I was one of the folks who went out and filled some wardrobe holes before September 1. I justified three of the items with the rationale that they were “investments” – well made, timeless pieces that I would wear often. I brought them home and happily hung them in the closet – right next to a couple of other investments from a few years back. Which, admittedly, I have not worn as much as my point of purchase self promised.
This got me thinking about whether clothes actually can be good investments. Are my clothes – the clothes I have bought using the investment angle – providing the return I anticipated when I bought them?
Now, my closet is not headed for a Costume Institute retrospective anytime soon. In addition to being relatively modest in size, it is full of sale stuff from Banana Republic and J. Crew, and includes a number of label-less items bought on consignment. But, it also includes several pieces that I bought using the investment rationale. Some of them, like my winter coat (acquired from Baby & Co.), have indeed been money well spent – I actually look forward to fall, because it means I can break out this coat. Others have provided relatively little bang for their buck – either because I hold them in some sort of awe, and thus am leery of wearing them too often, or because they’re not as “timeless” as initially predicted – and have become the sartorial equivalents of Enron stock.
To satisfy my curiously, I decided to keep track of how often I wear my three new investments during the year. By the end of the diet, I hope to have a better idea whether “investment dressing” is a viable rationale, or just another way to justify a purchase that might otherwise strain my budget.
Anyone else pursuing this angle? Or are you all just better investors than I am?
Loading ...
Kristin, I couldn’t agree more about the investment angle. And truly I wish I had a crystal ball to determine what the life of one garment would be. I have turtlenecks I paid $20 for four years ago that still get a lot of wear. I also have some very expensive pieces that I have gotten down to a penny a wearing. That said I have used the rationale to buy things that barely left my closet and finally were consigned or given away. I like the idea though of tracking what gets worn and what doesn’t. At the end of the year you should have a pretty good idea of what you do enjoy wearing. Hopefully that information will inform your purchases after August 31st, 2010.
I, too, like this idea. Its intriguing to think about . . .is it about how the item makes us ‘feel’ that makes it a good investment? Or is it more about the quality of an item, the simplicity of the it. . .? Or is it simply a matter of not perusing what all IS in my closet. I’m going to think some more on this topic regarding my own wardrobe.