Now as many of you may know, fashion trends change every season, every year, and of often reappear after a certain period of time. I personally think that dressing classic is the best way to come off as sophisticated and chic, but there is always that little devil on the corner of my shoulder telling me to "get that 70's flare pant" or "buy that cute-ass cropped top". Now, giving into one's temptations for trendy clothes isn't always such a bad thing. The only time it really becomes a problem is if you buy a lot of these trendy items and end up wearing them maybe once or not at all and end up throwing it away by the next season. It's good to indulge in your shopping experience but its definitely way smarter to save money in the long-run and invest in high quality pieces that will last you for years to come.
When shopping for classic items:
- Keep in mind that generally, if an item is a bit more pricier than it's dupe, its probably made better!
- Invest in items that are versatile like a white/black blazer, a neutral tone leather handbag, pants that can go from day to night, and a little black dress.
- Also, you might want to look for fabrics that are of higher quality such as cotton and silk whereas nylon and polyester fall into the "danger zone" of looking cheap and waring out quickly.
- Visit discount stores like Tjmaxx, Marshall's, Filene's Basement (I think this one may only be in NY and Boston), and Loehmanns. You don't have to spend $300 on a blazer when many of these discount stores carry high-end brands of the same quality for cheap.
When shopping for trendy items:
- Think about if you actually need it before you buy it and try to compose an outfit of some sort in your head (that's what I normally do).
- Don't splurge so much on trendy items because they do in fact go out of style at some point!
- Also, think about the future! Is this an item you would probably want in a year from now? If not, pass it up.
When shopping for basics:
- Basics are super important and are items that should be easy to wear, non-fussy, and decently priced.
- Be reasonable: Don't just buy a D&G plain white t-shirt because of it's name...there are some things that really have no difference in quality, but price.
- Look for items made out of cotton and always read the care-labels! You don't want to have to dry-clean your basic tank-top every-time you wear it.
- Find basics that suit your body type. With trendy pieces it is not so easy to do, because of their unique style, but basics like jeans, t-shirts, and sweaters should ALWAYS suit your body type.
- Also, don't be afraid to tailor! A pencil skirt or pair of black slacks will probably be worn more times than you can even count, so in the long run the extra money you spend on tailoring your items pay off.
xx