I'm the Queen of Primark - OK maybe not the Queen of Primark - but if you look at the labels in my clothes you will find a selection of things from Primark, Tesco, New Look, H&M and if I'm pushing the boat out - Dorothy Perkins. Hurrah!
My working wardrobe has two pairs of identical pinstripe trousers in it.... I've been wearing the same uniform to the office forever... relieving the boredom with a new £1.50 vest top in a colour I'm fairly comfortable with under all the black.
When I was in my early twenties I worked in a high-end dress shop. When I say "high-end" I don't mean scary high-profile designer labels. This shop was a unique boutique (there's the poet in me again!) selling clothes designed by an independent designer with her own workrooms and a small chain of shops. Selling ladies suits retailing over £750 for living is a real education and I swear it's a major contributing factor to the way I approach my life today. When you can talk a rich middle aged lady into the outfit she'll be wearing to her son's wedding then you've dealt with "over-coming objections" in their most extreme form (trust me they're worse than the Brides). It's sales in it's rawest form and all the skills apply to what ever you selling.
My mentor on this journey (which was a little under 2 years of my life) was the designer herself. A formidable woman brimming with innate style, class, guts and sophistication - I'm tall and I was completely convinced she was taller than me - I didn't realise until I had worked for her for a year that she was actually 4 inches shorter. She gave me some advice on how to pick my buyer. How I would know who wandered into the shop would be a sure fire likely purchaser. I have lived by this - and I know it to be true.... you're going to like it too..... it's all about your...... SHOES!!!! (and handbags)!!
Accessorise ladies! it's all about accessories! You can make a plain white shirt and black trousers look something special by adding something as simple as a bright square scarf at the neck - co-ordinate this with a matching belt and you're really cookin'! These can be picked up for a matter of pence in places like Primark - both together easily less than £5 and I challenge you not to find a small scarf somewhere in your stash!
Aside from the cheaper aspects of style - investment buying is about spending money on the right things and keeping them for a long time. Buy when the going is good an buy the best you can afford.
Frugal Girl has a confession here - I have been spending.... and I'm actually not all that sorry - and I put it on my credit card - the one without the 0% offer.... but hey ladies I have BOOTS!!! This has opened up a whole new world of dressing for me, especially into the Autumn/Winter. I have never ever been able to buy knee high boots before - obviously these are usually made for people who are thin and have money - (not usually me). A colleague of mine told me about a company in the UK called Duo boots who retail boots that are sold not only on shoe size but on calf measurement (www.duoboots.com - mail order too!). They're also fairly reasonably priced (well not over priced compared with other retailers) - from £100 - £195 - I can hear your bottoms clenching... :)
I am justifying this purchase the following way - they look fabulous with my £3 eBay dress, my £22 in the sale Whistles Dress and my £8 Primark Jeans..... so in real terms I could have spent £60 on one dress, £85 on the Whistles dress full price and I could have bought 7 for all mankind jeans (if they made them in my size) for £180 - so I could have spent another £325 as well as the (ouch) £170 on my boots..... but instead I actually spent £33- a saving of £292.... which makes the other pair a bought practically free!!! (Hey I try - but nobody's prefect!!!).
;)
My working wardrobe has two pairs of identical pinstripe trousers in it.... I've been wearing the same uniform to the office forever... relieving the boredom with a new £1.50 vest top in a colour I'm fairly comfortable with under all the black.
When I was in my early twenties I worked in a high-end dress shop. When I say "high-end" I don't mean scary high-profile designer labels. This shop was a unique boutique (there's the poet in me again!) selling clothes designed by an independent designer with her own workrooms and a small chain of shops. Selling ladies suits retailing over £750 for living is a real education and I swear it's a major contributing factor to the way I approach my life today. When you can talk a rich middle aged lady into the outfit she'll be wearing to her son's wedding then you've dealt with "over-coming objections" in their most extreme form (trust me they're worse than the Brides). It's sales in it's rawest form and all the skills apply to what ever you selling.
My mentor on this journey (which was a little under 2 years of my life) was the designer herself. A formidable woman brimming with innate style, class, guts and sophistication - I'm tall and I was completely convinced she was taller than me - I didn't realise until I had worked for her for a year that she was actually 4 inches shorter. She gave me some advice on how to pick my buyer. How I would know who wandered into the shop would be a sure fire likely purchaser. I have lived by this - and I know it to be true.... you're going to like it too..... it's all about your...... SHOES!!!! (and handbags)!!
Accessorise ladies! it's all about accessories! You can make a plain white shirt and black trousers look something special by adding something as simple as a bright square scarf at the neck - co-ordinate this with a matching belt and you're really cookin'! These can be picked up for a matter of pence in places like Primark - both together easily less than £5 and I challenge you not to find a small scarf somewhere in your stash!
Aside from the cheaper aspects of style - investment buying is about spending money on the right things and keeping them for a long time. Buy when the going is good an buy the best you can afford.
Frugal Girl has a confession here - I have been spending.... and I'm actually not all that sorry - and I put it on my credit card - the one without the 0% offer.... but hey ladies I have BOOTS!!! This has opened up a whole new world of dressing for me, especially into the Autumn/Winter. I have never ever been able to buy knee high boots before - obviously these are usually made for people who are thin and have money - (not usually me). A colleague of mine told me about a company in the UK called Duo boots who retail boots that are sold not only on shoe size but on calf measurement (www.duoboots.com - mail order too!). They're also fairly reasonably priced (well not over priced compared with other retailers) - from £100 - £195 - I can hear your bottoms clenching... :)
I am justifying this purchase the following way - they look fabulous with my £3 eBay dress, my £22 in the sale Whistles Dress and my £8 Primark Jeans..... so in real terms I could have spent £60 on one dress, £85 on the Whistles dress full price and I could have bought 7 for all mankind jeans (if they made them in my size) for £180 - so I could have spent another £325 as well as the (ouch) £170 on my boots..... but instead I actually spent £33- a saving of £292.... which makes the other pair a bought practically free!!! (Hey I try - but nobody's prefect!!!).
;)
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