Thursday, February 17, 2011

Deciding to Choose Quality

...over quantity is a tough one for me especially when it comes to fashion. Paying more attention to the quality of clothing you buy generally means you are going to pay more for it and for me that translates to purchasing less. That's tough to do when you get in the habit of shopping at places like Forever 21 where you can fill up your shopping cart, spend about $120, and 7 days later a package arrives in the mail full of new clothes and accessories. Let's face it, I'm 30 years old and probably should not be shopping at Forever 21 as often as I do. It has it's place - a trendy top here and there or a inexpensive pair of earrings - but it is not the place to build the foundation for a wardrobe that will last you many years. I don't mean to pick on Forever 21, they certainly aren't the only vendor of disposable clothing, the fault lies with me and my shopaholic tendencies.

It was a New Years resolution of sorts (I don't really make resolutions) to refine my wardrobe, invest in quality pieces, and be swayed less by trends. I am as influenced by trends as the next person but the truth is classic, preppy, and even somewhat nautical clothing is what I really love and what looks best for my curvy petite frame. I prefer black, white, navy, and gray with a little red and olive thrown in for good measure and I've realized that's just fine. At least I know most of the items in my closet will go together.

In order to focus my shopping for this coming Spring I decided to make a pinterest board with all of the clothing that peaked my interest (or pinterest :). It's really helpful to see it all together; I recommend you try this too especially if you are a haphazard shopper like myself. I also decided I need to space out my shopping a little bit in order to afford some the investment pieces on my Spring wishlist. While I know I will miss receiving packages full of new things it will be much more satisfying to know I have enhanced my wardrobe for years to come.

spring clothing wishlist

spring clothing wishlist

Developing a true personal style with age and investing in it seems to be a hot topic lately. Check out these great posts by Jenna from Sweetfineday, Grace from Design*Sponge, and Adele from ModernEmotive. I also had a fun twitter rant about this a few days ago with the lovely Holly, Anna, and Erin.

P.S. I am aware that I don't actually need that many pairs of new shoes but I can only tackle one shopping problem at a time ;)

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Posted by at 7:33 AM
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6 comments:

  1. thuFebruary 17, 2011 at 11:06 AM

    i absolutely agree about quality over quantity! Every year, I think I donate 6 bags of clothes to the salvation army - all of it full of H&M, F21, Gap clothes that I only wear for the season and ditch. Now I am being more conscious on whether or not it will look good on my body shape and if it will remain a "classic" piece for me. :)

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  2. UnknownFebruary 17, 2011 at 11:26 AM

    thu, same here!! I finally realized I'm not saving money buying these inexpensive cloths if they only last me 3 months.

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  3. adele {modernemotive}February 17, 2011 at 11:33 AM

    I recently purged most of my clothes and gave them to charity. I was shocked by (1) how much was unworn and (2) how blah and whatev it all was. My goal for my new wardrobe is exactly what you're talking about... quality over quantity. While I won't always be able to go for the $$$ quality, I do want to sit back and make sure it's something I really want, will last and that can be transformed into a variety of looks. As it is, I'm simply stuck in the same look day after day and I can't take it anymore. Ha!

    Thanks for linking to my post.

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  4. Valentina Fussell February 17, 2011 at 3:33 PM

    I started board with that very same intention. After moving from Morocco to Denmark I felt completely lost in my personal style. My biggest obstacle is the price of clothing here in Denmark. I know it's bad when I think $50 for a shirt is suuuch a steal!

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  5. Katie*BelleFebruary 22, 2011 at 4:56 PM

    I've been trying to do the same thing -- choose fewer pieces of higher quality. But for so many years I've tried to save money and buy inexpensive things. It's a hard habit to break! And even more difficult -- but more fun too -- is trying to figure out a personal style. I feel like it comes a bit more naturally with age. Now at thirty, I think I know myself better than I did years ago. I may try a Pinterest board, thanks to your suggestion : )

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  6. Decor GirlFebruary 23, 2011 at 5:41 PM

    Oh yeah, definitely go for quality. In the end it is much easier on your budget. First you get spoiled enjoying the better quality. Second you get into the habit of searching for quality. Third the cost of the finds helps you to question do I really have to have it.

    I have a great DKNY jacket from 15 years ago (when I was 30). It was the most expensive piece I'd ever purchased and to this day I still get compliments and people asking where can they get one.

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