TIME TO INVEST IN YOUR WARDROBE

What areas of my wardrobe do I need to invest in?

When clients book personal shopping packages, under the ‘what’s your budget‘ question in the questionnaire they often answer I don’t know, because they have no idea what the cost would be to put together new outfits and a wardrobe for the season. One area of my job as a stylist is to educate them on what categories they need to invest in (pay a little bit more) and what categories they can save in.  I’m going to share with you the top categories I suggest investing a bit more and why. Always be mindful of price per wear when investing, if you’re going to use or wear something specific all the time then it’s worth spending a bit more for best fits, quality etc. Also, don’t forget quality over quantity.  If you tend to have too much stuff in your wardrobe and you end up wearing only the 20% you can see, the rest gets hidden or stuck in the back of the closet.

Before I run through my top investment categories, here is a little food for thought to give you an idea of what clients spend during a personal shopping package, remember this is for a seasonal wardrobe update, which means about a 2 week rotation of interchangeable outfits including accessories like handbags & shoes as well. On average, budgets range anywhere from 3-6k. The lower end of the budget would be for a really tight, minimal capsule wardrobe and the hire end of that budget would include some great investment pieces as well as more interchangeable outfit options, but no matter what your budget is you can always end up with a well rounded wardrobe when you shop with intention.

denim

Finding the perfect jean can be challenging for most, one of the most common struggles I hear from potential clients is that they can never find a jean that fits there body type. Why is this? First, it’s because you have to try on a lot of denim to find the perfect one, secondly you need to know which brands to try and lastly you need to invest! Good denim that fits great, fabrics are soft, cuts are in style, can range anywhere from $250-$400. If you’re thinking wow that’s a lot,  remember price per wear. Denim gets worn for personal as well as a business casual work environment and can often be on of the most worn categories in an interchangeable wardrobe.  Check out a few of my favorite denim styles for Fall.

footwear

Have you ever heard the saying ‘you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes’. I remember hearing this saying many years ago and it still holds true. You want to invest in shoes that are on trend & suit your personal style. You don’t want to be wearing shoes that are worse for wear, as it could be the first thing someone would notice no matter how amazing your outfit is.  Depending on your fashion style & lifestyle you may want to invest in a cool sneaker, nude or black pumps, loafers, a fabulous sandal, so many options! I’d suggest going for whichever style compliments your wardrobe best. The cost of an investment shoe can range from $100 – $1000 really depending on what your looking for. Circling back to price per wear, I had purchased the Gucci Princetown slide back in 2018 for $700, it’s now 2022 and you’ll still see me in them all the time, worth every penny. Check out a few of my favorite shoes to invest in below.

handbags

When sourcing out a handbag, you first want to figure out what size & style makes the most sense for your lifestyle. For example, I personally love to have my hands free as I’m carrying shopping bags all the time for work or running around with my 4 year old for personal, small cross-bodies are my go-to.  Once you figure out if it’s that work tote your using the most, or a shoulder bag is perfect for an everyday interchangeable wardrobe you can then start searching for brands & styles. Price points can range, I suggest investing in mid -range to designer depending on your budget, but I will say if you’re interested in designer it can be worth waiting & saving.  Designer bags continue to have price increases and the values keep going up in resale for a lot of brands. Some of my favorites are Tory Burch (mid range) & YSL (designer) and there is so many more options worth checking out!!

sunglasses

Sunglasses, you may be thinking oh wow that’s an investment I’d lose or break!  If you’re someone who won’t lose or break your sunglasses, then this investment piece is for you. Having great fits, good quality and they are the perfect accessory to up your style game. Quality sunglasses stay on trend for a long time as well, the price per wear will be well worth it, think RayBan, they are still one of the top brands that never waver from their classic styles.  Have a hard time finding a style that suits your face shape? Go somewhere that has a lot of brand/style choices and just keep trying on, it can take some time to get that perfect fit for your face shape. Check out some of my favorite styles below.