While writing an Anthropologie reviews post, I found myself off on a wild tangent about shopping strategies for the new year. Rather than continue my off topic ramble, I decided to start this new post about it. The Anthro reviews will have to wait until tomorrow lol.
I’ve tried on and reviewed a lot of fab things in the last year but honestly, I didn’t buy much. It seems that every thing I DO buy goes on sale and every single item I am waiting for a mark down on, disappears. Oh how the shopping gods conspire against me..
One of my goals for 2010, is to bring home more Anthro and less J.Crew. My Anthropologie pieces just seem to wear better and hold my interest longer. My budget requires that I continue to be selective. Plus I just don’t have the room in my closet to buy every random cute thing that catches my eye. Last year my shopping theory was that it was better to buy unique items. But I’m finding those pieces hard to work with, especially for every day wear.
It’s harder for me to get excited and pay full price for the simpler pieces that fit perfectly. I’m still debating on the Reed shirtdress for example (how bloody long can that dress remain full price!?) I need to learn to jump on the more classic clothing though because in the long run, it gets much more wear and I end up enjoying it more than the pretty little ribbons and bows top that was calling my name but goes with nothing.
So my new strategy is to buy versatile items that can be easily worn with things already in my closet. In particular I want to build a nice selection of easy to wear dresses. I have more than enough cardigans to wear over said dresses but I really need those finishing touches, belts and shoes.
Despite what dh may think, I actually have a small shoe collection. And most of them are better worn with jeans. I adore shoes. Nothing makes my retail heart pitter patter more than a pretty pair of heels. But I am extremely picky about actually buying them. Cheap shoes often tear my feet up but then I agonize over the price of higher quality brands. At the end of the day, I debate so long about it that I end up with neither. This year I need to decide if it’s better to expand my shoe selection or invest in a limited few.
What are your thoughts? Do you have a shopping strategy for 2010?
I have the reverse problem — I bought way too much in 2009. I have spent the last couple of years building up my wardrobe and now I’m just about done. It’s kind of sad really. Pretty soon I’ll have to find something else to collect. I think your ideas so far are right on. Invest in the classics. For shoes comfort trumps all (and sometimes I find a $40 pair that is much more comfortable than a $300 pair). Good luck! Can’t wait to tag along for the ride.
I fear the day I have finally put together the perfect wardrobe lol. How about accessories? There’s always room for jewelry!
This is a very cool post. You’re brilliant when you get tangential. I like that you plan to go less JCrew and more Anthro in the future, but Anthro pieces seem to be more unique, and JCrew more simple, thus, one would think, more versatile, but maybe in another post you could clarify how you see each. Regardless, I think Anthro is just cooler and less stuffy, so I’m glad you’re into them.
Also, I agree that you have a small shoe collection. Well, really, it seems you just have a few pair of shoes that you love like the dickens. You should definitely invest in quality shoes, because as we have seen, they go SO FAR. However, there’s investing, and then there’s $500 Spanish handcrafted Anthro shoes. I would call a pair of Born’s, Nine West, or Lovely People a good investment. I would call Anthro shoes a short vacation.
I totally agree that versatile is good dresses, and I would say skirts as well. They can be dressed up, down, over tights, under cardigans, with a scarf. For reals, this is a wise direction.
All in all, I’m really glad you posted! Thanks lady!
great post. my strategy going forward is to sew more, and to invest in pieces I cannot sew: a nice bag, quality shoes, a funky watch, and a new, heavy-duty winter coat.
Danibp recently posted about Brora. I really want to purchase something from there in the new year.
OK, I may have misspoke. I just checked Anthropologie’s website, and they have some reasonably priced shoes. Some crazy prices, but some quite good prices. Both the Winter Beach wedges and the Ganache pumps would go great with your style. I personally would go for the Bettie Wedges and the Wishing Well flats. Now I know!
