I was eying my wardrobe the other day, and reflecting upon how I even ended up with such a varied, but functional wardrobe.
I have so many things in my wardrobe for so many occasions and seasons.
(Okay, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).
I mean yes, I had more than I needed before I chopped it in half and sold anything I didn’t wear or couldn’t wear any longer, but I can see how I got myself into that “mess” of clothing and shoes.
And I blame it on the weather.
I’ve lived in a climate with 4 seasons for all of my life, and I thought it’d be an interesting exercise to go over the different ways it has affected my spending, especially with spending on my wardrobe and attire.
Background
I sweat very, very easily. Even in winter.
Even if I am walking fast in minus 60 degrees, I will still sweat, no matter what I am or am not wearing.
If I eat hot soups or stews in any climate, I sweat.
(BF was particularly amused by this).
But I also get cold very quickly, especially in my toes and my fingers, no matter what I do to cover them and baby them into staying warm.
So I need lots of options and no one piece is every perfect enough, without another layering piece.
The 4 seasons: cold, windy, snowy, & icy
I mean it’s ridiculous outside right now!
Makes you not want to leave the apartment for anything.
April Snow by Kayceeus @ DeviantArt
Sure, there’s a summer. And a spring. And an autumn.
But blink and they’re gone.
I think the Autumn and Spring lasts about a month and a half, with Summer ranging from 2-3 months. Although recently, it’s been really flaky and cool, cold then super hot.
Very strange weather.
The worst thing about these 4-season countries, is having to have specific items for every season.
In the summer, I am always looking for light clothing, nothing too constricting, comfortable, breathable fabrics, and shoes that wouldn’t make my feet sweat.I never want to wear anything formal, long-sleeved, dark or with a thick fabric.
My hair is perpetually tied up in a ponytail, and about wearing makeup? Forget that stuff.
It melts right off my face.
But that’s only just for a couple of months.
The wardrobe for layering in Winter and Autumn is where it hits me the hardest.
You can’t wear your winter jacket in Autumn because it’s too heavy and warm.
So you buy an Autumn Jacket.
Which turns out to be too warm for even cool Summer nights.
So you need something lighter.
We’re up to 3 jackets at a minimum right now!
But everything is revealed when we move on to the shoe wardrobe.
You buy a pair of regular shoes for Spring, like a pair of ballet flats. Or runners.
Shoe Closet by MillerTime30 @ DeviantArt
In Summer, you can’t wear regular shoes, or you will end up with little ovens attached to your feet. Your feed need air circulation to lessen the sweating.
But in Autumn, you need warmer shoes, so you buy Autumn Boots.
Then in Winter, you can’t wear your Autumn Boots because they need to be waterproof, windproof and WARM.
We’re up to 4 sets of shoes right now at a minimum:
- Spring: Ballet Flats/Runners
- Summer: Flip Flops/Sandals
- Autumn: Light Boots
- Winter: Warm Boots
And then don’t forget the rain.
Depending on how much you get, you’ll need knee-high rainboots to make it through the day, but you can’t wear Winter boots because you’ll sweat.
- Rainboots, occasionally
Then you might need dress shoes, heels, or options. Especially if you’re a shoe-a-holic like me.
And that, is how I ended up with 50 pairs of shoes in a closet. Really!
It’s been pared down some, but 30 pairs seems to be my minimum. 😛
It gets expensive, even to get a bare minimum shoe wardrobe. I’d say I have about $1000+ in shoes.
I’m leaning towards the +, assuming each pair of shoes is around $50 on average.
With 30 pairs x $30 = $1500!
Mind you, this has been collecting over the years, and I am including shoes such as $1 flip flops and gifts.
Even Barbie has a mad collection of shoes, and she’s a DOLL!
Barbie's Shoe Closet by Patricia Morel @ DeviantArt
Let’s not even get started on the clothing.
I have it all, for every season, every event, and every possible combination.
I think if I could pick the perfect climate, it’d be one season year-round so I can stop trying to think that there’s a cuter, warmer, nicer, better coat out there for Winter.
