Invest or Save

As a stylist and fashion blogger, I get to see a lot of clothes. A serious amount of my time is spent going through my own and other peoples wardrobes, thinking about how to communicate the essence of a person through different combinations, what's going to be comfortable, what's well made and what's not, what will have longevity and what's worth spending money on.  It's that old debate of splurge vs save. 

In today's economic climate it's understandable that we're all looking more closely at what we spend our money on and "fashion" can seem like a guilty spend, so here's a few things I've learned from 20 years of trying to build the ultimate wardrobe for myself and my clients:

Fact. The majority of us only wear 20% of what we own.  That means a huge 80% is just hanging there taking up space but not giving us any real value for money. So the first thing is to consider which pieces you're really going to get a lot of use from and also will be excited about wearing for many seasons.  These are the pieces worth investing decent money on, if you keep buying cheap versions you will have to replace them every year - spending a lot more in the long run.  Save your cheap spends for things that are just passing trends, you'll only wear them for a season so don't invest big money on them.

Here's a few things that in my experience are worth a bigger outlay and are part of the backbone of a decent wardrobe:

Jeans, they're a wardrobe staple and work really hard for us so it's important to get a pair (or two) that are flattering and will wear well.  More expensive jeans tend to have a better cut, better fit, higher quality material and will last you years.

True Religion Jeans

Cashmere Jumpers - not all cashmere is equal, good quality cashmere is worth investing in and it will earn it's cost-per-wear value so much quicker than a cocktail dress. It's the sort of thing you will be wearing every weekend for months at a time (for years to come if you look after it) and you can dress it up with  a skirt or a dress as well as throwing it on over jeans.

360 Cashmere - one of my go to brands for cashmere -  so soft & warm and it looks good year after year.

A wear anywhere dress.  A dress that (with different accessories, a jumper/cardi or blazer) can take you from work to dinner, lunch with the in-laws to cocktails with the girls. Hard to find but when you do - whatever it costs you buy that dress!!

dress by Bastyan.  The little black dress is a staple in any woman's wardrobe, make sure it works hard for you.  Get one that is suitable for a variety of occasions and makes you feel fabulous.

A fabulous coat. When Winter hits, a coat is often the only thing you're seen out in - for months.... so as well as keeping you warm it needs to be able to stand alone as an outfit. Definitely worth investing in. 

Patrizia Pepe shearling coat

Shopping smarter is the way to a great looking wardrobe, it will also save you money in the long run.