When to Splurge and When To Save When it Comes to Your Wardrobe

By Antoinette Chorlton

Whenever we go shopping, we are almost always overwhelmed by the choices available to us. We don't know what to buy and often make the wrong choices resulting in expensive fashion mistakes that end up sitting in our closets unworn.

But, how do we decide on what to buy and how much to spend on a particular item? How do we know when to splurge on something and when to save?

The first step is to understand the basics of the perfect closet,

QUALITY - it is a better investment to buy high quality items that will last for many seasons VARIETY - follow the 80/20 rule. Our closets should consist of 80% classic pieces and 20% trend driven items

FORM & FUNCTION - our clothes should be practical, functional and fit us perfectly VERSATILITY - our closets should be filled with items that will suit many occasions and seasons PERSONALITY - our clothes should be a reflection of our style, personality and lifestyle

Once we establish the above we can then identify gaps in our closet and discover what we need, resulting in us having a much clearer vision on what pieces we can spend more (splurge) on and what items we can spend less (save) on.

Classic items that won't date and are not trend driven are worth spending more money on than fashionable trend driven items that will only be in style for a season. Anine Bing is the perfect example of a classic brand where it is worth spending more money on pieces than say Zara who is a very trend driven brand...

A micro trend is a trend that is only fashionable for a season and not worth spending much money on at all - to help you establish a micro trend when shopping, look around and identify the one thing that is everywhere, in every shop and the must-have item of the moment - this is normally a micro trend and not worth spending your hard earned cash on - its likely an accessory or a particular colour and will be "out of fashion" before you know it!

Items that are worth spending a bit more money on are (these are everyday classics that will form the foundation of your perfect closet)

A well tailored classic suit A structured leather handbag A neutral coloured coat or trench coat A good quality watch Diamond stud earrings Classic pumps, leather boots and comfortable trainers Perfume A leather jacket A pair of black pants that fit you perfectly A well cut pair of jeans A classic white t-shirt or blouse

Classic and timeless fashion does not always mean designer labels and brands - it means affordable luxury to you...find out what looks good on you, keep your choices simple and don't follow trends, instead spend a little more (splurge) on items that will last past a season and have fun with trends that cost less (save)...