My favourite seasons have to be Spring or Autumn. Cool, comfortable, and not covered up with a bulky winter coat, or stripped down to just the bare minimum because it’s so humid.
I don’t really like extremes.
I prefer in-the-middle West Coast weather around 20 degrees Celsius, but I’ve lived on the East most of my life.
Winter has definitely cost me the most money, because I invest a lot more in warm, waterproof boots and thick jackets, mittens, gloves, earmuffs, hats and thermal sweaters.
Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver.
I cleared $60,000 in 18 months earning $65,000 gross/year.
Now I am self-employed, and you can read more about 
I'm so with you! I grew up in Wisconsin, which can't be much different from where you are. Winter gets so expensive! Also that constant weather swing is so confusing.
Then I moved to Miami, where it was sorta nice to have just one wardrobe–certainly cheaper anyway, but that darn humidity and oppressive heat ran me off. I mean, can a girl just poof her hair and wear some makeup once in a while?
Now I'm in Seattle, and the climate is the best! Usually only a five to ten degree fluctuation during any season, not the extreme highs and lows we had in WI. Most of the year it's layers, but mittens and snow boots and parkas? Don't need'em! At least I haven't needed them yet…
I am a sweater, too, and I hate it. UGH!!
i live in nyc so i get 4 seasons here and have way too many clothes. winter is def my most expensive. winter coats, winter boots, winter dresses, and accessories (scarves, mittens, hats!).
ROFL I was gawking until you said $1 flip flops. Those can rack up quickly 🙂
Well, I had to buy one pair when I ended up at the beach unexpectedly.
I now remember to ALWAYS pack flip flops, no matter where I think I’m going.
Hmm. I don't know what my fave season is, but i like middle of the road weather too. Just like you, I sweat super easily, but get cold really fast (My hands and feet are pretty much always freezing or sweaty…eww!). I tend to prefer slightly warmer weather – less likely to get sick.
Winter definitely is more expensive for me. It costs more to stay warm and dry!
My body is seriously responsive to any kind of change. Even now, I’m covered in a blanket, and my whole body is warm except for my feet.
I tend to prefer cooler weather over warmer weather, because I am a sweater.. (haha) but not a cardigan
Since I move from California, which has pretty mild temperatures year-round, getting ready for both summer AND winter was a challenge. I was completely unprepared for 90-degree days (in CA, I could wear jeans almost every day), and I definitely didn't have anything appropriate for snow!
Now that I have the bare bones of each, I think winter will be the most expensive. Inexpensive boots & coats are hard to find – the ones that are functional, that is.
I think living on the coast has its advantages. I really wish our weather here was less extreme.. but that’s why we’re moving! 🙂
Your post made me bitterly miss San Diego–where I basically wore summer clothes plus a sweater all year! In fact, I've always lived on the West Coast rather near the ocean–even the four seasons of Seattle are temperate compared to the four seasons of the French Alps. I do have a summer and a winter wardrobe, but I manage to go with a little layering in the fall and spring. So far, so good.
I must admit, that I'm kind of a dork about shoes. I actually buy most of my outfits so that I can wear them with the same 2-4 pairs of winter shoes and the same 2 pairs of summer shoes. Um. . .I'm not uber fashion conscious so you won't see me in really cute shoes. But I'm always comfortable.
I am starting to lean towards super comfortable, rather than super fashionable.
Flats, very low heels or wedges.. I am not the type to wear 4″ heels in any situation.
My feet are always freezing, so I rarely wear sandals or anything where I can't wear socks. =[
That said, WINTER is f-ing expensive. Especially when I lived in the alps. 200euro snowboots were a necessity, as was thermal underoos (multiple pairs), socks, and heavy down coats.
I would like to live where it's always between 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Then I could be cute and comfy and not freeze or boil.
200 EUR snowboots! I can imagine that. It gets cold enough here that I feel like I need little mini polar bears on my feet.
