to jennic above ^ . I'm pretty frugal though. Much of my clothing comes from clearance racks at places like Kohl's and Target and I love NY & Company for work clothes.

Jeans and Dress Pants- $40
Skirts - $30
Dresses - $50
Dressy Tops for Work - $30
Casual Tops - $15-20
Shoes - $40 (with the exception of running shoes)
Bags - $40

I grew up in a family with 8 kids, so my mom was always looking for bargains and it apparently rubbed off on me. I love shopping, but I HATE spending a lot on anything, especially if it's something that I feel I can make myself for far less (plain white button down shirts, basic skirts, etc). Other than my wedding dress, which cost about $250 because my mother and I made it, the most expensive item of clothing I've ever bought was a sweater from Arden B for $80, a dress when I was in Vegas for $90, and running shoes for about $70. I'd bet that most of my clothing, shoes, bags, and other accessories were less than $50, and I'm perfectly fine with that.

Like Lamerchick, the majority of my clothes were bought on sale or clearance at Old Navy, Banana Republic, NY & Co, Target, JC Penney, and Kohls. I scour sales racks at stores I can't normally afford (Anthropologie) and usually find great things for super cheap. Some of my favorite purchases were originally really expensive, but because the zipper had come unstitched, the item was marked way down because no one wanted to buy it. (Plus, a lot of times if you point out the flaw/defect when you purchase it, the retailer will give you an additional % off). I’m sure if we weren’t trying to get our car, motorcycle, and credit cards paid off as quickly as possible, I’d spend a little more on things, but until then, I’ll stick to my under $50 guideline.

I'm with gregsgal. I don't think that most of my clothing is very expensive. The most expensive thing I have bought so far this year was a zip up sweater for fifty dollars. The only reason I spent that much is because it was good quality, and a friend of mine had it in high school and I have wanted it ever since.

Ok, so now I feel the need to clarify. :) Referring to jennic's numbers, those too for me are maximums I would *consider* spending. I don't think I've ever come close though. I love European hosiery for it's wonderful fit and feel and buy a few pairs now and then when they are on sale, but for the most part you'll find me buying a 4 pack of No Nonsense at W-mart or CVS for $5-$6. They work just fine for me.

I buy the 50 cent knee highs at walgreens personally.

Lol. :) Yeah, I feel $1.50 or so for a pair of hose that look good and last forever it seems is a pretty good deal. AND...they're machine washable, unlike the more expensive kind. :)

@lamerchick - Haha, I'm very similar in the shoe department. After I purged my shoe collection I still had over 40 pairs! When I find a great pair for $15 or less I find that I can't stop myself from buying them.

General discussion - I find that I always try and go for the bargain but sometimes I will find something that I just love so much that I'll buy it for full price. When I bought myself a pair of Frye motorcycle boots I was able to find them much cheaper but when I fell in love with a pair of Born Taro boots I couldn't find them anywhere for less than $130, but I love them and had been thinking about them for weeks before I picked them up. No regrets. Generally if I think something is too expensive I won't buy it and if a week later I still really want it I usually will figure a way to pay for it.
I'm also willing to shell out a bit more for workmanship. About 20 pairs of my shoes I've owned for at least five years. With a little TLC and an occasional resoling they last longer than the cheaper pairs. I own a few pairs of really nice pants and every person should have at least one cashmere sweater (in my fantasy world where everyone can afford nice clothes).
Still, when things go in the hundreds it generally doesn't happen because I'm constantly saving to travel and a few hundred dollars is usually half a plane ticket.

As for buying shoes... Wish I could afford a pair. But with the economy today I would rather buy things that are on sale or splurge on my 6 yr. old. I would love to win the Kaboodle/Macy's shopping spree!!!!

I'm a HUGE fan of TJ Maxx. Its very hit or miss, but depending on what the demographic is in your area, they get some pretty high end stuff in. I just saw a Michael Kors handbag from this season there for HALF or the retail price. I recently got a pair of shoes that are on Zappo's website for $98, for $39.99 at TJ MAxx. Love those Alexander MCQueen shoes, but hopefully, someone will get sick of theirs and put them on Ebay where I can snatch them up for a reasonable price. $150 is my spending limit on shoes.

I don't have a TJ Maxx in my town but I hit up Ross and Marshall's pretty often. For my size, I tend to have better luck at Ross, but when I'm buying clothes for my man Marshall's has a better selection. I'm a big fan of Target clothes, but I find that sizing is really hit or miss with me there. Sometimes the clothes there doesn't fit well at all. Either squeezing my boobs or making them feel inadequate, being loose around the stomach but tight in the thighs, or some other weird combo. It is really hit or miss for me but when it is hit, I love it.

