What I Wore:
Tank: Target - $12
Jeans: Target - $15
Scarf: Target - $15
Belt: From a pair of shorts
Shoes: Target - $30
Cardigan: Banana Republic - $50
Earrings: Souvenir from CO - $15
Last fall and winter, I found myself wearing my Target yellow cardigan quite a bit. I wore it until there were holes in the pits and the seams were completely coming apart. Thus, I began my search for a new yellow long-sleeve cardigan (preferably one that would last longer). I actually received a reimbursement from my school for a business trip I took in February. It was money I would have spent anyway, so I earmarked that money to get a couple cornerstone pieces for my wardrobe and replace two of my over-worn Target cardigans. I bought this yellow cardigan and a pink cardigan from J. Crew, and still had a little left over, so it truthfully didn't affect my budget for that month. You've seen both of them, but I don't think I ever explained that those items are probably more of an anomaly as far as the prices go--and I almost feel a little guilty wearing them on my blog.
(As you can tell, I'm also guilty of breaking down and getting this version of the tank I already have in the pink stripes. If you find something you like and it works...and you can think of at least five ways you'd wear it....and it's $12, I say just get it. Even if you're in a semi-shopping-restriction time... I've still got a lot of new-ish things I haven't worn yet, so I promise I'll be really good from now on! Or I promise to try to be...)
(sorry for the really long parenthetical--I think I'm finished now)
While I'm all for getting a bargain, this blog has really helped me to realize what's worth spending a little more on in order to make my closet more mixable and versatile.
Do you have any items in your closet that you consider an investment?
XO,
26 comments:
Love the color of that cardigan! I try and tell myself that more expensive shoes are an investment :)
I spend the extra little bit of money on those J. Crew cardigans. I'm slowly getting them in all the basic colors and it's a worthwhile investment.
Tara
Penniless Socialite
How beautiful is the yellow on that cardigan! I think colorful cardigans are always a good investment. They always bring a pop of color to an outfit and they can usually be worn all year long!
Jenny @ Jen's Outfit Journal
I almost always spend more on jeans and coats. Ironically though I scored an AMAZING tweed wool hooded winter coat from Target about four years ago that looks so much like a Jcrew one and I am forever getting compliments on it. At Target it was $80 and it's proven to be a great deal! I will pay up to 80 bucks for a great pair of jeans also. The other place I splurge on quality is with bras---each one I buy is about $50 from Nordies---but I've come to realize that the bra truly is the foundation for any outfit...and the expensive ones last longer than the cheap ones and keep the "girls" where they need to be....
I love all the colors! I think that it's
a worthy investment. :)
this is a fantastic outfit!!! Excited to see more awesome fall goodies from you!
work-it-blog.blogspot.com
I agree that cardigans are a great investment. I had bought cheap ones for the past few years while I was loosing baby weight, but now I need to restock. I've been happily surprised by Forever 21 cardigans and how well they stand up to washing!
I just bought those shoes a few weeks ago and I just know I'll wear them a lot this fall! I just splurged on a blazer while I was visiting family in San Francisco last week. I was in the vacation mindset, which is when I'm much more willing to spend a higher amount of an item of clothing than when I'm home, but it's a great fit and something I believe I'll consider an investment for quite awhile!
Jess - J's Style
fancypants514.blogspot.com
don't feel bad about spending a bit more to upgrade a target piece - especially in a color and style you know you'll wear all the time. There are things to spend money on, and things you can get for cheap. we aren't here to judge your money spending, just to ogle the cute outfits.
I find that I wear cardigans and boots ALL THE TIME in the spring/fall/winter, so it's totally worth it to spend a little more and get good quality ones. Things like layering shirts that I don't rewear that often, I'll be cheap with those.
I bought a white blazer from Banana Republic once that I would consider an "investment" - it was $80, which is A LOT for me, and I've worn it, like, 2 times because I'm afraid to get it dirty. I should have just saved up the money and gotten something that is more versatile, or at least something I'd wear more often.
I totally get this! I'm a major bargain shopper, but I am willing to drop some extra dollars on items that I know will be versatile and that I'll want in my closet for a long time. I bought a navy blazer at AE yesterday... I have the black version from last year and wore it so much that I knew the navy would be just as versatile. Granted, the original price was $69.50 and I had a coupon that knocked it down to just over $50, but for me it was still a little splurge. I knew it was worth grabbing now, though, and that I'd definitely get plenty of use making the investment worth it!
I think mixing the highs (in this case Banana) and lows creates versatility and interest in an outfit - I think splurging on cardigans are a great investment - I have some from Banana that I have had for four years and still going strong! Also, great fitting trousers and a great pair of boots (which you can always have repaired via cobbler for $20 every couple of years).
Fabulous color combo! I love the yellow with the shades of blue. Fab! And the stripes with floral.:)
Good point! I'm glad you guys are here for the clothes, not the prices. :)
I love navy and yellow...or well, navy with any color works just beautifully! I thought the scarf echoed the colors in the tank really well! I didn't even think of pairing them when I bought the tank!
I agree with you, Megan! I love it when other bloggers mix their higher-end items with Target or Forever21. It really makes their outfits seem more versatile!
I'm so glad you understand! I love AE -- I have a blazer from AE that I bought in 2009ish and it still fits wonderfully and has held up really well!
I love Banana Republic and J. Crew--and I want to start saving my budget from each month to buy more staples and investment pieces. I think I have been trying to build a basic wardrobe for a while--and determine what clothes I wear often. Now that I know, I can start replacing the worn items with higher quality versions.
I really like these shoes! I'm glad you got them! I think blazers are a really good investment, too!
Interesting! Forever21 Cardigans? I haven't really tried those...I have two, but I haven't worn them enough to make a quality judgement call. I haven't had very good luck with F21 except with jewelry--but it's good to know!!!
Fall is my favorite time to get dressed! I think Fall will be easy, but I'm a little concerned about Winter.
Thanks! I agree!
I don't wear jeans enough to splurge on them, I think. I completely agree about bras--especially sports bras! I need all the help I can get to keep those girls in place...!
I have really grown to love mustard yellow! The cardigan has such an awesome texture to it, too--you can really tell it's a much higher quality! It's longsleeve--so it's even easy to roll the sleeves up and wear in warmer weather.
I love the J. Crew cardigans. I wish I had one in every color! I completely agree!
I can definitely see how shoes would be worthwhile--especially as a teacher. I haven't been so good about investing in shoes, I'll admit--but I don't shirk on getting quality athletic shoes!
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