Frugal suggestion for clothing (maybe more for men)

**baking23** · 02-16-2007, 08:40 AM

Re: Frugal suggestion for clothing (maybe more for men)

Originally posted by Scanner

Why buy when you can rent?

I bought a business suit, with either pants or skirt to go with it, that was on a major sale. I can't remember quite how much I spent, maybe $80 plus getting it fitted for $10=90. About three years ago, however I've worn it a lot since then, and the pants too. So price per use has gone way down.

Do like the idea of renting, definatly what I would choose if I ever get married.

There was a shop nearby that did this for a few years, and I sold some dresses to them for Prom, weddings, etc. They had to close but I debated buying the place adn becoming the owner, I didn't though b/c it would have completely cleared out my bank account. I was very tempted though...

**Scanner** · 02-16-2007, 08:48 AM

Re: Frugal suggestion for clothing (maybe more for men)

Buying vs. renting is really a rich financial concept.

One financial advisor used to suggest to all doctors this:

You want a boat?

Tell you what - before you buy one - go out and rent one. Rent one for 2 weeks and just sit on the damn boat. If after 2 weeks you still want it, go ahead and buy it.

He bragged he dissuaded probably 100 doctors out of boats with that advice, LOL.

Other than that, it's better to rent.

It's so true with some things like that - my parents have a little mobile home in a fishing community in NJ (no boat) and we just see boatowners putting their boats up on concrete blocks, pouring money into the pits, getting fed up, and selling them for pennies on the dollar.

Not to mention the oh-so-great gas efficiency these things get.

Clothing doesn't really equal boats but I think the rentiing vs. buying concept should always be explored when making a purchase.

I personally hate owning things (well, I do want an endlesspool - does anybody here not know that yet? LOL)

**fairy74** · 02-16-2007, 08:59 AM

Re: Frugal suggestion for clothing (maybe more for men)

The most gorgeous wedding dress I ever saw (absolutely incredible) was rented for under $80. I think that this idea for clothing, both for men and women is one who's time has come.

**Joan.of.the.Arch** · 02-16-2007, 10:12 AM

Re: Frugal suggestion for clothing (maybe more for men)

I'll try to tuck this idea away where it can be resurrected if needed in the future. My husband has never worn a suit, and barely has even owned a dress shirt. Last time he wore a tie was for a job interview 22 years ago. He got that job and hung the tie on a coat rack in his office until one day years later, he gave it to a student who admired it. The next most dressed up I've seen him was for my grandmother's funeral. He bought new slacks, shoes, and shirt for that. That was to honor my grandma who would have wanted him to dress for her funeral. But the shirt alone cost more than the $63 you rented the suit for. Next time (if ever) he needs to dress up, maybe he can find an appropriate rental instead.

Fortunately, both for work and for our social life, things are very casual. Uh, there was that time, though, when the city was having a reception for artists whose work was being exchanged between our city and a sister city in Japan. My husband did not even get word that it was a black tie event. He went quite inappropriately dressed: Jeans

**scfr** · 02-16-2007, 03:49 PM

Re: Frugal suggestion for clothing (maybe more for men)

Originally posted by Scanner

Too bad the idea probably hasn't caught on for women.

Actually ... There's a service where women can rent stylish and very expensive handbags and jewelry, and by mail [a la Netflix] no less.

**ozzy gurl** · 02-16-2007, 06:01 PM

Re: Frugal suggestion for clothing (maybe more for men)

Originally posted by scfr

Actually ... There's a service where women can rent stylish and very expensive handbags and jewelry, and by mail [a la Netflix] no less.

I have heard of that, but from what they were saying on the news, it was actually just as expensive to 'rent' than it was just to buy a handbag.

You can get away with that for an interview if you are pretty sure that your work attire will be casual...I'm going into a business that will require professional, suit-like attire every day, so renting isn't the best option for me.

And I know this is because I'm so girly, but I would never ever rent my wedding gown (if I get married!).

**kealina** · 02-23-2007, 10:42 AM

Re: Frugal suggestion for clothing (maybe more for men)

interesting idea... personally it wouldn't work for me because I've always been a fairly stable size (so no worries about multiple alterations) and my wardrobe (mostly hand me downs and garage sale finds) has over the years grown enough that i have clothes to wear or even lend to others for most occasions... if i needed something expensive that i would only wear once i would probably consider renting although it would have to be able to fit me since i'm not exactly a standard size...

