SPLURGING money on clothes is one of the many ways to treat oneself.

For 19-year-old advertising student Rommel Nuque, a non-binary, their monthly clothing haul serves as a reward-system for surviving strenuous weeks in college.

It also carries a psychological meaning, that heals the child in them.

“When I buy clothes, I feel like nilalambing ko yung inner child ko because I was raised in a household na puro hand-me-downs lang ang isinusuot ko,” they told republicasia.

“The only time I was able to buy new clothes eh nung nag-start na akong kumita ng sarili kong pera at 18,” they added.

But Nuque noticed that most of the clothes he bought online, which are low-priced, poorly sewn, and made from low-quality fabrics, tend to wear out even after just using it for a few times.

“Ang bilis nilang magmukhang luma and masira,” they said.

That was when the 19-year-old realized that they needed to break free from spending money on cheap clothes and start investing in products of good quality.

“Aanhin mo kasi yung super daming damit tapos hindi rin naman pala tatagal,” they said.

Buying low-cost clothes marketed online and in bazaars can be really tempting, especially when on a tight budget. But as much as possible, it is best to invest in garments that are made from versatile materials that individuals can wear multiple times for a long period of time.

According to fashion stylist Jolo Bayoneta of Liz Uy’s Stylized Studio, the onslaught of the pandemic pushed people to shop online mainly because of boredom.

The emergence of fashion trends on social media platforms — old money, Y2K, cottagecore, and gothic to list a few — also inspired many to purchase new additions to their wardrobe.

Being a victim of this pandemic-induced cloth hoarding, Bayoneta said these trends aren’t always for everyone. They could also cause a fortune. 

Other times, people buy cheap clothes just to jump into the trend or ease their boredom.

He emphasized that investing in good quality clothing would help people save money from buying clothes frequently since they can wear these garments a lot. 

You don’t need a lot of clothes

Content creator Imelda Evangelista, 22, is undeniably a fashionista. She said she enjoys styling a variety of clothing that she can wear to work or when she needs to get a dose of energy booster at a coffee shop downtown.

Aside from the satisfaction she gets from purchasing clothes, she told republicasia that she finds tranquility at the thought that she’d never have to worry about what to wear when she needs to go out and run errands.

“Before kasi, may ongoing term na ‘outfit repeater’ and part of me didn’t want to be called that,” Evangelista said.

Due to the high volume of clothes she possesses, she reached a point where the treasured pieces no longer fit in her closet. Until now, there are clothes she hoarded that she admitted she couldn’t wear on a daily basis.

This compelled her to discipline herself into buying capsule wardrobe options, or a collection of clothes that are thoughtfully curated in order to maximize the amount of times one can wear these by interchanging items and pieces.

“You only need a few pieces para mabuo mo yung wardrobe mo and eventually, di mo rin sabay sabay masusuot yung hinoard mo,” she said.

Courtesy: Imelda Evangelista on Instagram (@ime.lda)

Bayoneta explained that for people who do not need to attend a lot of events or those who have simple lifestyles, hoarding clothes isn’t necessary.

“As a normal person, as me, I would only buy clothes I know I will use for a long run,” he said.

Moreover, he said that in order to not be labeled as an outfit-repeater, people have to stick with simple silhouettes, or basic clothes that don’t have print on them.

“Nothing too trendy, very basic lang. Para kahit ulit ulitin mo siya, it doesn’t look like you’re repeating your outift,” he explained.

Bayoneta said that capsule wardrobes are fashion staples people could wear in various styles. 

Through these pieces, he said, they would have something to wear everyday without purchasing more clothes.

“You can repeat it. You can layer it with something else na won’t look entirely basic but something maganda sa mata,” he said.

“Kahit ulit ulitin mo with different style, with different pairs of bottoms and tops, di siya masyadong mahalalata like it all looks the same lang on different colors,” he added.

Aside from preventing you from your shopping hauls, Bayoneta noted that capsule wardrobes would limit the time people spend planning what to wear for the day.

Sticking with the classics

Evangelista recalled that there was an instance when she bought a total of 25 pieces of clothing in a single purchase. She said she justified this because the items were for her work as a content creator.

Eventually, she decided to stop splurging on clothes she could only wear at rare occasions and instead opted to buy classic pieces.

“Madalang na yung paghoard ko dahil puro timeless classics nalang binibili ko everytime I shop,” she said.

According to the fashion stylist, some clothes that never go out of style include a good shirt (could be round or v-neck), a nice button-down polo (could be plain or printed), a pair of jeans that matches your body shape, a pair of trousers with a good cut, a delicate blazer (if you need one), a great sweater to wear on cold days, and a pair of neat jackets.

What to consider when buying clothes

Before investing in clothes, Bayoneta said it is crucial for people to be aware of what types of clothes look good on them.

Although it could be hard to find your style, the stylist said it would also help to choose clothes that would not highlight the areas you’re insecure about.

“You should know your strengths and weaknesses. We all have insecurities, I also have one. So I also try to find clothes that would work with me,” he said.

They should also consider their skin tone and their body type, he said.