Just curious since so many people mention them as exceptions: how long do the representative Mustachian women in this thread wear their bras before replacing them? And how many bras do you own? :S
I'm probably going on 9 years for the one I'm wearing now. I have one other too-tight, strapless option that I've had for maybe 5 years.
I keep telling myself I *should* get a new bra, but I probably won't until mine falls apart.
I usually buy two new bras a year and rotate between them every few days. I start on the farthest out hooks and as the elastic stretches out naturally over time, I move in to the smaller and smaller hooks. Doing that with two bras lets them both last about a year before needing to be replaced. But if you're on NINE YEARS with one bra, you NEED TO BUY A NEW ONE RIGHT NOW! That cannot be giving you the support you need anymore!
My tiny Bs don't need much support. I feel like I just wear bras because that's what people do, and also to prevent my nipples from poking all around :-p
But I did buy a new one! Going strong.
Here's my update on Texas shopping. If you'll remember, I was grumpily preparing to find a suit and some shoes suitable for work. My grandmother paid for these items as my Christmas present, and I'm proud to say that it cost her even less than she expected ($300 was her target) because she used gift cards she got free from Horseshoe Casino. Once I heard she had Sears gift cards, I knew that's where I'd find my suit! And I *did*. I got a grey jacket, matching grey pants, and another pair of the same pants in black. They're cheap, but seemingly well-made and fit me nicely. Bonus: the jacket was 50% off, so only $30. Double bonus: everything is MACHINE WASHABLE!
Unfortunately, I couldn't find button-up shirts that I liked. Everything seemed so flimsy, see-through, or poorly cut. Or even low-cut, which I can't wear to work because I have a large chest piece (tattoo) I have to cover by buttoning up all the way, nerd style. We looked at a few other stores, including New York and Company, and didn't find squat.
Double unfortunately, the shoes I had my heart set on for almost a year simply didn't fit well. I tried on dozens of pairs of dress shoes at several stores and couldn't find anything that fit well or looked work appropriate... except for a pair of combat boots from Target. I initially was drawn to the boots because they're cute and fit my non-work style, but as my options for work shoes were dwindling down, I realized they could serve double duty and work at work. The biggest obstacle was finding the boot in black 11 (I know--I have giant feet. Makes it SO MUCH HARDER to find anything). I couldn't order them online, and the website said they were out of stock at most stores and in stock at a store they weren't. We checked every Target we passed, and one night we found them, but one of the zippers was off track. My boyfriend worked with the zipper a while in the store and we concluded they might be repairable, but I wasn't willing to pay full price for damaged shoes. Target only offered 10% off, so we passed. I was pretty bummed. BUT THEN!!! the day before I left, my mom and I magically found them at another Target after dropping my boyfriend off at the airport. We celebrated with empanadas, rosquitas, masitas, a cream puff, and coffee at a neighboring bakery. Huzzah!
I'm wearing the black pants and boots now, and must say that it looks sharp and totally work appropriate. Much better than the clunky loafers I was wearing before :S I'm so happy things turned out well!
ALSO: I shopped my former wardrobe. When I moved to Korea, I stuffed as much as I could fit into my suitcases, but left many clothes behind. Most of what I left behind didn't hide my tattoos and therefore isn't work appropriate, but since it's been a couple years I decided to update my non-work wardrobe, too. Thankfully, I had a couple pairs of size 12 pants; I've lost weight since moving and all the pants I had in Korea were unflattering 14s. I ended up returning to Korea with an additional few more shirts, a couple pairs of jeans, socks, a smart wool coat (looks so good!), and a pair of sneakers.
TLDR; In Texas, I acquired:
Jacket and 2 pairs of slacks: $70, but covered with grandmother's free gift card
Boots: $40, but paid for by grandmother
Shirts, jeans, sneakers, socks, wool coat: $0, from own wardrobe