**disneysteve** · 02-24-2007, 11:51 AM

Re: Frugal suggestion for clothing (maybe more for men)

Originally posted by Scanner

I rented a suit for a job interview at $63.00.

This doesn't sound like a bargain to me. I can buy a good quality suit for about $150, maybe less if I catch a good sale. So renting 3 times would be more than it costs to own. If I buy a suit, I keep it for years. The two I have currently were purchased in March 2000 and are both in great shape and get worn several times/year (weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc.). And I have my own tux, as well. I bought one secondhand in 1993 and had it until last year when I finally replaced it with a new one. Renting 3 or 4 times would have cost me more than I spent to buy both of them.

**MonkeyMama** · 02-24-2007, 12:16 PM

Re: Frugal suggestion for clothing (maybe more for men)

There is a dress rental shop in the area - my friend was just telling me her daughter rents her prom dresses.

For dresses sounds like a great deal. I have old prom dresses, old bridesmaid dresses, my old wedding dress, all worn once, never needed again, and wouldn't fit today anyway.

It would certainly depend on the cost though. But since I have historically needed dresses for one event only, sounds like a good idea. Though when it comes to stuff like expensive baby items I usually buy it and then turn around and sell it when done. You might come out ahead if you could buy a dress or suit and then sell it - depends on the market for things. I know for baby things I have often paid $0 to "rent" things in this fashion - buy and then sell for full price.

For clothes, could probably buy for less than the rent, at a thrift shop...

**bigsaver** · 03-30-2007, 11:47 AM

Agree with Disneysteve. Renting the suits does not sound like an economical thing to do. I bought 2 suits years ago for my medical school interviews and I still own them. I think they were about $150 each and I have worn them many times.

**baking23** · 03-30-2007, 12:21 PM

I my area there was a shop for women to rent dresses, for formal and informal events. They don't seem to stay open though since maybe women like to own the dresses once they buy them. I don't but maybe most women do?

I took three of my dresses there, all very formal prom type dresses, and got a percentage of the profits for every time they were rented. However, a few weeks later the store was closing and she asked if I wanted them back, then we found out her assistant had stolen my dresses! I would have just donated them anyway but I didn't want her to have one. The others got donated by my request and I got a tax receipt.

I almost bought that shop, needed $15,000 which I had, but chose not to since it was in a declining area. Every once in a while I wondered about if I should have bought it or not.

**Scanner** · 03-30-2007, 01:06 PM

Agree with Disneysteve. Renting the suits does not sound like an economical thing to do. I bought 2 suits years ago for my medical school interviews and I still own them. I think they were about $150 each and I have worn them many times.

What if you gain weight?

What if you lose weight?

What about the shirts? Do you have the same white shirt from years ago?

Plus I can write the $63 off, at least a certain %age. When you buy, that's not copasetic.

Not to mention, the "non-financial" cost of taking up room in a closet.

I don't think it works if you wear a suit more than 3x/year but if you do it less. . .I think it's an economical way to go.

I don't know - I'm into "not owning things" but that's just me.

**PetMom** · 03-31-2007, 10:21 AM

I purchased my wedding gown at a bargain place and preferred
owning it because of sentimental reasons.

Renting a wedding gown for me would have had me concerned
with being overly cautious at the reception to not get something
spilled on it (the cost of dry cleaning is high for a wedding dress),
I wonder if a rental place automatically tacks this on the price.

I have seen wedding dresses for resale in newspapers,
consignment shops and ebay, that is always an option when
owning something - including men's suits too, if it does not
work out (or the person does not and gains) then they can
always cash back in on the original investment.

**disneysteve** · 03-31-2007, 01:18 PM

Originally posted by Scanner View Post

What if you gain weight?

What if you lose weight?

What about the shirts? Do you have the same white shirt from years ago?

If you lose weight, you can always have a suit altered. If you gain weight, you eat less and exercise more.

Seriously, I'm conscious of my health and weight. I'm the same size I was in high school and I'm now almost 43 years old. I wouldn't allow myself to gain enough weight that my clothes didn't fit anymore.

As for dress shirts, I have shirts that I wear regularly that I inherited when my father-in-law died in 1993 and I have no idea how long he owned them before that, so we're talking 15 years old or more. And I have others that I bought in the same time frame. I don't wear a suit often, but I do wear a dress shirt every day for work. They hold up for many, many years.

Frugal suggestion for clothing (maybe more for men)