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The Perfect Fashion Investments

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When I hear the word investment, I always think of what’s in the bank, what shares you’re buying and what your net worth is. I’ve never associated fashion and investments together. They just don’t seem to fit together. I used to think that fashion was all about how many clothes you can fit in your closet. I didn’t think of the quality of the clothing; just the quantity. I always find myself donating clothes after only 3 months. Why? Well, because the clothes I bought started looking like rags and were not suitable for wear any more. A woman on the subway heard me talking to a friend about my frustration of how my clothes don’t last and she started lectured on fashion investments.

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She told me, “It’s better to spend a few more dollars and have less but good quality clothing than spending less and throwing our more.” I then realized that she’s right. I thought I was saving money by buying really cheap clothing, but then in reality, I spent more. As my style started to change, I saw myself buying more sophisticated pieces and keeping them longer.

In the investment world, there are the good investments and the bad ones. What are good fashion investments? Well, according to Leandra Medine’s mother, “Invest your money on shoes and handbags as you can improvise the others through meagre means.” Is this good advice on fashion investments? I agree with her. Clothing usually goes on sale but bags and shoes are rarely found on sales racks. I always put more money into buying a pair of shoes that I know will last longer and is comfortable to use on any given day. Handbags, or any bags in general, are also great fashion investments. A good bag can last you a long time. Proof of this is my mothers TOD’s handbag that she loves so much. She uses it everyday and it hasn’t given up on her.

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Overall, it’s not bad to wear expensive clothing, like Chanel and YSL. At the same time, clothing wears down quicker than a bag or shoe. Buy a good pair of shoes or a bag for the full price and get clothing when they’re on sale. Also, when buying clothing make sure that they are not the current seasons trend. Seasonal clothing (clothes that are on trend during that season, but never goes through to the next year) always lack usability when the season changes. Buy classics and focus on fashion investments. Get clothing you know you can mix and match, and are also comfortable to wear.

Article written by Jeakeen, the blogger behind fashionaccordingtojhake.com. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @fashionbyjhake!

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Love for small Indie Boutiques

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I think we have all heard the statistic that after the third generation, many businesses fail to thrive if kept within a family. I’m not sure exactly why, but I’m going to speculate that it is a lack of passion. Surely not everybody in a family is as passionate about what drove the founder to begin a small business, and surely every successor isn’t excited to to be an entrepreneur. Don’t get me wrong, many successful businesses thrive when passed on, and I realize i’m generalizing, but there’s something  to be said about the magic you feel when purchasing from an entrepreneur. For me, the magic comes in the form of feeling extra special, having excellent customer service and feeling an emotional connection to keep coming back.

Feeling extra special is anything above and beyond asking if you need help in a store and being thanked when leaving. It’s so much more, especially in such a competitive landscape. For me, it’s the handwritten thank you note that is tucked into the carefully wrapped tissue paper, it’s the conversation around why you’re buying the product, it’s informed conversation, never a one sided lecture. It’s an experience, it’s like a short yet deep friendship.

Boutique Service

The next is excellent customer service. Sure, you can argue that making me feel special would come from excellent customer service but for me, it’s defined at a more logistical level. As an example, I recently fell in love with a small indie boutique who has their head office in Vancouver, but I purchased their products exclusively from a boutique in St Johns, Newfoundland. Since moving provinces, I reached out and contacted to see where in Toronto had their apparel. I received a prompt reply, clearly not a copy and paste answer, with a detailed list of the boutiques complete with an address and phone number. Customer service? top notch.

From the above two,combine with a product you’re in love with, creates this sense of connection that makes you want to continue to come back. You don’t always get to feel special when you’re at school or work, but you know you will from the store. That special feeling doesn’t leave, because when you adorn that new piece it just stays with you. Through a tough business meeting or an unpleasant commute to work, it’s given you a secret weapon, and a lot of the times you don’t even realize where that extra boost is coming from.

For all of these reasons, I love shopping from indie boutiques, especially ones that are still connected to the person passionate enough to make it their life. There is nothing like that extra intangible something that really makes you memorable, and that makes me (and others) keep coming back.

Article written by guest blogger, Bhreigh Gillis. You can follow Bhreigh at @Bhreigh