7 For All Mankind Jeans

Where: Consignment Boutique
Cost: $33 plus $18 alteration = $51

Now I can KIND of understand why some women pay hundreds of dollars for designer jeans. These truly are different than any other average jeans I have worn. The material feels nicer, they fit better than any jeans I have ever owned, and they don't stretch and become baggy by the time the day is over. I did have to pay a tailor $18 for an original hem alteration on these jeans ( I am only 5'3" and almost always wear flat shoes- embrace the shortness!), but a pair of jeans that flatter me AND are sooooo comfortable is worth the total cost of $51 to me. I wear jeans at least 2X a week all year round, so the cost per wear is very minimal.

This also reminds me that another good thing about shopping secondhand is that it frees up some extra cash for alterations. Very few women can walk into a store and have clothing off the rack fit them perfectly. Almost always something about the garment could be tweaked to make it fit better: a shortening or letting out of the hem, waist taken in a little here, sleeve shortened there. So even if you buy new off the rack, you would still pay extra for an alteration for the best possible fit. It is definitely worth it to pay 10 extra dollars for a tailor to hem your pants or skirts to the desired length rather than be annoyed by the item dragging the floor every time you wear it.

I have simplified my life by wearing only flats or low heels. That way all of my pants can be hemmed to the same length. I have finally admitted that high heels do not work well with my career or lifestyle. You would want to hem your pants to correspond to whichever shoes you would typically wear with those pants. For example, you may have a pair of black trousers that you wear on special occasions with stilettos that would have to be longer than your chinos worn with ballet flats to work.

Moral of the Story: Even with the extra cost of an alteration, you will still save money by shopping secondhand and you will look better in your clothes!