dressing nice for cheap
because rescuing children from ponds gets expensive
Most people in the Effective Altruism community live pretty modestly. Whether it’s taking a pay cut to work at a charity or donating a portion of their income, most of us are spending less money than we could be.
When you’re sticking to a budget, nice clothes are a natural place to cut. After all, some people in our circles see fashion as a zero sum “bullshit signaling game [we don’t] need to play because [we are] doing Real Work.”1
On the other hand, many of us have personal or professional reasons for wanting to dress well. In certain careers, dressing nicely (or at least dressing to fit in) help your promotion chances. And a lot of us have a certain self image or sense of pride we want to maintain. Plus nice clothes can be soft and comfortable and save you from bad weather and spark joy.
what I look for
Fit - I save my oversized t-shirts for sleeping in; if I’m wearing something out in the daytime, I make sure the shoulder seams sit on my shoulder. Clothes that are too tight are uncomfortable and too baggy looks like I have something to hide.
Fabric - Natural fabrics like linen, cotton, wool and silk look and feel great. Nobody has ever said polyester looks expensive!
Time - In high school I would visit ever store in the mall looking for the cheapest version of whatever I needed. Now that I have a job and have estimated the value of my time, I consider that as part of the cost. For example, a £100 dress that takes me one hour to find, purchase and bring home costs me about the same as a £20 dress of the same quality that takes me three hours to procure.2 In the same vein, anything that needs dry cleaning is going to have ongoing monetary and time costs, and I refuse to purchase anything that’s hand wash only.
Tailoring can save time and fix the fit of an outfit. I once found a silk dress that was a little large in the waist at a charity shop. I took it to a tailor and for an extra £30 I had a silk cocktail dress that fit me beautifully, for a much better price than I would have gotten if I had bought new!
where I find it
charity/thrift shop - In university I got half my wardrobe thrift shopping, and I still rate it as a great way to pick up bargains. Big North American thrift shops are good for filling a specific need, like picking up a few pairs of shorts before your summer holiday, and pokey British charity shops are better for serendipity - last year I got a perfectly fitted chocolate brown cashmere sweater for £30 at a local charity shop.
consignment - Still second hand clothes, but instead of them being donated, they’re being sold by the previous owner. Consignment stores can be great for particular needs; in London, Pandora Dress Agency is the place to go for designer dresses at around 10% of the original retail price.3 If you’re looking for something specific over the next few months, try chatting to the owner of the consignment store, and they might be willing to call you if something suitable comes in. A lower-budget version of these stores has started springing up on through apps like Vinted.
clearance/end of season sales - Sale racks are the tried and true way of getting a discount. Next year’s seasonal items can be purchased much cheaper at the end of this year’s season. When I was growing up, my mother always bought my next year’s winter jacket in the spring, and she always got a great deal.
international custom order - I have a friend who’s very tall. It’s hard for him to find reasonably-priced dress shirts. He orders them online, made to his measurements, and gets them shipped from Thailand.
Nice clothes can get needlessly expensive, but they can also really improve your quality of life. The suggestions above are where I’ve found a middle ground. I’m expecting to do some post-pregnancy shopping in the near future, so if you have any additional tips, please add them in the comments or tweet them to @kirsten3531!
Luckily, the author of that post has since changed his opinion, and helpfully explains why in his post!
Not exactly the same, of course, because I wouldn’t be working during those hours - but with a small baby sometimes it feels like my time is even more valuable!
Unfortunately 10% of the retail price is still out of my budget because I do not need silk ballgowns day to day.
Something I would add, particularly for men: layering is a cheap way to look more fashionable. You can't quite toss anything on anything, but a scarf, a jacket, or both is often an easy way to look better.