If your parents or significant other have ever gotten on your case about how much money you spend on clothing, just tell them that good fashion sense goes with the territory of being a female.
But exactly how much money does the average woman spend on clothes? Are you really going overboard at the mall or on Amazon?
Or are you not quite keeping up with the Joneses? Well, Mrs. Jones to be more accurate.
The amount of money that women typically spend on clothing can be broken down into monthly, lifetime, or annual expenses.
But it’s doubtful that you shop only once a year. Plus, it can be a little nerve-wracking to gauge your clothing budget by your yearly salary.
Surely, you have better things to do than calculate. So, it’s best to look at clothes shopping as a monthly expense.
The average woman spends between $150 to $400 per month on clothing. But in some polls, the most common answer is between $100 to $200.
Women spend an average of 76% more on clothing than men do. However, it’s recommended that you should only spend 5% of your income on clothes.
Of course, there are several factors that can impact the amount of money that women spend on clothes, including income level and family size.
If you can afford to hit your local mall every month, then go for it, girl! But you certainly shouldn’t risk your utilities being disconnected to look great.
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How much do single women spend on clothing?
It’s probably safe to say that single women typically spend more money on clothing than women in committed relationships.
Well, at least as long as they aren’t a single mom. In that case, money may be tight. But there are other reasons why single women tend to shop more often.
Attracting a partner
Once a woman is married or in a committed relationship, she has the ability to throw on an old pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt and pull her hair into a simple ponytail.
And her partner will still find her beautiful.
No, this doesn’t mean that you’ll stop caring about your looks once you say, “I do.”
You’ll still want to dress up for special occasions and to look professional when at work.
And two household incomes can expand your shopping budget. But women usually spend more on their looks when trying to attract a partner.
Financial freedom
If you’re in college and living in a dorm or with a roommate, you probably relish your newfound sense of independence – including having your own job, bank account, and credit card.
But the cost of tuition and books can rack up quickly, too.
Even so, being single and out on your own means that you don’t need to answer to anyone when it comes to your spending habits, which gives you the freedom to spend more on clothes – even that ridiculously high-priced pair of pumps that you absolutely need to have.
Spare time to shop
You have more time to hang out at the mall with the girls! You should make the most of these days because once you start a family, your social life will begin to consist of more play dates with less time to spend shopping.
But then again, isn’t that what the internet is for?
Why do women spend more on clothes than men?
The average amount of money that people, in general, spend every month on clothes is only $161, but that’s without separating the girls from the boys.
On average, women spend 76 percent more on clothes than men do. But why?
One theory is that women are more inclined to avoid repetition in their wardrobes. Also, women tend to keep up more with the latest season’s fashion trends.
Of course, you wouldn’t want to wear an outfit that was so last year.
Gender roles in fashion
While men can be just as vain as women, most of the time, men seem to care less about their personal appearance.
Sure, a man can definitely look smoking hot in an expensive Calvin Klein suit, but he can look just as good in blue jeans and muddy workbooks.
But technically, you also look fabulous in a cozy pair of cotton pants and without a trace of makeup on your face.
Although the fashion industry seems to target women most with pictures of Vogue and Cover Girl models, you should always remember that you are still beautiful no matter what you wear.
What are some factors that affect women’s spending habits?
The official average monthly amount of money that women spend on clothes is $150 to $400. But some women spend only $100 to $200 per month, and some months they spend even less than that.
It goes without saying that there are outside factors that impact how much a woman spends on clothing, including income level, family size, personality, and clothing style.
Income level
Naturally, if you have a college education and a career that brings a good-sized salary, you’re going to have more money to spend on clothes.
But lower-income women often shop at thrift stores and big box retailers, thus spending significantly less on clothing.
Family size
Single women without children tend to spend more money buying themselves clothes, but once they have three or four little ones, they’ll still be doing a lot of shopping. It’ll just be in the children’s department.
This could be part of the reason why it’s said that women spend more on clothes than men. Women tend to handle most of the clothes shopping for the family.
Preferred clothing style
While some women keep up with all the latest trends and wouldn’t dare buy an item that didn’t have brand name tags, other women simply have more of a down-to-earth personality.
Fashion isn’t a priority for them. They’re perfectly content with a used pair of jeans.
How much should you spend on clothing?
Experts say that you should only spend five percent of your annual income on clothing.
If you are barely making ends meet, you’ll probably spend less. But if you’re rolling in the dough, your walk-in closet may be packed full.
Some women have reported that their clothing budget fluctuates each month.
Some months they may only spend $40 or $50 on clothes; other months they may splurge on $300 worth of clothes at the mall.
If you really think about it, you don’t need $400 worth of new clothes every month, but if you can afford them, why not?
However, cutting back on how much you spend on clothing may give you extra money to pay off student loans and save for a house.
How can you save money and still look great?
Your glowing personality is far more attractive than that pricy cocktail dress. You can still look great in a burlap sack if you have self-confidence.
While clothes shopping is a fun way to pass the time, name-brand clothes aren’t necessary for you to look attractive.
If you want to have a versatile wardrobe, but can’t shell out much money every month, you can always purchase gently used name-brand clothes at thrift stores and consignment shops. Or you can hit the sales racks.
There is no price tag on beauty. It comes from within and can’t be purchased at your favorite online retailer.
As long as you feel comfortable with what you’re wearing, that’s all that matters.
