Investment Pieces

In last week’s blog post, I mentioned a closet staple that I try to save money on. So this week I’m talking about a couple of pieces on which I will ALWAYS be willing to spend a little more.

I think it’s fair to say that everyone defines an “investment piece” a little differently. Not everyone will agree on how much is too much to spend on any one item. Not everyone will agree on what is or is not a splurge. But keep in mind for this post, I’m talking specifically about what I consider an investment piece and how I determine which purchases are worth spending more on.

To me: I consider an investment piece to be an item I’m spending more than $100 – $150 on. I expect these items to last longer, wear better and be versatile in my closet.

I have four key items, or categories, in my closet that I will continue to invest in. I’m sharing what those four are as well as why I will always be willing shell out a little more for them:

1.) SHOES:

I don’t splurge on all of my shoe purchases, but if I know a.) I’m going to wear them with a wide variety of outfits, both in & out of work, b.) if I know they’re never going to go out of style (think neutral & classic) and c.) if they’re well made & comfortable… I am willing to pay the price for quality.

Another thing I take into account is credibility of the designer (some of my favorites are Frye, Stuart Weitzman, and Tory Burch just to name a few). On higher end pieces: I tend to do some research and check out reviews; regardless of the item. If people are willing to spend more to get better quality, they’re also likely to be transparent about their true feelings on their purchase.

Here are a few I’ve purchased lately and a few I’ve had my eye on:

2.) COATS:

I think this is, in part, my practical, Midwestern girl brain talking. There’s never going to be a winter (not to mention fall and spring) in the Midwest when you won’t need a good coat. I”m not going to plead my case much on this one because… need I say much more?!

I will say this: I always have a good ‘sporty’ coat (think North Face, Patagonia etc.) on hand AND a ‘wear to work’ coat. Both serve a purpose and both deserve a few more dollars dedicated to their purchase.

Here are the coats I have in my closet and a couple more I’d suggest:

3.) BAGS:

If you know me, you know I LOVE handbags. While I was in college, I spent several years working for Coach. During that time I learned a ton about design, make and quality of bags. I learned what to look for in a bag that you want to last for years and will be worth the investment.

I only purchase leather bags. They last so much longer and are worth spending more on for the quality you’re getting. I also have children so fabric handbags make no sense. It’s just not worth it. I don’t recommend investing in fabric handbags. Their resale value isn’t there because the wear shows so much sooner and tends to be more substantial.

The resale value is another factor I seriously consider when I look at purchasing a new bag. I head to Poshmark or another resale site to look at what the bag I’m interested in (or something similar) is reselling for. Does it hold its value? As much as I love Coach (mostly because of the nostalgia) the resale value isn’t always there. Tory Burch bags resell for an average of 64% of the original retail price. This is just another part of the research I do before pulling the trigger on a larger purchase.

Lately, I’ve been loving Saffiano leather. The last three bags I’ve purchased have been made of this material. I love them. They’re incredibly durable and look beautiful. This kind of leather also helps hold a bag’s structure since it’s more rigid versus soft leather. While I love my soft leather bags, but I have to say I have been using the structured Saffiano leather purchases so much more.

Here are my recent bag purchases and a couple I’m coveting:

4.) DENIM:

I have a deep appreciation for jeans. I always have. Before I had to share a closet with my husband 😉 I used to hang my jeans. If I had the space… I would still hang my jeans.

Jeans never go out of style and they can be worn in so many different ways. I wear one of my favorite pair at least three days out of the week. I would love to wear them all day every day but… for sake of professionalism… blah blah blah 😉 Yeah… ok… I’ll dress up for work Monday through Thursday. (I guess I’m lucky enough to get to wear jeans on Friday!)

I don’t splurge on all denim purchases but I think every woman should have at least three pair of designer jeans to rotate in and out of outfits. Those three for me are flares, destroyed skinny and classic/dark skinny denim.

Here are my favorite three and a few others that I have in my jeans pile:

Stay tuned for a post on how to save for those investment pieces! I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks over the years and I will be sharing them soon. Make sure to subscribe to Midwest In Style by entering your email under ‘subscribe’ over on the right sidebar so you receive an email notification letting you know when new posts are live!

Feel free to ask me questions about these investment pieces! And I would love for you to share with me what you choose to invest in!

-M