I have pared down my shoe collection also. But, it stinks because I have to buy winter boots and rain boots and "walking into work shoes" because our parking lot is so far away across the street. So, I can't wear cute 3 inch heels and hike it up across the street, so I usually wear flats in. I need to update my shoe collection though. I've started to buy "investment" shoes for the basics and buy cheaper bright colored "novelty" shoes.
I have given up on trying to wear cute shoes to work and also be able to catch the train or whatever.
Now, I just wear low heels, or flats. Or I leave my heels at work and change when I get there.
I don’t have 4 seasons and I can re-use a lot of my stuff but I still have like 35 pairs of shoes because sometimes it’s too hot and then it’s too cold and then it’s hot again.
Stupid Global Warming and climate change.
.-= Julie´s last blog ..How I got scratches on my arm 🙁 =-.
I have over 40+ pairs of shoes myself, while my bf has 5 pairs. Love being a woman :).
http://petitegorgeous.blogspot.com/
Winter cost me the most money because boots, coats and sweaters simply cost more than tanks and sandals. But, I love winter. I am in the south (USA) and our winters are pretty mild. I don't know if I could live in your climate.
It’s the reason why we want to move to Dallas 🙂
I read the title and thought, This needs explanation? I've always had too many clothes and shoes. Except that living in Britain my summer things almost never got worn. Then I gained a bit of weight (OK, quite a bit) and whatever summer clothes I had no longer fit. And then, after about 8 years, we actually had a summer. When I work in an office with no air con. I wouldn't have ever called 80 degrees F hot when I lived in OKC, but then again I always worked in offices that could be used as a deep freezer. Finding clothes that I felt suitable for work, cool enough, but covering up enough, took some doing. And yeah, when you swelter away at work, you need to wash, dry and iron those clothes before the next use, so that requires even more. Still, I'd be happy to cope with this problem and have another summer. One our of 15 just doesn't get it…
I’d rather be in a deep freezer than in a super hot office
hot weather makes me sleepy and/or cranky. Neither of which is very attractive.
ARGH!! This is my number one frustration with my closet, bar none.
My closet actually has five distinct seasons, and none of them actually match up. There's Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Desert.
Winter clothes are way too warm for Spring, but Summer clothes aren't warm enough. It's getting too warm right now for all my light-ish boots (not talking Sorels here) but it's not yet time for sandals. Desert clothes are a species of their own, because they require different materials than Canadian summer, and aren't exactly easily transferable back home (unless you happen to be a snake-wrangler or something).
My ideal climate would be one that is hot and dry. Dry means you sweat less everywhere and you don't feel like you have to swim through the humidity, and I hate the cold.
Desert! 🙂 I love the 5th one.
I agree that a drier climate means I’d sweat less. I didn’t sweat like mad in Portugal, but here, I’m .. disgusting!
I'm like you on the body temperature thing!
However, my shoes are limited: 1 pair of black dress shoes for work during non-summer months, 1 pair of sneakers, 1 pair of ballet flats (these tend to need an annual replacement though), 2 pairs of black winter boots (one laces, one zipper), 1 pair of tall black boots (can you see a colour theme? haha), 1 pair of crocs for walking around our apartment (the kitchen floor hurts my feet), 1 pair of heels (bought for my brother's wedding), and 3 pairs of flip flops.
The sneakers, dress shoes and ballet flats get worn the most. flip flops can't be worn to work, so I wear the ballet flats.
Winter coat? It's ugly, and provided by work – it's one of those 3 season jackets, and so I just wear it. It doesn't look very good on me, but I've become accustomed to the idea that it's my coat. Clothes tend to be short sleeves, and I keep a fleece at work to put on if I get cold – I'd rather be cooler than sweating. I also keep a pair of gloves at my desk for when my fingers get cold. Frequent typing in a cooler office can do it for me.
I’ve started to veer towards practical over fashionable.
Hence the Birkenstocks. I find them horribly comfortable, and if I am going to be walking or on my feet a lot, I have to wear them.