What Clothes Shops Do You Think Offer Value For Money?

I like clothes and I'm getting a bit better at choosing clothes that suit me plus I'm also being a bit more adventurous. It helps that I have DFO on the way home from work so I get to try lots of things on without necessarily buying. Just the fact that I try lots of things on makes me better at knowing what suits me and what doesn't.

BUT, despite the fact that I buy a lot of things at very heavily discounted prices from DFO, the price of clothes really s***s me. I love the things I buy and unlike in previous years, I know I will get a lot of wear out of what I've bought because I choose carefully now but again, I think the price of clothes is ridiculous for what you get.

I just bought a cotton dress which is gorgeous and the sort of thing you can dress up or down - it will be an everyday dress as well as something I could wear to the races with a different pair of shoes/jacket. It was $140 - now in terms of price per wear that's value for money because I know I will wear it to death. BUT at the same time, it's just a simple cotton dress that is probably worth no more than $20.

Does anyone else feel the same and is there any shop that you think offers real value for money?

Yep, I know - opp shops. I did buy a wool coat from an opp shop on the weekend and that was $110 which I think is great but there's just some things that you need that you can't buy from opp shops ... or you just get impatient and you're not willing to wait.

I buy most of my clothes at Target and generally get years of use out of them. I like that I can reasonalby priced pieces for work (<$50) as well as casual stuff. They also have great sales - even at the start of the season and I can lay-by a heap of things. My other plus to Target is their sizing is reasonable - I am a 12/14 there whereas in some fashion stores I struggle to sqeeze into a 16 - which I find annoying and demoralising.

I agree with you on Target Control Freak. I especially by the basic essentials there such as plain black wool cardigan that I have just worn for about 3 days a week for a third winter. Plain straight black skirt and pants for winter - It all depends on fit of course, but I believe you can't tell a $70 from a $400 pair of black pants if they have similar cuts (if you know what I mean).
I used to like brown sugar but I don't think their quality is so good any more. Esprit I always find good quality but try to pick things up while on sale.

Totally agree - Target is good value for money and I've always been v happy with the stuff I've bought from there.

I buy clothes from SES, they range from like $4.95 to max $30 bucks. I get winter coats there (really nice ones) for $19.95 end of season and wear them next season.

I think they are in most Westfields now. Although their clothes arent the best quality, still wearable for a while.

Just subscribing to this thread as I need to get myself a lot of new clothes. Fiona I need to follow your lead and just try some things on. I really haven't bought anything for myself in 5 years since pre-DD1 and I think that I need to revamp my style and my wardrobe. I can't get away with stuff that I was wearing in my early 30's now that I am in my late 30's :rolleyes:

Vinnies. Lifeline. Salvos.

Places like Target are usually copying particular fashion styles in a need to get it out there fast, and at a lower price. They send huge orders with harsh deadlines to their manufacturers who fall all over each other trying to get the big contract, and workers end up pulling double shifts in terrible conditions to make it.
The on-flow effect of this is that they don't make em like they used to. Second hand garments shipped to Africa, Asia and South America (you think they end up in Vinnies when you throw them away? Only 5%) are now far less re-saleable because of reduced quality, so end up being thrown out. Not a winner for the planet.

I have linen pants and some jeans I bought from Sussan that still sit beautifully a few years on.
All my country road stuff seems to hold its shape and not pill etc.

I really like the regatta range from Myer - they have great sales on their stuff and it's good quality that doesn't go out of shape or pill if it's just cotton interlock so I get a lot of stuff from there. Ezibuy is quite good too - I've had a few shirts from there that I've had for a cople of years now and a gorgeous red wooll and cashmere Pea Coat that I've had for 7 years.

Snugglybean, I saw a thing of TV ages ago about that - I can't remember what country it was but they had more clothes than you could poke a stick at because all the charities kept sending all their cast offs to them thinking they were doing a good thing and it was buggering their economy or something like that because they had sooo much of it. And even with the recent tragedy in Samoa they were saying they don't need clothing, just money and I assumed it was because they already have truckloads of charity donated stuff as well.

