I’m what you might call an “all or nothing” shopper. When I walk into a clothing store, my brain immediately boards-up-the-windows remodels my entire wardrobe at once. But then I remember that cruel trick of math known as division and stare glumly at my bank account balance wondering how I’ll ever afford fourteen new outfits this afternoon.
My grandmother used to say that “good clothes are expensive, and cheap clothes are…well, cheap.” She spent her life making her wardrobe stretch by careful shopping and meticulous care. As a seamstress, she bought one wool coat that lasted her thirty years. I smiled and nodded along as a kid, quietly thinking how very much she just didn’t get fashion.
Imagine my smug-turned-humbled dismay when I turned 28 and found myself staring at piles of ripped-off-but-still-attached-by-one-string fast fashion rubbish in my bedroom understanding every.single.word she said. I think I would have continued my spend-and-trash wardrobe ways if it hadn’t been for that day.
The worst wardrobe malfunction of my life happened at a crucial time–I was at a work dinner with big bosses present, trying oh-so-hard to look like a big shot myself.
Mid-sentence reaching for the bread basket my shirtbutton decided to GO WEST, young man. It pinged off into the salad bowl, bounced off someone’s glass of wine, and landed with a soft plop that caused an eye-watering hush to fall over the restaurant. Oh, the humiliation.
I dry-cleaned that shirt instead of washing it (stretchy stitches, amiright?) and threw it in the closet in a heap where it stayed for months. That shirt was less than a year old, but had gone through enough wash-and-wear cycles to lose its shape and look depressed. Life-changing event number two: I sat down on my bedroom floor and ACTUALLY COUNTED how many articles of clothing I owned.
Thirty-seven tops. Thirty-seven! And yet here I was, FOUR MONTHS LATER thinking I had “nothing to wear.” How did this happen?
Well, as it turns out… Most of those shirts had been impulse purchases from department stores. Items I’d eyed, fell in love with, and purchased on the spot while happily anticipating my pay-cheque arriving in two days. Ninety percent of these cheap clothes fell apart, stretched out of shape, or just looked sad after three months of wear.
A lightbulb went off. I couldn’t afford to replace all of my cheap wardrobe pieces with quality investment goods overnight (although let me tell you, it was tempting.) But maybe if I gave myself more time to think about purchases, I could be more intentional about building a stylish adult wardrobe on a budget, without becoming THAT GIRL who only ever shops at thrift stores AGAIN. Ta-da!
Enter my friends’ scoff-worthy nickname for my monthly budget spreadsheets: my “investment wardrobe timeline.” Allow me to explain how spreading out your wardrobe purchases over time can help you curate a cohesive wardrobe you love without blowing your budget – or falling back into bad shopping habits. First things first. If I was going to really invest in building out my wardrobe rather than constantly replacing it, I needed to identify WHAT I needed rather than what I wanted.
And by needs I don’t mean white leggings and that gold scarf-tutorial you’ve been eyeing on Pinterest. I wanted–and still want– to have fun with my wardrobe, express my personal style, and try out new looks. But I needed the basics to support those whims without breaking my bank or falling back into fast fashion habits.
I needed to be realistic about what I wore in my actual life, not what I wished I wore…when did adulting become so much harsh self-truth? The cornerstone of this method is ridiculously simple. Buy your big-ticket wardrobe pieces seasonally rather than monthly.
Instead of spending £50-100 every month whenever a pretty new dress catches your eye, spend zero on clothing that month. Save that money, and at the end of March, June, September, and November you’ll have £300-400 to spend on one or two QUALITY items that will actually LAST. For me, spring is coat/jacket-buying season.
I live in the UK, which means our fabled “British weather” typically encompasses four seasons and a team of crack monkey wrench thieves in any given day. Investing in a great jacket means I’m prepared for pretty much anything bar naked airline contractors molesting my banana yellow trench. Summers are for investing in dresses and separates, falls are for knitwear and boots, and winters means it’s time for tailoring and occasion-wear.
Figure out what makes sense for you based on your climate and the reality of your wardrobe needs. You know yourself (and your closets) best! Trust me, I felt you on this step.
January through March was TORTURE for wardrobe-shopping moi. Window shopping at every new storefront I passed became my guilty pleasure. Nothing would make me angrier than spotting one of my pals wearing a cute blouse I REALLY wanted, or seeing it lived-on instagram by someone who found it at a thrift store.
The horror. I recommend setting up a separate savings account just for this clothes fund. There’s nothing like watching your investment budget grow every month to make you want to GO FULL CHIP GUGLIELMI through the racks.
Resist! Just seeing that number slowly creep upwards will motivate you to hang in there until it’s shopping time again. Do.
Not. touch. that. bag. When the time comes, pick one piece of clothing that truly needs replacing, or will fill a hole in your wardrobe IS ABSOLUTELY GOING TO LAST YOU FOR YEARS. I made sure to search sale sites first, and picked out a classic trench from Reiss when their semi-annual sale popped up in April.
It was more than I cared to spend on one item of clothing, and believe me, I almost had a panic attack at the cash register. It is THREE YEARS LATER and that coat still looks new, goes with everything, and makes me feel put-together even if I’m just wearing jeans and a t-shirt. You will never look at your wardrobe the same way again once you start thinking of shopping as investing.
