Dawn's Evolution

Image by malla_mi via FlickrA few months ago I went shopping with my family. We picked up some clothes and I needed a new belt. In one of the stores my uncle ran into a coworker with who he ended up chatting for a few minutes.
Afterward when we left he made the comment that inspired this post: There are tons of cheap clothing stores nowadays, you don't need to spend lots of money on clothing.

To which I replied: but the quality is very bad.
Him: So? How long do you expect to hold on to one shirt? How many times do you expect to wear one shirt?
Me: I keep my clothes and wear them quit often. I have a dress that's 8 years old I think.
Him: That's not exactly a good character trait. You really should get rid of that dress.

Yeah not likely!

So where are you in this discussion?
Do you prefer like me to invest in quality clothes that will last you?
Or do you prefer to buy a bunch of cheap clothes that will not last long?
My teacher in highschool once said that she would rather buy seven new shirts and wear a different one everyday than spend the same amount on one shirt that would last her.
For the longest time I had the same mindset, untill I truly evaluated my clothing-choices and habits.

I keep my closet small. I buy new things once a month and purge the old stuff once a year. Buying new clothes is always a hassle for me as I need clothing for work, school, going out and some stuff to lounge in.

While my school garments tend to be cheap, mostly just jeans and a simple top, my work and going out attire needs to be a bit high end.
For work I prefer something profession and lasting because I do want to make a good impression upon my bosses and clients. And I do not like to have to constantly buy new clothes for work as finding the good stuff takes far more time than I usually have.
For work I need a uniform. Just standards: blouses, dress pants, dark-wash jeans and blazers.
On my dress pants I have to spend some extra money because finding a good pair in my size is practically impossible. I don't need many and I love the fact that the few I do own will last me a while.
I don't need to go to work all flashy I just want to look well put together and professional. Finding pieces I like is hella hard so I tend to hold onto the good ones I find for as long as possible. This is an area I do need to invest in.

Going out?
I go out on a whim most of the time and for those occasions I just go to the back of my closet, pick out a dress and go. I love dresses because they are easy, beautiful and girly. Also there is no need to match which is a real time saver for me.
Because I mostly do not know when I will be going out I like to keep a few dresses in my closet at the ready for those occasions. These dresses will of course have to last me for obvious reasons (hehe).
But mostly because I can not be bothered to go shopping because I NEED something new. I never find something good when I need it.
For the most part I like building a wardrobe not just buying clothes.