You get what you pay for. This applies to everything, and especially to fashion.

I'm not sure how often you go shopping for clothes - especially if you're a guy. I know some people who don't go for a few years, and then just buy a thousand dollars worth at one time. Although I might not end up buying anything, I would have to admit that I do frequent the mall relatively often. And when I do, I quickly stop by my favorite shops and see if there's anything that grabs my attention.

Up until recently, because I felt bad buying expensive clothes, I would often buy the cheaper version of the thing that I really want. Does this make sense? If not, let me back up for a moment. If you visit lots of different clothing stores, you'll find that clothing companies make similar styles to each other (unless it's something very specialized and unique to a brand). For example - if polka dot shirts are in, chances are you'll have at least 5 clothing brands to choose from to buy this polka dot shirt. From afar, it might look the same - but you'll know the minute you hold it in your hands, it feels different (and fits differently too). It might be something about the weight, texture, blend of fabrics, and small details (like buttons, etc). And if someone got ALL those details right, chances are - it's more expensive.

My wife would say to me - you got ANOTHER one of those shirts? And at times it might be because I'm obsessive and like to have collections of plaid or denim shirts that are only subtly different from each other - but MANY times, it's because I bought a cheap version of something first, and it only lasted or satisfied me for a short amount of time. Lets be real for a moment. We're married, have kids, and share our finances, so I need to be responsible! Any family guys feel me out there? So, when I gave my explanation to my wife and said "it's actually because THIS is the one I REALLY wanted, and I saw it on sale today!". It is then that my sweet, super practical, darling wife said to me the kindest words I'd ever heard from anyone: "You should just get the thing you like instead of buying all those other options and cluttering up our closet". If we were dating, I know men who would say to me "marry that woman"!

But here's why I love that:

(I'm going to connect the following reasons to something/someone ELSE that I'm a huge fan of and will write about separately one day)

GET WHAT I WANT
Really? OK, sold! Especially if it's going to be something that lasts me for a long time and will actually save me money in the long run. Marie Kondo talks about how when deciding to throw away something ( to reduce clutter ), hold it in your hands and see if it sparks joy! If it does, keep it! If it doesn't, get rid of it. There are several items of clothing/shoes or accessories that I own that I feel that way about, and in many cases - they're clothes that are high in quality and rich in important details. If you're smart about it, you don't even have to spend a lot and might even find them on sale.

DE-CLUTTER
This is something I want to get better at (and am trying to use the Marie Kondo method). I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to try the capsule wardrobe method, but maybe one day I will! Till then, I love that buying something I love ONCE will help me to create more space in my home!

If it fits well, and it is good quality - so far, so good!

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