Because when you wait an entire season to make a purchase, you get picky. You research brands, materials, fit, and quality like it’s your job. Hell, it kind of is your job if you want this method to work!
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You try things on twice, walk away, and come back later to make sure you really LOVE something before you buy it. I even started reading reviews to ensure every.single.piece was perfectly tailored before committing. Crazy?
Perhaps. But I still bought those damn leopard print jeans on sale. Lesson learned. “But Josie,” I hear you cry, clutching your stash of Primark leggings for dear life. “What about ALL OF THE THINGS that are not pants?
I want cute shoes, cute bags, cute jewelry, AWESOME UNDERGARMENTS to wear WITH these wonderful pants!” Friend, you will have all of those things. Just wait until Shopping Season rolls around, and make your investments count. If shoes are your kink, invest in a gorgeous pair of mid-cut boots, or leather sandals you’ll swear by for years.
Me? I invested in some amazing thrifted vintage bags that I rotate through seasonally and STILL don’t have enough fun jewellery to wear with them all. You get the idea.
Fast forward five years, and my wardrobe has never looked healthier. Or happier. Because rather than impulse-buying clothes I never wear “just because they’re on sale” I actually need everything that fits in my closet.
Not huge amounts of everything, but a few select pieces I KNOW will get plenty of wear in my day-to-day life. My closet actually closes now, and I’ve stopped shrieking “I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR! !” at ungodly hours when I should be screaming at my wardrobe something supportive like “WE HAVE SO MANY CUTE THINGS! LET’S GO!” Mental illness aside, building a wardrobe you love takes patience.
And trust. The last clothing investment I made? A gorgeous pair of leather boots that retailed for £299.
In my fast fashion days I would have purchased six pair of TopShop boots at £50 apiece over two years, griped about how they fell apart, and done it all over again…in another colour. These babies? Will last me the rest of my life if I care for them properly.
Look BETTER as they age, can be resoled when they finally do wear down, and cost-me pennies per wear when I account for how often I’ll actually wear them. (Of course, there are some clothing items that just don’t make sense for me to purchase on my WIWTIAFI (White people problems, amiright?) budget. Trendy clothes that will go out of style next year, white t-shirts that will inevitably get stained/the first casualty in my ongoing war with coffee, yoga pants that will be drenched in sweat by Tuesday morning. You get the gist.
For those pieces, I will probably always gravitate towards affordable fast or mid-fashion brands that I can throw-on and not worry about very much.) Thinking about starting your own wardrobe investment journey? Here are my tips to help you take the leap: PICK A SEASON: Start with whichever season is coming up next. I started this journey in January, so I knew my first shopping season would be in March.
Pick a day-of-the-month that you’d normally treat yourself to a shopping splurge, and START A SEPARATE SAVINGS ACCOUNT (or envelope, if you’re old school like my grandma) where you dump that money every month. Heck, set up auto-pay if you want to! MAKE A LIST: Jot down, brainstorm, whathaveyou EVERYTHING you need to fill holes in your existing wardrobe.
Research items you like in your price range, and keep note of when each brand usually has sales. Trust me, waiting three months to buy that lipstick sounds impossible until you’ve seen how INCREDIBLE sales can be on brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Jonathan Adler, or even Everlane. DO.
IT. WAIT. When that three months is up, CONGRATS!
You now have enough money to buy something QUALITY that you’ll actually wear. Maybe that’s a coat that makes you feel like a badass every time you wear it. Perhaps it’s a comfy pair of flats that won’t kill your feet after two blocks.
Or a bag so versatile you’ll wonder how you ever left the house without it. Pick something YOU WILL LOVE and that you know will get worn with items you already own, based on your actual life not how we wish yours would be TRAPT TO GET THERE. Repeat for each season, babying your way up to a dream wardrobe that you built thoughtfully without ever breaking the bank.
You’ll also learn what pieces make you feel incredible in your own skin, which will help you hone IN on your personal style rather than blindly following every trend that comes along. Needless to say, I’ve also become a MUCH more mindful shopper these past few years. I purchase WAY less than I used to (bye-bye, clutter!) and think LONG and HARD about where my clothes are coming from and how they’re made.
Thrilled to report that I’m also now one of THOSE READING LABELS people who actually knows the difference between organic cotton and regular cotton, where my clothes are manufactured, and whether or not my favorite brands are notorious for wearing their interns out! Side bonus: buying less clothes = less textile waste.
Win-win!
Look, I’m still human. I have messed up more than once on this fabulous timeline of mine. About a month ago, I purchased a freaking Hawaii Five-0 themed jumpsuit that makes me look like a crazed pineapple murderer (it was on sale…okay?) Life happens, we’re allowed some stupid purchases.
My method simply allows me to acknowledge that “Hey, I really screwed up on that one,” and wait three more months to invest in something better. Punishment? Quelle horror.
My grandmother would be so proud of me…but then again probably also tell me I spend way too much money on clothes and should learn how to sew. Oh well, I guess THAT lesson skipped a generation! In any case, every time I slip on that trench or those kick-ass boots I’m reminded of her practical approach to consumerism: Buy less.
Buy better. And once you DO buy it, take super-awesome care of it.
