WOMEN get a bad rep for our love of shopping, but it is actually men who are the big spenders when it comes to fashion.
A recent poll found men splurge on fashion more than women, with fellas on average owning an incredible 20,850 items of clothing in their lifetime. And another survey found chaps spend 42 per cent more on their wardrobe each month, splashing out £115 compared to a modest £81.
So how does it feel to date a man who prioritises his trainers and T-shirt collection over taking his partner on a romantic date? Claire Dunwell meets three male fashionistas and their long-suffering partners.
KARIM NEWTON, 26, forks out £1,000 a month on clothes while girlfriend Iona Macleod spends just £75. Iona, also 26, a photographer who lives in Hackney, East London, with Karim, an events organiser, says:
“We joke that the jackets come first in our relationship.
“When I first went round to Karim’s house, he made me wait outside his room for 20 minutes while he tidied up the piles of clothes and shoeboxes.
“Now he has a wardrobe to himself and a rail, which is bursting.
“I’m lucky if I can squeeze my stuff on the end.
“Karim says he should get more wardrobe space because he’s bigger than I am.
“I rarely spend money on clothes.
“When I do, it’s usually no more than £75 a month, maybe a bit more in summer.
“I like oversized items and Karim has stolen two of my jackets and wears them himself.
“I love how Karim has a great fashion sense but I would love a bit more space in the wardrobe. And who needs 70 pairs of socks?
“I don’t want Karim to spend more money on clothes for me, I just wish he spent less on himself and more on things we can do together as a couple.
Karim says: “Jackets and shoes are my thing because I like buying low-maintenance stuff I can wear a lot.
“I absolutely love jackets and buy new ones without even thinking about it.
“Even when it’s boiling hot outside, I never take them off.
“Some of them are investments.
“I have a red and white racer jacket I bought in Berlin last year.
“It cost 65 euros (£57) but it would probably sell for between £300 and £400.
“The cheapest jacket I own cost £15, reduced from £140. I love a bargain.
“I used to shop at high street shops but now I find clothes nobody else will be wearing from charity and vintage stores.
“I got my first job in a clothes shop when I was 16.
“All my wages went on clothes and shoes and I took advantage of staff discounts.
“I own around 70 T-shirts, 60 pairs of shoes, 50 pairs of boxer shorts and 70 pairs of socks.
“I buy nice clothes to feel good about myself.
“It isn’t about impressing other people.
“I think my spending would cause arguments between me and Iona if I didn’t work so hard.
“I make my money stretch and if I’m going to buy something, I make sure I have enough money to cover it.
“When I was younger, I used to spend even if I couldn’t afford it. But now I’m more sensible.”
MARKETING manager Nick Ahmed, 36, owns the same shirt in 20 colours and spends nearly ten times more on clothes a month than his wife. Writer Natalie, 35, who lives in Nottingham with Nick and their four-year-old son Lucas, says:
“Two-thirds of our walk-in wardrobe is full of Nick’s stuff and I have to put most of my stuff in drawers because his takes up most of the hanging space.
“We have fixed a hanging rail into a bedroom cupboard because Nick needed extra space.
“I like how he takes pride in his appearance but the washing pile is never ending.
“There’s clothes he wears before he goes to the gym, while he’s at the gym and then those he puts on afterwards. Three sets a day!
“I rarely spend money on clothes and when I do, it’s only £20 now and then.
“I’m good at recycling my outfits and I accessorise for a new look.
“Nick loves treating Lucas to new outfits and I can see him following in his daddy’s footsteps.
“I’ll sometimes look over Nick’s shoulder while he’s online shopping and say: “Don’t buy any more of those, you have enough.”
“Except for household bills, mine and Nick’s money is separate, which means he can do whatever he likes with his.
“I definitely have more spare cash than he does.
Nick says: “When I find a pair of jeans or a shirt that fits well, I’ll buy them again in a slightly different colour.
“I have 20 shirts by the same designer, all in different shades of blue.
“I shop online once a week and like a timeless, classic look.
“A nice pair of hardwearing jeans and a smart polo neck or shirt.
“I wear something different every day and spend between £100 and £150 a month.
“Although I like to spend my money on looking good, I only spend what I can afford.
“Luckily, we’ve never had any arguments about my spending.
“But I sometimes wonder if that’s because Natalie doesn’t register exactly how many similar items of clothing I’m accumulating!
“I buy Diesel, Farah and Bjorn Borg online, and if I go out to the shops, I like Mango and TK Maxx.
“I have two pairs of jeans a waist up from my usual size just in case I put on a few pounds.
“I’ve made some fashion mistakes.
“In my twenties I went through a phase of buying flared jeans.
“Looking back, I don’t know what I was thinking.”
FATHER-of-two Nigel Card, 55, plans his outfits a month in advance and can spend £500 on one look. The operations manager lives with his wife Christine, 47, a finance administrator, in Winchester, Hants, with their youngest daughter Robyn, 22. Christine says:
“We are like chalk and cheese when it comes to clothes.
“Nigel would happily browse the shops every weekend but I only spend money when I really need something.
“I spend between £250 and £300 a year on clothes and when I do, it’s a couple of items I pick up from independent shops while Nigel likes designer brands.
“He gets an image in his mind of what he wants to look like and if he doesn’t have it in his wardrobe, he will go out and buy it.
“I have told him to rein in the spending now and then.
“Even though he plans his outfits weeks in advance, he still takes hours longer than I do to get ready because everything has to be perfect.
“He will iron everything twice and he’s really fussy with his shirts.
“When we have a special occasion to go to, Nigel is always telling me I should have got a new pair of shoes or a new dress.
“But I don’t want to spend money on clothes when I own enough already.
“If shopping makes Nigel happy, I’m happy.
“It’s a good job that I’m not a big spender as he takes up all the budget.
Nigel says: “When I’m wearing a three-piece suit and the right shoes, I feel my best.
“Once I have a picture in my head about how I want to look, it takes me weeks to get it just right.
“Christine rolls her eyes but after 28 years together, you would think she would be used to it by now.
“I buy clothes for Christine at Christmas and once surprised her with a black floral dress from French Connection which she had seen in a shop window and it made her cry.
“If I’m going to a wedding, I spend between £600 and £1,000 on a suit and for anything else, I’ll go to £500.
“I work hard and I don’t have expensive hobbies so I think it’s OK.
“But if we’re ever short on money, I am sensible and stop shopping.
“A couple of years ago I was at a charity function when I was approached by a tailoring company to do some modelling. It fuelled my spending habit because it was more important than ever to look my best, especially on social media photos.
“Now I mix modelling with my full-time job.
“The modelling jobs pay for my clothes and at 55, I can’t think of a better way to spend my hard-earned cash.”
