Curating the Minimum Wage Wardrobe

Written by Tehya Tenasco

Photography by Ema Sabau

What can I do to save money today? This was the question I asked myself every day over the course of this past summer. Not exactly the summertime leisure I was hoping for when I moved to Boston in June, but for lower tuition costs, I was prepared to take any leaps necessary to avoid crippling debt. It’s shocking how many hundreds are removed from a tuition bill when you move off campus. I’ve always been smart with my money. I save a portion of every paycheck, I pay my loan minimums each month, and I keep myself in check from overspending, but still…

The convergence of my clothing addiction and the biological need for fulfilling meals and self-care necessities gave my wallet a run for its money.
Grocery shopping became a careful dodging of purchasing impulsive snacks, and walking outside felt like it came with a $30 price tag. I worked
two customer service jobs, but my biweekly paychecks couldn’t keep up with my summer in the city. At least I didn’t have to pay for gas. Unfortunately, time waits for no one. Despite my budgeting dilemma, autumn was fast approaching, and thoughts of sweaters and scarves clouded my mind. My wardrobe was in dire need of a refresh for my final fall semester of college. With a heavy wallet, I partook in a thrift crawl on my day off, hopping from store to store and forming calluses on my fingertips from scouring endless racks of clothing.

But soon my hunt turned sour, my brain crunching numbers at the speed of light. What was once a gleeful activity that promised a satisfying adrenaline rush had morphed into a torturous one. I felt ashamed for wanting to spend money on material pleasures rather than banking those funds for a future I’m still uncertain about. Still, I continued to shop, hoping I would find something reasonably priced and wearable.

Then I found it. A Vivienne Westwood sweater hanging on a rack labelled “Staff Picks” at 2nd Street. It was the perfect grayish green, almost purple when I moved it back and forth, with The Orb symbol stitched in white at the center. It was just what I needed. What I had been searching for all day. The price was a whopping $180, so I told myself to wait until I got paid, and if the sweater was still there when I returned, I would buy it. When I left the store, a part of me hoped it would be gone. I felt guilty for considering tapping my card right then and there.

I returned and bought the sweater without trying it on. I cringed thinking about my bank account, but I didn’t allow the numbers to rule me. Instead, I allowed myself this luxury. I allowed myself to feel okay with buying an article of clothing that spoke to me.

“Investing in quality clothing is important” is a saying I’ve heard every fashion guru online spew. I’d like to reimagine that phrase as “Curating a versatile wardrobe is important.” Quality is a vague concept. Yes, some fabrics are objectively higher quality than others, but beauty is still in the eye of the beholder. Curation is all about the eye. It’s about translating a piece into the style world you’ve subconsciously envisioned for yourself.

Since purchasing the Vivienne Westwood sweater, I’ve made conscious choices to buy pieces I envision myself styling for various occasions. Rather than letting my budget scare me into stagnation, I let it guide me towards staple pieces I knew would last for years to come. Working around a smaller wage doesn’t have to be a nightmare, and you don’t have to sacrifice your happiness for the sake of a savings account. YM