In my late teens and early twenties, I was hooked on fast fashion. Give me a cute top that didn’t break the bank and I was all yours (figuratively speaking, of course!). They were bargain buys which were giving me a quick fix, but even the most basic of t-shirts wouldn’t last more than a few cycles in the washing machine before getting a small hole, or completely losing its shape.
It wasn’t until I discovered Dead Fleurette that I started to think a little more about not only what I was consuming, but how I was consuming. I started to think about a more sustainable closet. One that was free of throwaway fashion which would only last a few wears or so, and the all too casually thrown around – and cliché – phrase, quality over quantity.
Since then, I’ve made a concerted effort to invest in quality, and scrap the urge to buy something that I just know won’t last the distance.
For me, it’s alllll about the basics; the key pieces that I’ll reach for day in and day out. They’re the workhorses of my wardrobe, and need to last me longer than just a couple washes (because who has time to be buying something new all the time anyway). Things like a simple black blazer, a great pair of skinny jeans, a nice pair of court shoes, a beautifully constructed everyday bag, a relaxed linen t-shirt, and a crisp white shirt for work and for play.
Knowing where to start is the tricky part, and weaning yourself off the high street probably even trickier still, but trust me when I say your wardrobe will thank you for it (and your wallet too!). I find fabric feel tends to play a huge part in my own decision, along with natural fibres, and even stitching.
Some of my favourites include Helmut Lang and Theory for suiting (you might balk at the price but my HL blazer is four years old and it is still going strong), Acne Studios and Isabel Marant for t-shirting, J Brand and Dr Denim for jeans, Equipment for silk blouses, and Lover for something special. At the more affordable end of the scale, I love Everlane and Grana, for their high quality and transparency – it never hurts to know just where your clothing is coming from.
So I guess what I want to know is, do you invest in high quality wardrobe essentials, or are you a 3-pack of Hanes t-shirts kind of girl?
I try to focus on fewer and better pieces – but the issue is that price and quality don´t always go hand in hand. I have the same Dicker boots you show and find the quality of the heel is really poor – if it gets scraped a little bit there is just plastic underneath and it can’t be repaired.In comparison I have a pair of Tod´s loafers that date back to 2000 – price was about the same but they have been resoled several times and still look brand new.
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I completely agree, and unfortunately Isabel Marant (as much as I love her designs) is really a good example in every instance. I used to have these in the greige colour and something similar happened to me and it was so upsetting!
I’m moving away from fast fashion, buying less and trying to focus on buying high quality when possible. Looking forward to checking out the links in this post.
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I think that’s a great shift to be making. Good luck! 🙂
I agree whole-heartedly about Dead Fleurette, who seems to be like a Messiah/gateway drug for this way of looking at personal style among bloggers.
I’m not able to afford ‘luxury’ now or in the near future, but am slowly incorporating more tried-and-true, high quality pieces into my wardrobe. My army of grey t-shirts from my Forever 21 days are years old, but still going strong somehow. It’s a work in progress for me, but reading blogs such as yours is definitely inspiration for a move in the right direction.
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I really do wish that she was still blogging, and her posts were always incredibly thoughtful (if not sometimes too analytic!). I always think it’s important to buy the best quality that you can afford, and if it’s Forever21, then there’s always hallmarks of quality within that store (you just have to look carefully for it). Uniqlo is always a good option too, a little pricier than F21 but you can get some great basics. Thank you so much for your comment and I hope you’ve been having a lovely weekend x
I think this is especially true of shoes – I’m a big Repetto fan, and they’re worth it for fitting my feet like a glove as soon as I put a pair on, plus they last forever once you get them topy-ed. I also love Loeffler Randall, and their shoes last beautifully. I just stocked up on Falke tights for the winter that doesn’t seem to be coming in Sydney – I bought a pair last year on sale at DJs and they were perfect.
That said, I find Uniqlo great for natural fibres – I like their fine merino jumpers better than the more expensive ones at country road, and i buy my undies in bulk from aerie in a super cheap 7 pack, which is a luxury in itself when you do’t feel like doing the washing.
By the way thanks for the wild-thing dupe recommendation, I ended up buying a knockoff of the red low heeled ones and I can’t wait for them to arrive 🙂
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I haven’t owned a pair of Repettos but I’ve heard such good things – I’ve tried them on a few times and they feel so delicate? I always ended up opting for the Porselli’s (which are a great alternative). I’ll have to check out the merino sweaters at Uniqlo. I don’t go in there often as I tend to find it a little overwhelming!
Also, you’re welcome! The red is really eye-catching, great choice 🙂
It’s such an interesting topic. Not only is ‘quality over quantity’ becoming more accepted but also how and where and in what conditions our clothes are made. I’m also making a concerted effort to buy quality pieces – fast fashion falls apart too quickly (hello one wear zara skirt) but, the reality is that my clothing budget doesn’t strech far enough to buy the best Every. Single. Time. So this winter, it is tan ankle boots from Country Road and cheap ($45!) black ankle boots from ASOS (thankfully still leather!). It’s funny – I love your blog and your style! But, I have no idea how I would afford your wardrobe … I bauk at $150 plus for a skirt or shoes and $230 on Country Road shoes is a bit of a splurge. We have good incomes but there’s a house, holidays, a child and pets that take up the bulk of our money … I can’t help but think that accessibility to quality and ethically produced clothing is a huge problem.
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Absolutely, and I do agree that it is an issue that there isn’t greater transparency when it comes to where and how our clothing was made. I like to buy the best quality that I can afford – and it sounds like you do the same! My clothing budget is pretty tight this year (from my own perspective/experience) so I’ve been buying a lot more second hand; it’s how I tend to afford a lot of my more pricy pieces but then again, I don’t have kids of a mortgage to worry about (yet!). Thanks so much for your comment lovely x
That’s actually a really good point you make! Quality that looks great would definitely be better than a pretty piece that destroys fast. This is really good advice for young consumers!
Xoxo
Serein
https://sereinwu.com/
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Its one of the main things that I’ve found over the years. There are always exceptions to the rule, and also instances where money doesn’t always buy quality, but if you know what to look for then there’s no question that you will be on to a winner! x
Have you purchased anything from Grana? If so, I’d love to hear how their products compare to Everlane’s (especially in terms of fit)!
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I’ve got the silk tank and I’ve tried the silk trousers on. The silk tank is a take it or leave it piece for me, it’s very thin silk and doesn’t compare to Everlane quality however I do like the cut. As for the trousers, these are super high quality, double lined, and a very nice washed silk – I’ve been meaning to pick these up in a few different colours I just keep putting it off! I definitely do want to do a comparison in future though so watch this space x
Yes, please!! I’d love to see a comparison between the two! Particularly across similar items (if you have them), and see how the fit compares on, etc. I’ve heard some people say Grana runs kinda short, so it’s better for petites, but I haven’t bitten the bullet and ordered anything myself yet! 🙂
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Ah okay great! I definitely will be looking to do something a little later this year (possibly after my USA trip!). The trousers you can purchase in different lengths which I think is great, and with the tank (I have had one but the colour wasn’t right against my skin tone) was a standard length although I can’t speak to the silk blouses x