Quality

What does the word "quality" mean to you?

I have been re-examining my wardrobe (even more than usual) since my shopaholic challenge, and I have been really trying to make an effort to only add "quality" pieces that I LOVE to my closet.

I've been shopping all my life and still have nothing to wear.  ~Author Unknown

I don't want this above quote to be a description that fits me & my closet, I want to love every piece I own and have a hard time choosing what I want to wear every morning-not because I don't like any of it or I'm tired of it, but because I love it all, and can't pick just one outfit!!!

By no means does "quality" have to be a designer label or a piece of clothing that costs 100s of dollars, but yet it's that item that you know you won't get tired of, and will last. It may even be one of those pieces that your daughter covets and is so excited that you saved it, as it's now an excellent vintage piece! 

(I only WISH that had happened to me....Mom: you had great style, why oh why didn't you KEEP any of it?!?!)

Although the item doesn't have to be a high priced piece, it can be. This doesn't mean that your entire closet contains expensive name brand items, but you may have some, because as we know, typically the more you spend on something-the better the quality! (No, that's not always the case, but usually!)  Besides....

A bargain is something you can't use at a price you can't resist.  ~Franklin P. Jones

How many times have you purchased something just because it was on sale, only to find it in your closet 6 months later still with the tags on??!!  Hmmm.....guess you didn't really love that one, you just loved the price!

A bargain ain't a bargain unless it's something you need.  ~Sidney Carroll

I think one way to think about trying to buy quality pieces, is thinking of your wardrobe as an investment. You want things to last... you don't want to see the $$ end up in a bag to be donated!  Again, just as saving/investing your money, you don't put all you have into one place at one time, you add/save slowly. So think about your closet in the same way. Slowly begin to weed out the items you don't love and one by one add those quality pieces you will love forever.

One place to invest in is your denim. I am a true believer in the quality of "premium" denim. It really does last, and it FITS & WEARS so much better than the less expensive brands. Now I'm not saying Gap denim is horrible, but I do know that I can only wear my Gap skinnies once or twice before I get that "saggy butt" versus my James, AG, or 7 for All Mankind jeans!  I wear jeans every day, even in the summer, so this is an easy category for me to "invest" in. I don't have to wear "dress pants" to work, I can wear jeans every day, and I pretty much do!!  When investing in a good pair of jeans, make sure you TRY ON lots of different styles, sizes, and brands....you will most definitely be a different size in every brand and style.....and who cares about the size, you want the best pair that makes you look and feel great!

Another place to invest is your shoes. You not only want shoes that are comfortable, but also shoes/boots that will last!  I have become a lover of Frye, and I now own 3 pairs of Frye boots that I absolutely love!  (I definitely didn't buy all 3 at the same time, but rather one pair per year, slowly adding to my wardrobe.) Now these can definitely be harder on the wallet, BUT right now, during all the summer sales, is the best time to buy!  I believe I have purchased all 3 of my Frye boots on sale!  Check out the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, they always have Frye boots marked down!

Now, I'm not telling you to stop shopping at H&M or Kohls or even Target. I just want you to think about the pieces you are purchasing and truly love each item that you add to your closet. Especially with more "trendy" items, it's better to spend less as you play with the trend and determine if it works for you, then you can always find a similar, higher quality piece like it. 

If you need more pointers in investing in your wardrobe, check out some of our earliest posts: here or here, read the style guide books by Nina Garcia, or check out Tim Gunn's book: A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style!  If nothing else, he can at least offer some advice in helping you "Make it Work!"

The best wardrobe is one where you have that perfect blend of the inexpensive pieces with the more expensive items.  Have fun, experiment with your style, and don't be afraid to "invest" in those "quality" pieces... You'll find yourself saving more money in the end than you might think!

Success

.....the 30 day challenge has ended successfully!!


I completed 30 days of no shopping, and to be honest, it really wasn't all that bad!
I think that the fact that I did this during the months of June/July made a difference, as there is less product brought into stores during these mid-summer months, and I'm not as much a lover of summer fashion as I am so much more a fall fashion girl: loving denim, boots, and sweaters. So all those tank tops and denim shorts didn't tempt me as much as perhaps new dark denim & boots might do to me in September or October. 
Maybe I'll just have to give that a try?!!





So....what did I learn over these 30 days??
I definitely feel that I'm more satisfied with my wardrobe, jewelry included!  


I did a complete jewelry "clean-out" last week and feel so much better about the pieces I own. It was time to get rid of those cheaper, but fun, pieces that I just don't wear anymore.  Just like with my clothes, I really believe in having a jewelry collection that represents my style and is of high quality. Meaning, the rings and earrings that turn your fingers green and start to hurt your ears after an hour of wearing had to go!  ....and those pieces that were a random buy that I've only worn once or twice (the feather earrings), they are gone too!  But I'm left with all of my favorite pieces that I know I wear and will want to keep for years to come, as perhaps they will eventually become vintage pieces coveted by someone else!!


I did a quick clean-out of my closet and have an appointment at a consignment boutique in August, as the majority of my pieces are fall/winter styles. I did get rid of 6 pairs of jeans, 4 of which I'll be bringing to the consignment shop and 2 that I will donate!  So I'm down to about 24 pairs....but again, that includes crops and prints and colors--all which I wear year round, daily!


Do I currently have my eye on any pieces to purchase?  
Confession: yes!  
But, I am more patient with my shopping now, giving myself time to think about how I'd wear the new pieces and if I can't stop thinking about them after 3-5 days, then perhaps I'll consider a purchase.
I would love to add a new pair of black skinny jeans to my wardrobe, as I know next summer in Europe I will wear them often, as most Europeans don't wear our traditional denim as we do here in the US.  There is also a gorgeous emerald green sweater I have my eye on that would look amazing with the black denim and with the one new purchase I did make thus far,  rust/camel colored skinnies!  But again....I'll hold off for now, and see if anything else I love even more comes along!


I know I still have a few pieces in my wardrobe that I'm perhaps not completely in love with, but I'll continue to weed those out as the summer moves on into fall...I've got lots of time to truly get my wardrobe where I want it to be, there's no rush!!

The quickest way to know a woman 

is to go shopping with her.  

~Marcelene Cox

So again, this has been an exciting, challenging, yet successful 30 days, and I'm glad I did it! I now, more than ever, truly believe that investing in a few QUALITY pieces at a time is a much better way to add to my wardrobe than constantly adding several lower quality pieces that I become tired of after a couple wearings. This "challenge" has not only helped me get my spending under control, but has also gotten me on the road to truly loving my wardrobe-a wardrobe that represents me and who I am style-wise.