Glassons fashion is good value for money$$ :D

... The last few clothing items i have purchased from Target in the past few months have had faults, example dye running in black jeans that were washed in cold water, poor quality stitching in a dress (and every dress of it's kind on the rack was the same) and a one sleeve heaps bigger then the other in width on a t.shirt :rolleyes:

Ok i do agree with target.. BUT i have noticed they are starting to get rather expensive!!!
I need new clothes!!!! will be interesting to see everyone's opinions

FWIW i get all my kids clothes from best and less (not only because i work there) but i really do believe it is great value for the price you pay!!!

hmmm i dont know if you have Temt over there? its a branch of Valleygirl but with more sophisticated stuff and its all cheap like from $10 to $50...i ussed to work there and i looovee the stuff (ok so its not the best quality sometimes but i have jeans and some tops from there that are 3 or 4 yrs old and still going strong)
HTH

I've bought a few dresses from Big W that i wear A LOT and they werent too pricey. Plus i love Crossroads, they have a lot in there that i buy/wear!

Definately Crossroads!

I find Colorado make good quality clothes that not only last but are often quite 'classic'. You can buy good quality linen shirts there that don't cost a packet compared to other stores for example. I have been wearing a short sleeved Colorado linen shirt regularly for about 8 years now. They take care of details like sewing in a spare button into the seam too. I find you can be quite 'hard' on Colorado clothes and they withstand it. I price clothing on a 'per wear' basis. If something is $300 but i wear it 300 times then to me it only costs $1. If something costs $20 and i only wear it once it's actually more expensive than the $300 item IYKWIM?

:yeahthat:

I have a beautiful but stupidly expensive dress that I have worn to about 10 weddings and in doing so have saved myself a bomb - instead of paying a hundred here and a hundred there. I am always trying to think of things in a price per wear sense. (It's how I justify my nice undies too :) )

As for good shops - I'm with Bath on Colorado - and for work I used to find Witchery when on sale was great - but I think they have a new design team and I haven't been too impressed with the last few seasons that they have produced - but if you like their current stuff their sales are great for workwear.

For me, if I love it, I will wear it lots - I used to go for cheap clothes, and I didn't love them and they fell apart and it ends up being wasteful. So now I have less clothes, and wear them a lot.

But thinking of actual stores...
- Myer's Miss Shop has good staples, long sleeved tshirts, singlets, tees, that sort of thing that they sell quite cheaply and I live in them because they're always under another top or accessory. :p
- Tree of Life, because I only buy things from there when they're on sale, and because I like that style, I get a lot of wear from those clothes (which is why it's good to buy what you love, within a reasonable price).
- I think it's JeansWest that do two pairs of jeans for $100? So I just find out when my sister needs jeans. :p
- I also have some surf brand stuff that I have gotten so much wear out of...I still have a pair of jeans that I bought at the very start of 2006 and I wear them heeeaps. And I got them at one of their after Christmas sales.

For kids, BigW can have some really decently priced stuff - given how fast my kids grow since they're still quite little, they don't get a chance to wear it out. :p

95 % of my not pregnant clothes are Colorado they are nice, well priced and great wearing and washing!!!

Other than that I buy Target or big city chick.

DS its target, pumpkin patch, best and less or big w.

My favourite label is Metalicus & it's quite exxy but I have pieces that I have had for years... I love it as I am a fan of layering & Metalicus is made for layering. It doesn't need ironing and the wool pieces especially are so beautiful year round. I also love Wyse for the reasons I love Metalicus. Boom Shakar is another I really like.
I also am a fan of Sussan - especially their linen. Like Pony I have pants and shorts from Sussan that I've had for years.
I do buy more expensive brands - but like others have said it's the use that I get out of each piece. I have some metalicus tops that I literally wear each week...
I put on some weight having Immy due to all the steroids I think so I am currently shedding those kilos that I allowed to hang around. Once done I will be looking for some great jeans...
I live in jeans in winter so I want some nice ones.. Any ideas?

I love crossroads! Great fashion, great price and great sales too

Target was great until they become so exxy.

But I am a sucker for op shops

Deb, Nobody jeans are great, I wore mine to death last winter. HTH.

Thanks I will have a google! :hug:

I like Nobody jeans too, actually I should go & get myself another pair! I wore the last pair to death!

I am a huge fan of op shops, I look for quality brands and I don't buy it unless I love it. Its not a bargain if you never wear it.

for the girls i love sprout from myer and also target, for myself i used to love urbane, espirt etc.. from myer but the quality the past few years is really poor, i find harris scarfe good if you can get there when the catelgue first comes out otherwise you miss out