Emily-It is a contradiction lol. I guess what I mean is that I need more dressy staples. Thanks to my JC addiction, I have enough solid cardigans and tees but their dressier pieces, camis and dresses are often too big or unflattering on me.
Anthro does have a pretty good price variety in shoes. Unfortunately, they don’t stock a lot in store. I do love me some “spanish handcrafted $500″ Chie’s LMAO. But that is a once a year splurge. I am thinking of starting to take the plunge on Anthro’s Ms Albright brand. The ones I have tried in the past have been pretty comfortable. I like your shoe picks too, especially the Ganache pumps.
Tastymoog- I WISH I could sew. It’s my dream to one day learn and to make all the clothing in my head I can never find in store. My house is too small to get into another craft right now though lol. I checked out the Brora site. They have some beautiful sweaters! The price plus the currency conversion though, ouch!
Shannon,
Love your “thinking” posts! I agree that it’s a great strategy to choose well-made, “investment”-type pieces. I find that unique, interesting (to me) pieces fill that bill for me — what I mean to say is that since most of what I like is never really “in fashion”, it never falls out of fashion either. IA with Roxy who says (basically), price doesn’t matter — I have a really inexpensive black cardigan in my wardrobe that I wear more than any other piece I have — I paid nothing for it & have had it for several years, though you’d never know it is old by looking at it. Also, I keep my stuff forever, so I have ended up having a good bit to choose from. I feel your pain with regard to clothes that fit — a good tailor is priceless, but it’s a pain (and very $) to have everything fitted. Still, sometimes it’s worth it. I can’t really say that you have too many shoes — I tend to believe that there is no such thing as too many shoes.
TTYS,
Carole
I am 100% on board with your shoe philosophy Carole.
I do need to find a good tailor. The lady at the dry cleaners is not quite fitting the bill anymore..
Interesting post. I find that I constantly revise my shopping strategy and never quite hit on the right one, which gives me an excuse to keep shopping. During the recession, I’ve followed what I call a targeted approach–stop buying ruffly, fun, statement things that duplicate what I have and go for basics that fill in huge holes. For example, I had NO casual winter coat, NO decent jeans to be seen out and about in (lots of cords) and casual shoes/boots that were falling apart. I filled in those holes in the fall. Also, I’ve faced the fact that no matter how odd it seems for a gal who likes fashion, shoes have never done for me what pretty colored tops and funky prints do. So, my shoe wardrobe remains basic–brown and black boots, some ballet flats and brown and black retro styled pumps that don’t clash with all the colors and prints. I think it’s a matter of figuring what gives you the most pleasure while realizing that there are certain basics no wardrobe should be without. Like tastymoog, I’m trying to sew more, but time is a huge problem.
This year I want to buy a great pair of knee high boots (which sucks ass to find with my wide calves) and 2 casual cute dresses and 1 pair of business dress pants.
I have 3 pairs of great jeans, some nice shoes (but I lack a basic black pair of all things) and great unique sweaters. However, my summer wardrobe is a bit lacking in the casual department (I have some great skirts for dressier things). Thankfully we finally got an Anthro here in western Canada (10 minutes from home WHOO HOO!) so I have already made much progress on my wardrobe and filled many of last years holes.
If I don’t love the item as much as something I tend to wear all of the time, I am not buying it. This likely means a lot more time and effort put into my shopping (I have 2 small kids) but I think it will be worth it in the end.
I read a lot of J Crew blogs and although I have some JC in the closet – I find the clothing kind of boring (but really good for basics). Even my husband finds it dull and he makes Carlton Banks look unique and stylish (yes my husband needs an intervention). Really, how many oatmeal or heathered grey cardigans with flower pins does a person need?
Great post! I love your “thinking” posts, too, they’re very fun to read.
