Details matter to the soft, subtle Type 2 woman—including in your closet.
As you continue to create your style, which details matter and which ones don’t? In other words, which items are worth investing in, and which ones aren’t worth the cost?
For a peek into Type 2 priorities, Dressing Your Truth Experts Anne and Michelle share their style spending habits. Their reasons for spending or saving can help you plan where to put your money.
So, ladies…
For each category of clothing in your closet, do you prefer to save, spend, or splurge?
- Save = You always choose the cheaper option.
- Spend = You spend a reasonable amount of money—not “breaking the bank,” but not skimping either.
- Splurge = You put your money here, even saving up extra to purchase this item.
Tops, Shirts & Blouses
- Anne: SPEND. If I find a top I love, I know I’ll get a lot of wear out of it. I am willing to a pay a little more, especially if it has a pattern I love. But I will not compromise on fit. I am particular about the fit of my tops. If it’s a perfect fit I’ll spend—but rarely ever splurge.
- Michelle: SAVE. I usually go for less expensive tops since I like to have a lot of options.
Jackets, Blazers & Coats
- Anne: SAVE. I only have one blazer to my name, so I definitely don’t spend there. I really appreciate a good winter coat, and I am willing to spend a little more there. However, I found a great deal on my two favorite winter coats so I ended up saving and I haven’t had a need to purchase more since.
- Michelle: SPEND. I will spend more on a good jacket or coat that I know will last a long time. I don’t wear blazers.
Jeans & Pants
- Anne: SPLURGE. Since comfort is such a priority as a Type 2, I am willing to splurge in this area to get the perfect, comfortable fit. My favorite brand of jean (AG Brand) is more expensive. As I mentioned, I’m always looking for a deal and luckily I’ve been able to find them on eBay for about half the price. They are high quality and have lasted many wears and washes. The higher price is worth it to me.
- Michelle: SPEND. I will spend a decent amount of money on a good pair of jeans or pants since they are harder to find for my shape and height. I can wear them for many years and they can last a long time.
Skirts
- Anne: SPEND. I love skirts! I would rather wear a skirt or dress over pants. Since it’s easier to find a skirt that feels comfortable, I don’t need to splurge in this area. But I will definitely spend to get the design and pattern I am looking for.
- Michelle: SPEND. If I can find a really great, good quality skirt I will spend a reasonable amount for me. I love skirts that are a great color, comfortable with stretch, and can work with a lot of other items in my wardrobe.
Dresses
- Anne: SPEND. Just like skirts, I find dresses so comfortable! I will spend to find one that is higher quality and will last many wears.
- Michelle: SPEND. I will spend when I find a good dress. But I don’t have a lot of them. Because I’m so tall, they usually don’t fit me well.
Shoes
- Anne: SPLURGE. It feels like I’m constantly on the search for the perfect, comfortable shoe (*hint to my “shopping angels”). When I find the perfect pair, I am willing to spend. I definitely don’t save in this area. (If I try to shop cheap shoes I usually end up with sore feet and a pair of shoes I won’t wear again.) I’ve said it before: the $200 pair of boots that I was nervous to splurge on are my favorite cold-weather shoes and worth every penny. I’d rather have fewer expensive shoes that I love rather than a bunch of cheap shoes that hurt my feet. The right shoes can make or break your outfit.
- Michelle: SAVE + SPLURGE. I usually save on shoes since I love them and like a lot of options, but lately I’ve been splurging on some that are really comfortable that I know will last me for a very long time.
Bras & Underwear
- Anne: SPLURGE. After watching Anna K and Carol teach about the importance of a well-fitting bra, I measured myself and realized I needed a new one. I splurged on a more expensive bra and wow! A well-fitting bra feels so much better on! Definitely worth the investment.
- Michelle: SAVE. I choose less expensive bras. I like the way they fit and don’t feel like I need to buy the more expensive ones.
Exercise Clothes
- Anne: SAVE. I’ve shared before that I wear a cheap t-shirt and these pants to exercise and do housework.
- Michelle: SAVE. I choose inexpensive gym capris or tank tops. I don’t need the name brands and I just care about function.
Swimsuit
- Anne: SAVE. I’ve bought a lot of swimsuits over the years and I find that spending more doesn’t necessarily get you more. My favorite swimsuit right now was $21 at ShopKo! I’ve spent much more on a suit and it just wasn’t worth it to me. My cheaper suit fits and functions great and that’s what counts for me in this department. You can find a lot of Type 2 options out there.
- Michelle: SPEND. I don’t do a lot of swimming, but if it’s a swim suit that I love and fits me really well then I will spend full price.
Purses & Handbags
- Anne: SAVE. If you watch the Type 2 Purse video, you’ll find out I only own one purse and I’ve had my wallet for over 15 years. I’m just not really a purse gal.
- Michelle: SPEND. I just care about color and function, not name brand, so I usually don’t look at the more expensive purses.
Watches
- Anne: SAVE. I own three watches and have had them for years. I actually never wear them! I prefer bracelets over watches.
- Michelle: SAVE. I just buy the cheaper watches and buy a new one when the old one wears out or stops working.
Jewelry
- Anne: SPEND. Jewelry adds so much to an outfit and having pieces you love will add the perfect finishing touches to your look. I love the jewelry in the DYT Store
- Michelle: SAVE. I have so much jewelry that it’s hard to justify spending a lot on additional items right now.
Eyewear
- Anne: SAVE. I don’t wear eye glasses, but I do need to wear sunglasses, as I’m more sensitive to bright light (I’m sure you can relate). Check out the StyleFinder to find a great pair for you.
