Worth It or Not Worth It?

Let's play a game. I'll give you a category and two possible items, one pricey and one budget-ish. You predict if I found the pricey one is : Worth It or Not Worth It?

Category #1: Sunglasses  

                        

 Category #2: Athletic Tops 

Category #3: Winter Coats

It would be easy to come out the of Bye Buy Challenge only buying name-brand, higher priced items given my experience with ill-fitting, poorly made clothing. The real challenge is to take the emotion out of the choice. Not to be swayed by a name brand or by a super-low price. Buy only what you need, but choose with an open mind.

The verdicts:
Sunglasses: Hands down, the D&G sunglasses feel great, look great and perform well in bright sun. Definitely worth the higher price. I was one of those "I'll just buy cheap sunglasses because I just lose them anyway" people. There is something skewed about that thinking. Sunglasses are not (or shouldn't be) disposable. Do I lose my purse? My keys? My phone? Not usually. If I treat my sunglasses like my other important items, there is a really good chance I won't lose them either.

Athletic Tops: I had to replace a few of my stretched out workout tops and did so with eyes wide open. I tried many on for support, comfort and style. My verdict surprised even myself-- I went with the Tek Gear tops from Kohl's. Both brands fit nicely and had good support. This left style as the deciding factor and the sporty style of the lime green top from Kohl's makes me feel speedy fast! It's also a bit longer so riding up is not an issue. Athleta was nice, too but I am not going to spend more if I don't have to.

Winter Coat: The winter coat I have been using for the past year and a half is great in many ways. It is a perfect style and length and is an excellent color (leopard print). The problem is the quality of the fabric and construction. I bought it for the positive qualities and ignored the negatives. Big mistake, because I spent the Bye Buy year in a coat that felt like an old bathrobe. I promised myself that I would only replace this coat when I found one that was just right in color, fit, style and quality. By January, most coats were on clearance so I have to just ignore price tags. So which coat did I choose? Again, I am shocked to report that the Target coat fits better, is a way better color (Wowser red with a purple lining) and fits better than the CK coat. I scrutinized the Target coat for quality and it is nearly the same as the CK coat. The fabric contents were identical. Imagine my continued shock to find that the Target coat was $17.

This game did not turn out as I imagined it would. Lesson: Be open minded. Search for quality. Know what is right for you and don't waver. I suspect that since most of the clothing available comes from far away places, there is a good chance that the same factory could make a Target coat and a CK coat. This makes the challenge of finding the right clothes for you even more difficult. But I have to say, I am loving the new things I bought this January!