Fit & quality were priorities for me in 2009, and I think they will continue to be in 2010. I’ve also switched to mostly natural fabrics and have seen an improvement in my wardrobe (and skin) because of it. Within the last year I filled out some major holes in my wardrobe, getting those easy-to-wear versatile dresses (which I basically live in now – try Bluefly and Banana R for wrap dresses), pants and classic skirts that I can dress up or down with fun tops. I don’t really care about the label, as long as I love it, so any label is fair game. However, I do hear you about shopping at Anthro – they do have much more unique and fun pieces than J.Crew, which is like a meat & potato kind of store for your wardrobe. After the basics are covered, you want something special, and Anthro fits that bill.
Regarding shoes, I realized that my heel height must come down as I’m getting older (I’ll be 30 next year, gasp), so in 2010 I’m going to focus more on heels 2.5″ and below for comfort. As with bags, I’m going to try for real quality leather in neutrals, with more classic styles that can last several years. In a nutshell, quality over quantity, fit & flattering color over trends & labels. And I will continue to keep getting everything tailored; about 1/4 of my fashion budget goes to tailoring; I would look like absolute crap without it.
Great post Shannon and so many interesting variations on wardrobe/ shopping strategies here. Thanks all! Two things I learned to do in 2009 is make a list of items I really want or would definitely wear constantly that are investments, keep it in front of my wallet, and use those (i.e. great black boots, a DVF wrap dress that’s still on the list) as an antidote to impulse, frill, sale buying. The second is to use a cost per wear calculator (like the one on sweetspot.ca) to work out cost-per-wear not only on things I am considering, but also what I have bought in last six months and BE HONEST with myself about how often I have worn it. That way I have learned I needed to invest in boots, but I have to spend less on and/ or curb my under-cardi top shopping. Still a work in progress, but essentially plan more, buy far less that I truly love and mix-match the closet.
Excellent post Shannon, your blog is always interesting and fun. My stylish mother taught me shopping and wardrobe strategies from childhood. Now I’m in my mid-20′s and I have something to wear for any occasion and love most everything in my closet. Some of her lessons to me were:
Buy the very best you can afford but don’t be a label. Basically, if you love Burberry and it works for you then by all means indulge in the quality when you can. Don’t ever buy a brand to just impress others. If you’re not impressed, no one else will be either.
Build your wardrobe based on classic, timeless pieces that you can dress up or down and customize the look with your own personality. Especially when you are starting out, it’s much easier to add on a basic piece to a trendy look or add a unique piece to update a basic outfit. If you’ve got a ton of classic cardis then you should probably focus on something else.
Recognize what works for your lifestyle, body shape and coloring. People shouldn’t ever have to qualify themselves for an article of clothing – either it fits or it doesn’t. Get an honest opinion from a friend or family member if you’re unsure about color. Don’t buy anything you won’t have a chance to wear in the next year unless it is a timeless classic like the perfect LBD, white button-down, flattering cardigan, etc.
Limit trend purchases to 1 or 2 of any trend, no matter how cute. You can usually work a trend piece into your wardrobe several ways and won’t regret the minimal spend when the trend has passed.
Use the cost/wear factor for expensive items and ask yourself whether you would have purchased that deeply discounted item for full price if you had the funds. Make sure it is really worth it, after all, you can only spend the money once. Although some expensive items will be the best buys ever.
If you find yourself getting dressed and something is missing then make a note of it and keep it at the top of your shopping list. I did this the last couple of years with silk scarves and found some gorgeous high-end scarves on sale off-season.
I have a real weakness for shoes and accessories in general and tend to spend a lot in that area but I expect to keep 99% of my accessories forever (so far, so good). I love Chie Mihara and Fluevog shoes and like others have found several lower-priced brands that are lovely, too. You can also find great deals at vintage, consignment and ebay – if you have the time to check often and don’t mind EUC. Shoes are like little personalities that women can try on for the day or a few hours. It’s no wonder they give us so much pleasure!