- Michelle: SPEND. I bought a good pair of sunglasses that I love, but probably would never splurge on more expensive ones since I lose them or they break or get scratched.
Where else in your lives do you ladies SAVE?
- Anne: Probably entertainment. I don’t spend much on music, movies, or TV. I do however have an Audible account ($14.95 for 1 audio book a month) and I have loved it! Budgeting $15 a month in this area was more than I was used to spending, but I have loved listening to a book each month. I am currently enjoying “The Boys in the Boat” (historical fiction is my favorite).
- Michelle: Entertainment, food, fitness, kids’ clothes.
Other places in your lives where you SPLURGE?
- Anne: Food and self-care. Good food is my love language! I spend money on good, healthy, organic food. I love to try local restaurants and splurge on new “healthy snacks” at the grocery store. (With that said, I do create a monthly food budget and get to be creative within that.) I am also willing to spend/splurge on self-care. I regularly get facials, massages, chiropractic treatments and spend on supplements and vitamins. I feel this money goes a long way as it makes me feel great.
- Michelle: I splurge on my self-care (natural doctors and health care). As a family we splurge on travel, as well.
What does all this mean for your Type 2 wardrobe?
Your Type 2 nature prioritizes certain details—and you intuitively know which ones matter to you most. Identify which categories you feel are worth investing in, so you can let go of extra details that don’t matter to you as much.
Let your spending habits support you in creating comfort and elegance in your style.
How do your spending habits compare? Where do you spend when the Type 2 Experts save? What kind of comfort is worth splurging on? Share a comment below so we can all see the details in the Type 2 experience.
This is such an interesting article! I tend to save on most things, but especially tops, skirts, athletic wear, and accessories.
I will spend on pants/jeans, bras (I stick with a brand/model that I know works for me, and don’t stray), and bags. I like some more expensive bag brands but get them secondhand, so they are more of a spend. I am not really a “one purse” kind of person, I have a small collection and switch up occasionally.
I do splurge on shoes, i agree with you that the cheaper shoes I’ve encountered just are not as comfortable or healthy for my feet! I can usually find my favorite brands for less, so it’s a small splurge! I too will splurge on self-care. I usually will get a massage each month and it has really helped me stress less and feel healthier. I also take horse back riding lessons which is a bit of a splurge but I don’t do gyms or etc, so that is a part of my health and well being as well. I usuly save on travel, kids clothing/toys, groceries, entertainment/books and most other things–I tend to be frugal in most areas. i use the public library for most of my book needs, and we don’t have cable, and I usually decorate my home sparsely with mostly secondhand or sentimental items.
Horse lessons! That is so cool. I can imagine it’s very soothing to be with horses. They are such powerful, wise animals.
I’m the same way with my jeans – I committed to a brand and rarely stray! Although recently, I tried the DYT Favorite Pants in Chocolate and I love them! I didn’t know I “needed” 😉 a pair of dark brown jeans in my wardrobe, but it opened up a lot of new outfit options.
Sometimes I get “in my routine” and have a harder time branching out (imagine that!) but when I do I’m like “Oh! I actually really like this!” Like with a new brand and color of jeans! Haha!
Really good article, Anne and Michelle. I will splurge a little on purses (I carry the same one for a long time) and durable luggage, rings (I wear several that are meaningful to me and like them to be sturdy and good quality as I don’t take them off), and shoes. I’m also willing to spend more on a new car (well, truck), as I like to get exactly what I want, but then I will drive it for a long time (I’m struggling with the decision whether or not to upgrade my beloved 8 year old Tacoma). I’ll save on most of my clothing as I like to have a lot of options, and my size – especially in pants – tends to vary. But if I REALLY love something and know I will use it a lot, I don’t mind paying more. I also spend more on my haircut and color as I’ve learned that’s something really important to me. I don’t enjoy massages, pedicures/manicures, facials, so I save some money there. I think it’s really interesting how we all have our priorities and compromises!
Yes! I splurge on my hair too. It makes such a difference to have it done by a professional. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I had to scoot down here to comments right in the middle to tell you to check out Tieks by Gavrieli shoes! They are a definite splurge but I have to tell you, I got a pair right before we went on vacation to San Diego… A very walkable city. We went to Balboa park, the zoo and safari park (which is really another zoo) and Seaworld within three days and walked and walked and walked. I have bone chips in my big toe on one foot usually doing any real walking like that I can barely stay on my feet later and often end up icing my foot and sitting the entire evening no matter what shoes I wear. But…not with the Tieks! They are as comfortable as slippers, light as flip flops and cute as any flat you’ve ever had! (Obviously I splurge on shoes 🙂 )
Thank you for the recommendation. I was looking at those recently and thought, “Is it worth it? There’s hardly much shoe for $175!” haha. I was recently in San Diego and yes, lots of walking and my feet got sore. I will have to look into these shoes again. I’ll let you know if I get some! Do you have a favorite color of the shoe?
I have started with the pewter and have my eye on pacific green 🙂
Anne, did you know ebooks and audiobooks can be borrowed for free from your local library using the overdrive app. I read a lot and rarely to never pay for a book. Also our library lets you download digital magazines and keep them via the zinzio app. I save so much money!
Wardrobe wise I wear the best brands I can but never pay full price. I shop sales, out of season etc. I subscribe to all the ‘better’ companies VIP membership to gain discounts and even get free vouchers on my birthday and randomly throughout the year.
I’ve had to adopt a minimalist mindset for everything in my life, including my wardrobe due to financial and space constraints and I think I may stick to it, quality over quantity seems to be the way to go.