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The Fall Investment Wardrobe

The really great thing about the investment wardrobe, aside from the benefits of saving money and time with less shopping, is that you start to really look like a million dollars.

When you invest in really good pieces, the result is that the fashion you're wearing is no longer a distraction, but more an extension of your personality. You'll find yourself getting noticed for the women in the clothes and not the clothes on the woman.

Not having to worry about whether your clothes look right or are appropriate leaves you time to focus on more important things like your career. With those career moves you have on the horizon, like applying for a raise or that CFO position that opened up, you will want to feel confident and prepared for your next step. So how do you invest?

Fall Wardrobe Builders. The Key Pieces

This Autumn Season as temperatures drop and leaves start to fall and crunch under your heels, we bring you the key investment pieces for your wardrobe. Here are the pieces to invest in this season:

The Wol Coat

A Wool coat, with a bold high collar and length between mid-thigh to knee is a great piece that's warm and makes everything, even ripped jeans look polished.

The colour you choose, is completely up to you. Whether you go dark or light, or for a splash of colour, you really can't go wrong.

Here are our top picks:

 

The Trench Coat

The 3 season trench coat is a stylish and practical piece that has barely changed over the past 100 years and probably won't for 100 more. The "original" classic is the Burberry trenchcoat. Wear it with jeans, a dress, it goes from day to night in a cinch and matches with everything. The colours that are the most flattering and never go out of style in a coat are:

  • Beige
  • Black
  • Navy
  • Red

Here are our top picks:

The Basic Shirt Blouse

Nothing says business like a crisp white shirt. Wear it, or alternatively a blouse with any skirt or trouser. The combinations are endless. This piece is easy to style and packs well for trips. Choose light colours for an open and approachable look.

Here are our top picks:

Fine Knit Tops

Elegant and soft, knit tops in a fine fabric look refined, chic and never overdone. They are a nice alternative or a finishing touch to a blazer. Depending on your personal style.

Here are our top picks:

Elegant Knee and Midi Skirts

Whether it's A-line or a Pencil, skirts are a great investment piece, when you do it right.

Choose skirt lengths either to the knee or slightly below in a fabric that is opaque, so that it doesn't shine through. Pick one that does't cling too much to your body, or wear a slip so the fabric falls smoothly. If you spend long hours at a desk or sitting in meetings, I suggest skirts that don't wrinkle in either a wool, cotton or jersey fabric. You can also get these in fabric blends (70% one type of fabric and 30% another), so you have the best of both worlds.

A note on stretch: A little stretch and give in your clothes is great. Actually, jersey is a way to knit fabrics so that they are very stretchy. It was originally made in wool, but now Jersey is often made in polyester or viscose. Opt for the viscose fibers because they are natural - being made out of wood pulp.

Here are our top picks:

Tailored Slim fit trousers

When it comes to trousers. Waist heights and hemlines change often with the fashion. Over the past 10 years we have gone from super low rise to high waist, and from wide bottom, bell bottom to super skinny treggings.

Though when looking at an investment piece, your needs are different. Essentially you are wearing these pants like a suit. So, in the case of wardrobe builders, choose a neutral waist rise, that suits your body type. I recommend somewhere either at or just below your navel.

For the pant leg, also depending on your figure, opt for either straight leg or slim fit, for an investment piece.

Good fabrics are wool or cotton, in either a knit or woven. As far as the question goes: pleats or no pleats? Opt for a flat front, with no pleats even though they are very fashionable at the moment. Remember that fashion comes and goes, but style stays.

Here is our top pick:

What is the definition of a wardrobe builder?

So, how do you tell if an item is an investment wardrobe builder or not? Just because something is expensive does not make it an investment. When I look at wardrobe building key investment pieces, for creating the investment wardrobe, I make sure it has these 5 elements:

  1. Good Quality
  2. Stylish. But not 'on fashion', which makes it very wearable
  3. Easy to combine
  4. Comfortable to Wear and Fit well
  5. The wardrobe pieces, all go together to make different outfits for the whole season - Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer

Those 5 elements in each key piece, make as a combination the investment wardrobe.

Why the Investment Wardrobe? 3 Reasons to Invest

The Investment Wardrobe is something that it becomes time to build the day you turn 30. Some have been working on it for years, while others start later, in their forties. The truth is that the sooner you start building it, the sooner you can start enjoying it. All the more reason to start now. There are many reasons to invest in your clothing.

We give you the top three;

#1 You Save Money

If you're an elder millennial, you were probably brought up with the notion that getting a whole bunch of clothes, that were a cheap price per piece, is a good deal. So, you are constantly hunting for "a good deal" or "SALE".

In fact, what you're doing is throwing away your money and your time.

The investment wardrobe saves you money, while you look like a million dollars.

#2 You Get Quality

When you invest in good pieces, you are getting good quality.

Also, the beautiful materials that feel so good and soft against your skin are often what makes the piece more expensive. So don't be fooled by the cheap version that looks the same.

Nice wool, smooth silks, and natural cotton not only look expensive, they feel good and they are breathable, which is healthier for you and your skin.

Also, when you spend less, you may excuse quality flaws and other problems, when in fact, you get what you pay for. Cheap is cheap.

When you integrate quality as part of your overall look, you give the impression that if you care about quality in every aspect of your life, including your job.

# 3 You Make Responsible Choices

When your closet door is like the revolving door of a hotel, you know you're in trouble. It's not very sustainable. Cheap fashion is expensive. But not in the way you think:

  • To you, it's expensive because the lower quality will mean it will wear out and you will have to replace it more often
  • To people, like factory workers, cheap fast fashion is made quickly and margins are low so often workers don't get paid a good fee and there is less budget to ensure good working conditions.
  • To the environment, fabric is a big part of what an item costs. Cheap clothes are often made of polyester. Basically plastic. Plastic doesn't decompose very well, so part of it always stay in the environment. Forever. Polyester is not bad necessarily, but you might like to start exploring other better options.

Whatever you do, know that by choosing style over (fast) fashion, you're already making a more responsible choice.


Now that you know all of this, you can't really go back. :-) So moving forward, what are you waiting for? Invest!

The Goal

Now you can spot an Investment Piece, anywhere you go. Your goal will be to build a wardrobe that fits the job and lifestyle you want to have.

Good luck and enjoy building your wealthy wardrobe, for the millionaire mindset. This is just one step on the road to becoming the bosswoman that you know you are inside.

Read Also...How to Invest in a Birkin Bag

Have you heard about this unconventional investment with a return that's higher than gold? Invest in the Birkin Bag.

Sources

Writing: The Eve & Elle Team

Research: Author's own production trips to fashion manufacturing sites and extensive research (own and with PhD students).

GIFS: All our cute GIFS are sourced via GIPHY

 

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We are Olivia & Morgan

So both in our 30's, with exciting careers including fast track to CEO positions, we met at RSM Business School during our MBA in The Netherlands. 

Always afraid to drop the ball, we quickly figured out life after 30 is not about having everything together, but more about developing yourself, knowing who you and what your goals are and ESPECIALLY  knowing how to get there.

Because we can all dream, but turning that into action and reality is a huge challenge.

So we created this platform to develop and achieve your goals step-by-step.

We truly believe that if you can dream it, you can make it happen. Anything you want, you can achieve.  

This is the philosophy of Eve & Elle and the core concept behind every article we write and product that we develop.

Everything we do is about helping you make it happen.

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