You have undoubtedly heard all these tips already Shannon but this is my permanent shopping strategy. I love to talk shopping and I like to think I’m really good at it! I am with you on the move from J.Crew, as well. It’s great for some basics but not as good as it used to be and the quality is greatly declining. I find myself wearing a lot more Anthro, among other brands. I bought the Oxford Grad Peep Toes from Anthro this fall and wear them a lot. Great deal for $138. Will have to take a closer look at the Ganache pumps now too.
Go with your heart and get what you really love this year. I look forward to your upcoming reviews and photos. Happy New Year!
Mary- “I think it’s a matter of figuring what gives you the most pleasure while realizing that there are certain basics no wardrobe should be without.” Yes, excellent point!
Danita-”Really, how many oatmeal or heathered grey cardigans with flower pins does a person need?” HA, seriously
Diana-I too need to keep the heel height realistic.. Those 4″ are so pretty but just sit on the rack
Getfresh-I love your list idea. I need to do that this year and stay focused! Last night I walked away from the JC professor blazer for just $80 because it’s not what I NEED right now. I was quite proud lol.
ShuLvr- GREAT post and tips, thanks! I especially love the idea to write it down when you notice something lacking in your outfit
Love the topic! I also am going to buy less J Crew and shop more Anthro. Actually I don’t have too much anthro- but thanks to your blog and others, I have started to shop there. I bought tons of J crew over that past 5-7 years and can it be that I have reached my limit? I didn’t seem to buy as much in 2009 from them. I have tons of jackies, cashmere and other novelty sweaters, and plenty of pants from J Crew. I guess I’m looking for something different. Last year I really took inventory of my closet and only bought pieces that added to it. I have tons of the “basics” so I added more prints and color and more accessories. I must have added a bazillion scarves this year. It was fun. I hope this year to spend less in general on my closet – we’ll see what actually happens!
Great topic! I went through my closets (all of them) last fall and donated a lot of clothing. I did a lot of thinking about how I want to manage and tend to my wardrobe.
A lot of the items I gave away were supersale purchases. But,at the same time, I have a lot of older items that are still in current rotation.
Lesson #1: I shouldn’t buy things unless I love, love them and they fit well. In the long run, that is more important than whether the item is 50% off.
I often tend to be too conservative and matchy-matchy. In the last year, thanks to my fellow JCAs I’ve branched out a lot–I’ve tried lots of colors and styles I wouldn’t have tried on my own. Me–orange?? I did it. At the same time, based on my discards, I also need to know myself and whether I will really wear something.
Lesson #2: There’s a fine line between expanding my boundaries and wasting $$ on things that aren’t “me.”
In this tight economy, I need to make very good decisions about my purchases.
Lesson #3: There’s nothing wrong with buying myself a treat but I shouldn’t shop just because I’m bored or depressed.
Finally, I need to branch out beyond JC. Most days I am head-to-toe JC, because I love simple, interchangeable, colorful basics. As the saying goes, classic with a twist. Even so, it’s time for me to find some other sources. I’m a little concerned about JC quality, and I’m getting bored with their recent offerings. Unfortunately, at my age (early 40s) I’m in the no-woman’s-land between stores marketing toward the 30-somethings and the um, post-menopausal world of Chicos. Remember what happened to the Gap’s Forth & Towne chain? Retailers don’t seem to know what to do with women my age. I’m always looking for suggestions
Cheers and Happy New Year!
Loved hearing your thoughts and strategy Shannon, it makes me wish that I had my own wardrobe direction figured out. I seriously have everything I could possibly need so I should really just stop buying, but I have this collector’s impulse that compells me to buy every lovely unique looking piece at Anthro I can find, oh, and also convinces me that I need 90 cardis in every shade of the rainbow (though to be fair I wear half of my cardis into the ground). I need to learn how to put the brakes on this soon!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts ladies!
Hex- I had the same issue with JC sale last year. I’d jump because of the discount but then found myself not wearing it. I think I finally broke the habit but that sale page is always trying to tempt me back!