Earlier this week I posted all of the items that you should consider splurging on for your wardrobe. These reasons centred around fabric, fit, tailoring and item longevity to ensure you have a long lasting and timeless wardrobe. These are pieces typically harder to find great versions of on the high street and your money would be best spent investing a little more to ensure it serves you well.
I am equally passionate about the items which you can SAVE money on. Those items which you could of course spend a little more money on if you choose, or if your budget allows, but why would you?
The high street do an incredible job of of creating the high end look for less. As time goes on and fabrics become more commercial and widespread such as linen, the price of said fabric comes down which enables lower priced retailers to do a decent job of serving you affordable fashion.
T-shirts
Let’s face it, no matter how hard you try its near impossible to prevent crisp white t-shirts from looking worn after a few months, regardless of how much you spend. I always would recommend going for a 100% cotton tee, but these can retail from $5- $100+.
The difference in quality is the length of the cotton fibres that have been used to construct the t-shirt. Cheaper t-shirts in the sub $20 category are made from super short fibres which result in those pesky little holes in random places where the short fibres come apart.
However due to the fact that no matter what a white tee will not maintain its whiteness after six months, you will be replacing this piece constantly.
I have found the sweet spot with a white tee is between $20-$50. Its affordable enough to replace as needed, but the quality is still quite good.
Recommended Brands: Uniqlo, Atmos&Here, Urban Outftters, Topshop Boutique
Denim
Cast your mind back to the early 2000s when skinny leg jeans were all the rage and designer denim was the place to buy it. Back then, $200 was perfectly reasonable to spend on a pair of jeans- think cult brands Sass and Bide, Bettina Liano and Seven for All Mankind. Designer denim was having such a moment, and we were all here for it.
Fifteen years later, the landscape is completely different. While high end denim certainly still exists, it has become so accessible for high street retailers to create killer, high quality pieces for a fraction of the cost due to advancements in fabric technology and the price of yarn.
The jury is pretty divided on this one, but based on my decade+ working in product development and styling, I do not believe denim should be an investment.
Denim has come such a long way in the last 15 years, and the high street have some amazing options at super affordable prices. In fact, you would be surprised at some of the powerhouse ex high end denim experts behind the denim ranges in high street stores.
Denim is a hard wearing fabric so it’s going to last no matter what. All you need to do is find that perfect fit!
Recommended Brands: Zara, Topshop, Cotton On, Dotti
Linen
Linen is another fabrication that used to be considered luxury but now due to increased demand has become increasingly affordable.
I have worked in product development for ten years, and I remember it wasn’t so long ago that the high street retailer I work for couldn’t afford the exorbitant fabric price for linen. In the last five years, linen has exploded on the market giving consumers so much more choice.
Linen is a natural fabrication, so no matter the price point, you are going to experience crushing. Its the nature of the beast, and frankly an attribute I quite like as it lends itself to that carefree summer vibe. If this really bothers you, steer clear of 100% linen and opt for a linen with a viscose blend. This will minimise the crush factor while giving the piece a lovely drape.
As such, this is a category I definitely recommend saving your money when it comes to basic pieces. I can understand erring to a higher price-point for the sake of a gorgeous uniquely designed piece, but for everyday mini skirts, easy summer dressers, linen pants and other basic fashion items you could definitely get away with spending less.
I would however be very careful of the fabric weight. Some very low priced retailers will use a light weight linen to get it into cost- this makes it see through and look cheap.
My recommendations below are ones I personally vouch for and have a good weigh to them.
Recommended Brands: Dotti, Witchery, Sportsgirl, Portmans, H&M (sometimes)
Special Occasion
Special Occasion really deserves its own category. I spoke about it at length in my Cost per Wear article. This is a category I strongly feel should be rentals only.
Due to the nature of these kinds of pieces, they will almost certainly only be worn once, and usually are quite expensive to begin with.
However retailers are cottoning on to the value of the rental model. As I am writing this David Jones have just collaborated with Glam Corner to provide stock for rental, which means it’s only going to get bigger.
I have been waiting so long for an Australian retailer to jump on this model. We have seen some overseas retailers doing this for years such as Express so it’s a really exciting step in the right direction.
The only exception I would have to this rule, would be the purchase of a perfect little black dress that flatters your figure and personal style.
My overall recommendation would be to save your hard earned dollars and direct that money toward everyday categories that will move the needle on your personal style.
Recommended Brands: Designer Ex, Glam Corner
Trend led pieces
This kind of goes without saying. If something is a fun trend led injection to brighten up your seasonal wardrobe, I definitely would look to the high street who do such a great job of this market
. If you can get your capsule wardrobe foundations right and invest your money there, trend led pieces can be fund affordable ways to freshen up your look with minimal investment.
Recommended Brands: Topshop, Zara, H&M
So there you have it. The five categories I recommend you save your money on. If you want to read the items I recommend splurging a little more on the elevate your outfit click HERE
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