Investment Pieces

Fashion Details:

Today’s post is an educational one that I’ve had in the works for a long time.  It’s about the term investment pieces.  You hear that term so often and I personally use that term a lot, but what does it really mean?  When you hear the word investment you immediately think, a lot of money.  And while that is true, it’s actually all relative to you.  So let’s dive in!

 

Investment Pieces

What exactly are investment pieces?  There isn’t a technical definition, but there are many phrases that define what an investment piece is.  These include:

• An item that provides a great foundation for your wardrobe
• A piece that will create endless outfit options
• The basic essentials of any smart wardrobe
• An item that has no buyer’s remorse
• A piece that you will love unconditionally for years
• Classic item that is timeless 

 

Now that we have defined what investment pieces are, we need to figure out what it means for you as an individual.  An investment piece varies from individual to individual and even from category to category for that individual.  I’ll try to break it down for you so it makes more sense.  Essentially there are 3 questions you need to ask yourself to determine if something is an investment piece.

 

3 Questions 

As I mentioned, investment pieces are all relative.  What I consider investment pieces may not be someone else’s investment pieces.  And what I consider to be an investment piece for work isn’t the same as what I consider an investment piece for the weekend.  The questions you ask build on each other, you can’t move to the next question until you answer it.  

 

Question 1 – Can I Afford This?

This should always be your first question, no matter what.  Can I afford this?  If the answer is no then it’s not your investment piece.  If the answer is yes that means it could be a small stretch or something you need to save for.  It’s ok to save for the item, even if it takes years, but you need to know that going into it.  Be realistic with this question too and don’t talk yourself into it.  

 

We’ve all been there and talked ourselves into buying something we couldn’t afford.  And what comes along with that is major buyer’s remorse.  So take your time with this question and truly debate if you can or can’t afford it.  You will thank yourself later.

 

Question 2 – How Often Will I Use This Item?

My favorite question to answer, will I use this item?  I love math so I can quickly figure out the cost per use on any item before I buy it.  Once again you need to be realistic with this question too.  Truly think about how many times you are going to use the item.  And also think about your situation and what your life is currently like.  I’m highlighting a great personal example. 

Example: A loungewear set that costs $100.  In the pre-quarantine world, I would not keep a loungewear set for multiple years and would maybe wear it twice a month.  For me that is personally too much for a loungewear set.  However in my quarantine world I would wear that same loungewear set 10 times a month.  Lowering the cost per wear to something much more reasonable. In this case, I’m getting my money out of the item.

As you can see it is definitely relative to the person and the situation.  Keep that in mind when answering this question.

 

Question 3: Will I Love This Item For Years To Come?

I know this is a hard one to answer because things change, styles change and feelings change.  However if you have the right mindset this will be easy to answer.  For the answer to this question you need to revisit what an investment piece actually is.  It is the foundation of your wardrobe and the most classic items that are timeless.  If it is timeless you will have it for years to come.  

I tend to lean towards purses when it comes to investment pieces because I know you can have one forever and love it.  Take the Marc Jacobs bag in this post, for example.  I bought it 6 years ago and it cost about $498, which is a hefty price tag!  Technically, I couldn’t afford it (I lied to myself about question #1 at the time), but I saved for it, for a long time.  I gave up a lot for this bag, but once I had the money I bought it.  It is completely timeless and I still love it today.  I love it for the classic style and the fact that I “worked” to get this bag and will always appreciate that.

 

Real Life Investment Piece Example

So I’ve given you the foundation of how to define an investment piece and now I want to take you through a real life example with my dress.  Today I’m featuring this gorgeous MM LaFleur Dress, which is an investment piece.  As I’ve gotten a little older I am much more focused on quality over quantity for my work clothes.  I love the fast fashion too, but beautifully designed and tailor dresses will always outlast the fast fashion.

 

It has a classic shape with the A-Line Skirt and has a beautifully tailor shoulder that is strong yet feminine.  The sleeve length is appropriate and the perfect longer-short sleeve that hits at the right place. Now the print is bold and noticeable, but tasteful and classic.  And the best part is it’s machine washable!  So I don’t have to pay extra to clean it each time, that is such a huge selling point for me.  So lets see how this dress stands up to my Investment Piece Q&A. 

 

Can I Afford This?

Yes, this dress fits within my allocation for clothing in my monthly budget (you can read about how to create a monthly budget here).

How Often Will I Use This Item?

I can wear this dress in the summer, early fall and spring (3 seasons which I estimate is about 7 months of the year) and I would wear this dress about twice a month, giving me about 14 wears.  This puts the cost per wear below $20 and I can live with that.  

Will I Love This Item For Years To Come?

YES!  Have you seen it?  In all seriousness the cut of this dress is timeless, A-Line dresses have been around for years and the style that works well with my body type.  The length is also ideal.  As I’m getting older my hem lines are getting longer and I’m ok with that.  I would point out that this is a print, however it’s a pretty neutral print with orange squares.  So while it is loud, its not trendy and will be in style for a long time. 

 

Looking for more investment piece items?  Head over here to see my

5 Pieces for 5 Outfits.