COSTS

It might not feel like it right away, but costs are the easiest aspect to address, because of how much we actually spend on clothing.

If we compare the cost of buying the average number of garments with buying fewer, better garments, it’s clear the real issue isn’t affordability, because:

Americans buy an average of 70 garments per year.

70 x $15 per garment = $1050 per year  ….this amount could provide you with about 7 custom-made shirts

70 x $25 per garment = $1750 per year  ….this amount could provide you with 1 custom-made suit

70 x $50 per garment = $3500 per year ….this amount provides you with one of my wool jackets or overcoats, or a simpler leather coat

70 x $75 per garment = $5250 per year …this amount provides you with a very complicated leather coat design or an armored motorcycle jacket

VALUE

The second aspect is value – what you get for your investment.

A quality garment costs more up front, but delivers greater returns over time. Better quality garments are made with fabric of natural fibers that have less – or preferably, no — synthetics, fit better because more effort went into considering how the fabric will behave on the body, and are constructed better, with more elements that make for stronger construction, and smaller stitches, which make stronger seams.

Even more so for a custom-made garment. Your hopefully-local-to-you artisan wants you to be happy and satisfied.
They want to you to come back, to refer others, to be proud to wear the garments you collaborated on.
This is why all garments I make for you are  G U A R A N T E E D   f o r   L I F E.

A quality garment costs more up front, but deliver greater returns over time.

The more you wear a garment, the less expensive it gets. The price-per-wear drops every time.

A $150 garment worn 3 times a month for 1 year costs $4.16 per wear, $1.38 per wear at 3 years, and $.83 cents per wear at 5 years.

A $300 garment worn 3 times a month for 1 year costs $8.30 per wear, $2.77 per wear at 3 years, and $1.66 per wear at 5 years.

A $5000 garment worn 175 times in a year costs $28.60 per wear for that year.

A $5000 garment worn 175 times per year for 10 years costs $2.86 per wear over that decade.

 

PLUS, the more you wear a garment, the more it becomes part of your signature style and the less you look like everyone else.

COURAGE

Courage, or actually fear, is the real stumbling block beneath our worries about costs and value.

Buying better and buying less isn’t so much about affordability but more about having the guts to go against the grain. With this approach we are free to opt out of believing buying more stuff equals being more successful.

We can start exploring questions like:

+Do we have the courage to wear the same garments more often?

+Are we prepared to take the time and make the effort to take better care of our investments?

+Are we prepared to ignore media pressure around wearing a different outfit almost every day?

+Are we prepared to channel our emotional and psychological discomfort into something besides shopping for clothing?

 

……and the questions might go even deeper:

+Do the people I spend time with understand and support my decisions about my appearance, or do they disrespect my choices?

+Do I need to bring different people into my life?

+Do I need to take better care of myself, including taking more breaks away from media?

+Do I need to find a different line of work where there is less emphasis placed on looking a certain way?

+Do I need to be more honest with myself about how I use my resources – time, energy, money?

If you’ve read this far, chances are you’re at a tipping point.

Drop me a note at
s@shahirakamal.com