I have similar spending habits as elanalee. I usually won't spend more than 40-50.00 on a single pair of shoes, except when it comes to fitness shoes, or most recently, I actually shelled out 80 after coupons for a pair of EasyTones. Dresses, I find it hard to go above 50-100.00, even for special occasions, since I will only wear them a couple times. My wedding dress was even inexpensive, I only paid about 500.00 for it, which is a steal compared to most wedding dresses. Tops, I have a hard time spending more than 15-20.00 for a single top. Jeans, I think the most I ever paid was 40.00 for my delia skinny jeans, and it was only because they were doing a buy one, get one half off, so really I paid 30.00 each pair of jeans! I usually shop deals and find online coupons for most things, so I do get some good stuff for good prices. It takes time and effort though, finding those absolute best deals! I don't have a lot of money to spend being a stay at home mom with two kids, all of us living of hubby's income, so I have to be cautious. I too dream of a day when I can shop and buy things that aren't on sale or have a coupon But, by the time I get there, I probably won't care quite as much about fashion anymore. Le Sigh!

I wouldn't buy a pair of shoes that was over eighty dollars right now. I would spend a lot for boots. I intend to get a pair on sale during the winter clearance. My dream is to own a pair of Frye boots, but I can't justify buying 300 dollar boots right now... or possibly ever. I don't spend a lot on clothing because many items are from thrift stores or vintage.After I graduate college I think that my spending habits will be very similar to yours. I don't want to be excessive, but many durable items are worth the price. I agree that there are much more important things to spend money on apart from clothing. Healthy food is very very expensive! I also have many hobbies that demand a certain amount of money.

@library_cat - I love Frye boots. I bought my pair on eBay for less than 150. I adore them and know that they are going to be in my closet for years to come. There are a pair of Frye heels that I do want to blow some money on but I'm going to need to wait a bit before I can do that.

I'm a cheap little goose so I very rarely spend more than $50 on any article of clothing. I do have one coat that cost me about $100. My prom dress (from 2003, haha) was maybe $70, as was my wedding dress. I tend to only wear flats and sneakers so my shoes aren't usually too pricy. Bras, underwear, and swimsuits are bought rarely and cheaply. I've seen tons of skirts, dresses, tops, and shoes that I love but I just can't bring myself to spend the $60 or more.

That said, I wear my clothes and shoes OUT and don't buy new stuff often, so I could probably could justify spending more. My priorities are just skewed (cough cough I'd rather spend more on less useful stuff). ;)

I do loooves me some TJMaxx and Marshalls.

Awesome post!

This is a GREAT post!

I try to spend as minimal as possible on things, i use coupons, sales, Marshalls and TJ Maxx whenever I can!

However, the most I'll dive into my pocket for:

Dresses (such as daily sundresses): $30, i wear them so much i want to spend the least so i can have more variety (a lot of times i'll wait for things to go on sale)

Shoes: I have spent over $90 on a pair of tennis shoes, but those days are over. "Trendy" shoes I try to keep cheap, maybe $30 at the most, because there is no point in wasting money is they are going to go out of style. I bought a great pair of gladiater sandals for $20 and they are just great! You don't need to spend a lot for good quality, you just need to shop around...

T-Shirts: The most I'll spend is $25, depending on the quality.

Hoodies/Sweaters: I'll spend up to $50, depending on the quality.

Jeans/Pants: I try to keep it around $40 a pair, but I try to get deals like 2 for $55 or catch brands on the sale rack.

Skirts: About $30, just because I don't wear them daily and the weather doesn't always allow me to wear them.

Bags: I love purses. The most I've ever spent is $210 dollars on a bag, but I like to make my max about $70 dollars, depending on the bag. I just love them!

Jewelry: I buy a lot of jewelry!! I like to keep things cheap, $20 per item is my max, but I find a lot of things under that price point to spice up outfits.

I probably go beyond these price points on occasion, but for now I like to keep things minimal :)

Whether you are an online shopping novice or seasoned vet; if you are one for project related shopping, comparison shopping, or bargain hunting this short article will change the way you shop online forever! ;)... http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1215341/an_innovative_online_shopping_guide.html?cat=46
(personal project webpages listed on pg.2)

I just posted a blog article on Frugal Fashion: Is It Even Possible? If you want to take a peek and let me know your thoughts . . . . . it's not for everyone!

I'm a bra size where it's next to impossible to find any in my size. I try TJ Maxx and Marshall's and seem to have the best luck. That's where all the bras no one buys or can fit into go. Plus, there pretty cheap, almost all under $20, even the ones that went for over $50.

Without going into an exhaustive examination of the price of things in my closet:

• I like the pair on the right better -- they just have a great color and shimmer to them. It does not surprise me that they're the less expensive ones, because it seems that designers can't justify an exorbitant price tag for simple elegance.


• The boots I wear just about every day is a pair of Ecco's that run about $200. They're my second pair and are lasting much better than the first. I've got a few hundred days of use out of them, which considering how much I walk is really impressive. One time I was shopping for shoes/boots and the salesgirl asked me where I hiked and I told her everywhere. She was like, "What trails exactly?" and I tried to explain I did very little trail hiking, I just walk everywhere because I didn't have a car at the time. She couldn't seem to grasp that concept. Anyway, on a per-mile basis, they're the best bargain I've ever gotten in footwear.


• Most expensive item in my closet: custom made tux for about $800. Most expensive single item from our wedding, even more than the dress.


• I've got a number of suits that range from $200-$500 -- the high end being my Brooks Brother's. We had a higher household income in those days.

$1000 shoes ouch, the $100 shoes to me look just as good but you can still get just as good shoes at half that price, just need to shop around