Investment pieces in my capsule wardrobe

I use word investment for everything in my wardrobe, expensive or not, because I spent my money on it and I would like to make a profit: nice cohesive wardrobe with long lasting classic pieces. 

Since I started creating more conscious wardrobe, I try to make it harder for myself to impulse buy. I still make mistakes but I’m more rigorous about what comes home with me. The item in my basket has to tick all the boxes below:

Is it good quality sustainable material?

If I make a new purchase I try to only buy fabrics that are natural and ideally sustainable e.g. wool, cashmere, linen, cotton, occasionally silk and viscose. I’m only allowed to buy anything made of polyester or nylon if it’s second hand or children clothing, because some items are only made from polyester e.g. rain coats, backpacks etc.

Is it my style? Will it go with most of my clothes?

I used to buy colourful clothes that represented different styles (boho, minimal, chic etc.) and that created clutter and chaos in my wardrobe. There was too much going on and things didn’t go together, which caused “I have nothing to wear” effect. Few years ago I understood that neutrals make me happy and getting dressed is much easier and less stressful when you have less choices. Now I wouldn’t buy a red jumper or floral dress because the colours and pattern don’t go with my style and there are limited ways I can wear them.

Is it timeless (durability, style and cut, is it trendy piece?)

Trends come and go and if you buy too much into them you end up with fancy wardrobe but not very practical one. Majority of high street clothes are poorly made and based on current trends. It makes you feel like you need to buy new clothes every season because these are not trendy anymore or have fallen apart.

I try to chose classic cuts and prints. Easy example is white shirt. Instead of going for balloon sleeves, cropped, big collar, I choose classic oversized style with minimal details made from thick organic cotton, linen or silk. No embellishment or fancy buttons. Simple pieces can be easily elevated with cool jewellery, hand bags or bold hair accessories.

Is it practical/easy to style?

Buy clothes for your lifestyle, not for your dream wardrobe. Beautiful pieces that look great on a model or influencer in real life have no practical use except for that one special occasion. High heels are beautiful, they make everyone look taller and slimmer, but in reality as a busy mum I can’t wear them. I have a very active life and I walk everywhere, therefore I always choose trainers, boots with minimal heel or my all time favourite backless loafers. If you live in a hot country and your Winters are very mild investing in thick wool coat will be waste of your money because you will never wear it (unless you come to Europe in Winter).

Is it low maintenance?

This is very important, often overlooked detail. Before you buy anything think if you will need to hand wash it, iron every time you want to wear it because it creases badly or dry clean few times a month. If you have such pieces, I’m pretty sure they are forgotten at the back of your wardrobe because you don’t want to worry about creases and stains every time you wear them. Always check care label before you buy anything. Here you can find very simple guide to different fibres, including washing instructions.

Was it already on my wish list?

Let’s see if this scenario sounds familiar. It’s Black Friday and these boots you’ve been eyeing for 5 months are on sale. That’s great news, more money in your pocket. But you go on the website and decide to browse before paying. You end up with 1 pair of boots and 2 pairs of trainers (to make it more dramatic let’s say one is red and another one leopard print!). Trust me, I’ve been there (well, not with the trainers). Paying £50 in sale for shoes you didn’t want in a first place is not saving. It’s wasting £50 that you could put towards that dream jacket or hand bag. This goes hand in hand with another rule:

Would I buy it if it was more expensive?

This mainly applies to discounted items. Sometimes you can be tempted to buy something only because there is sale tag on it and you wouldn’t consider paying full price. That simply means you don’t think it’s worth full price because of low quality or it’s not your style. I bought this trench at Uniqlo collaboration with JW Anderson in sale. It was size L but everything else was exactly what I was looking for. Honestly, I would pay 3 times more for this coat. Every time I wear it I feel great and it’s such an amazing quality.

Is it comfortable?

I never really liked clothes that have just one function: looking pretty. It’s not flowers that you buy just to decorate your house. We are talking about clothes which most of the time you put on in the morning and take off in the evening. So if something is too tight, too short or scratchy you won’t be able to focus on anything else all day. You will feel uncomfortable and it will reflect in your mood and your confidence. So don’t sacrifice comfort in the name of fashion. You can still look great in comfortable clothes.

Do I love it?

As Marie Kondo would ask, does it “spark joy”? When buying something in the past I used to heavily rely on my sister or friend’s opinion. The truth is, we all have different styles and tastes, so what your friend thinks is nice doesn’t have to be best for you. The last and most important factor is if YOU love it and if YOU feel fabulous in it. If you don’t feel 100% comfortable and you keep staring in the mirror, just leave it and save yourself time and money. It’s not for you.

Asking myself these 9 questions definitely stopped me from getting things that are cute or looked good on somebody else. Every item I bought with these rules in mind has more value to me and feels more special. I can see I’m more excited when I pull it out and think of different ways I can style it.