Lasting Love
7:50 PM
hkFashionGeek
, Posted in
I believe in cheap disposable fashion coupled with "longevity items", and I'm not talking about classics like the perfect white shirt or skinny jean or black pant, I mean items that you will own and love for a long, long time whether they're in season or out. For me, those are things such as the perfect slouchy Marni bubble bag or the Chloe horsey pants circa Stella days or a pastel sundress in palest yellow that nothing -- seasons, age, cigarette burns -- will make me part with, even though it only cost US$29.99 from the Armani Exchange outlet in 1999.
ShoeGeek's rules for a lasting love with your garments:
1) Play hard to get. The perfect garment is not unlike the perfect man; if you don't have to work to get it, you won't appreciate it. My Marni bag came courtesy of a full 3 months of daily eBay work (plus two weeks of checking the mailbox every day to see if it had arrived) and when my 19-year-old self bought the dress ten years ago, it was on a trip to an outlet mall a full five hours away and in another state. You can't necessarily control these factors, but if something is out of reach or price range, putting in a little extra effort will make you appreciate it all the more.
2) Don't play by the trends, but veer from the too classic. Sure, the perfect pair of jeans or white tee are great investments, but they're no fun either all the time. A great fit and classic-chic silhouette should be combined with your own personal twist. For me, that's anything that drapes crazily or can be layered to death. Shoe-wise, my Pigalle Loubs are it -- the perfect shape and height, with just the right amount of toe cleavage, but in a muted fuschia (that so far, I haven't seen on anyone else yet, even though Renee Zellweger seems to own them in every. single. colour. Can't find a pic online so here are the cobalt babies.)
3) Think convertibility. You've heard this ShoeGeek refrain time after time. Why buy something you can only wear one way, when you can buy something that converts into 384597 other things? Don't be boxed in by the mannequin. Your garment can transform throughout the years. Back in the day, I wore my slip of a sundress at knee-length with flip flops. Post-cigarette burn, I added a low-slung belt hidden by puffing out the top that made it look like a matching mini and loose tank set. Now, I wear it as a top over leggings and under a summery blazer. Best $30 a ever spent.
4) Since I'm no fashion guru and these are really just tips off the top of my head, the final piece of wisdom I will impart you with: Be a slave to your gut instinct. There is such a thing as love at first sight. My rule of thumb is, if you're thinking about the item more than you think about, say, some of your best friends (it happens, don't say it doesn't), go for it. If you regret it, you can always find it a happier home on eBay. Otherwise, like me, you'll be stuck coveting a pair of horsey pants presented at the dawn of the millenium that you'll probably never find again. Sigh.
Images courtesy of style.com, nikeshoescompany.com and somewhere on eBay i can't retrieve...
Excellent post! Our love lives and closets really don't seem to have too many differences, do they?
Great post...and so true about going with the gut. I passed up a screaming deal on a Badgley Mishka gown that I still regret to this day. I tried it on, it fit perfectly, but it would have cost me a half a month's rent. I told myself that it was too much to spend on a gown that I'd save for the future. That was seven years ago and the memory of the beautiful gown I passed up STILL haunts me to this day :)
It's true! Classic with a touch= chick! :D