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Two months ago I was all about investing your money into basic peices for your Capsule Wardrobe but I have to tell you with all of the research and investigating I'm not believing that. Don't get me wrong I still suggest getting a good quality basics but you can get those items at J Crew which if you are an avid shopper of J Crew you know you can get those items on sale and even clearance. If you take it one step further you can have those items fitted to you making them look more expensive. So why did I change my mind well because if you shop sales you can get quality pieces for a fraction of the price. In the end spending a thousand dollars or more on a black shift you legitimately could have picked up at J Crew for seventy dollars now ask yourself do you think anyone can tell the difference? All be it a black shift dress is a must but no one knows what you paid for it, the impact is minimal so the money wasn't spent wisely.
Why am I pushing J. Crew for your basics, well its for several logical and savvy reasons. You buy a suit from J. Crew and one from Escada after a year or two you drop something on the pants and damage them now what do you do? Even black is hard to match with their being changes in the shade or fabric, if you have ever had to do this you know how frustrating it can be. J. Crew well they will make a new pencil skirt every season that will match the blazer you bought even 5 years ago. It is easier to add separates to expand that suit if you pick it up at J. Crew which will allow you to add pieces as you go instead of having to pick up all of the pieces because next season they won't have it. One black blazer, black pencil skirt, trousers, A-line skirt and a shift dress they will all work together and create several outfits for any event. Next year when your office allows cropped pants or you want to add a wide leg pant you can do that with out having to start all over. Now do you see the logic?
I absolutely do not suggest you spend a lot of money on trends but that is because I do not believe in fashion instead I think you should strive for style. Style is not dictated by runway's or the pages of Vogue that is fashion but it is the designer or the advertisers stylists vision. Style is something that beats to its own drum it is that scarf, the way you use that scarf and other accessories you add. Like any other woman (or man) out there I love fashion, the runway and skillful glossy pages in Vogue they are Art but not exactly wearable. If you are wanting that purple fur jacket you may want to look for that on a budget or rethink it all together. Piling on trends, wearing head to toe designer puts you into the Fashion Victim category which is not good. Instead pick statement pieces that you like, not because someone said you should like it. Think like a Parisian woman you don't follow fashion, fashion follows you. You still want these statement pieces that you invest in to have a good shelf life and the best way to do that ask yourself would you have bought 5 years ago or can you picture yourself in it 5 years from now?
To get more bang out of your designer pieces add these statement pieces in a way that it can update your entire wardrobe. Lets say you are dying for the yellow you have been seeing (who wouldn't it is a happy color) instead of getting that Prada dress opt for a pair of shoes, scarf, statement necklace or a handbag. ** Value is more than just cost. A dress is beautiful and well Prada is amazing but how often can you wear that yellow dress? But the shoes or bag can be worn with everything you own so essentially you could wear it every day. I pick things that I love regardless of what the color of the season is this is what style is about. It is your taste, your vision and your interpretation. Always stay true to who you are and what you like don't let corporations or the media make decisions for you. I don't know about you but if I am going to drop 500 or 1000 on designer shoe I probably won't pick the standard black pointy toed shoe where would the fun be in that?
** To determine Value you have to take into account the cost, quality and how often you can wear it. You pick up a pair of yellow Sophia Webster (wearable art) heels for 500 and you can wear them 2 to 3 times a week multiplied by the amount of weeks you can wear it for its lifetime. Take that 500 and divide it by the amount of times you can wear it and you have value. Lets say you are between the yellow dress and the shoes, calculate the value like you did for the shoes only its a dress so you probably will only wear it once a month or every 6 months now decide which 'value' you want to get out of your purchase.