Let's talk "Investment" in terms of fashion and styling and the reasons I've never found it worked for me

"invest in quality" or "spend as much as your budget allows on quality" isn't necessarily good advice.

Some of my "investment" purchases - Zoe Kratzman sandals and the Beau Coops Sqeakers.

A lot of fashion-ey types talk about this and I can see where they are coming from, however in my experience it's never actually benefitted my Closet.
For example, I invested in some designer leather trainers, I thought it was about time I upgraded from my well worn converse sneakers. I chose a cute pair from Beau Coops that were half price on sale for $195 (a lot of money to me!) and the first time I wore them they were actually very comfortable, a little squeaky but comfortable. Unfortunately it all went downhill from there, the squeeking became progressively louder as I wore them to the point where I started actively AVOIDING wearing them. I googled how you un-squeak trainers and cornflour and baking powder didn't work. Dry shampoo did work for a time but I wore them one day when it was spitting rain and that took me back to square one AND the dry shampoo stopped working, no matter how much I sprayed! I've had to make the gutting sartorial decision to get rid of them. I don't feel like I can sell them so I think I'll just donate, then when people try them on in-store they can see the squeaking for themselves and decide whether they're OK with that. I've since purchased some cute pre-loved embroidered trainers by Kate Spade on Facebook Market place that I've worn a few times now with no issue, they're a tiny bit squeaky but not in an off-putting way, I can handle it. That initial "investment" in what should have been a quality item lasting years was wasted as I probably wore the "investment" trainers 25 times? Not even the magical 30 wears one should aim for from any piece they're thinking of adding to their Closet.

The $2 Kookai top from the Salvos and my $9 thrifted Zara flats.

Exhibit number Two: some of the most worn pieces in my wardrobe are fast fashion brands that I've THRIFTED. My Zara woven flats have been worn upwards of 50 times and I WALK DISTANCE in those shoes and they're absolutely fine, they're a point-toe design and that's wearing slightly on the sole but not in a way that you can tell while they're on my feet. My vintage lacquered cane bag that I've worn upwards of 80 times in the year I've had it, $7 from Vinnies. All of my most worn tops are fast fashion and the majority are also second hand. My white cotton tank from Kookai (a fast fashion brand here in Australia) $2 from the Salvos, still as white as the day I thrifted it and going strong. My black cotton tank from Just Jeans (another Australasian fast fashion brand) I bought over 3 years ago new for $20 still looks brand new. I could potentially have spent hundreds of dollars on premium brands to get that "quality" but ultimately I've found that sort of shopping just doesn't work for me.
Which brings me to exhibit number three, my silk blouse. A few years ago now I was really getting into downsizing my Closet and was consuming a lot of content around capsule wardrobes, shopping less and only purchasing a few items every season but spending more. I'd been on the lookout for a silk blouse for awhile and when I stumbled upon a gorgeous dark emerald green one at a Trenery outlet at Wellington Airport I snapped it up. It was heavily discounted but still $104, very reasonable for a new silk blouse and seemed a quality piece but expensive to me overall (I was used to fast fashion sale shopping and bargains galore) While I was happy to have "found" that piece now, I could tick that box, I didn't find it immediately very easy to style. At that stage my style was quite rockstar (I loved Caroline de Maigret and Alison Mosshart from The Kills) and I was wearing a lot of jeans, a silk blouse should have slotted in well there... And yet, I wasn't really wearing it. Even in winter under my beloved faux leather jacket, I found it a bit sweaty and clingy, I had the impression that silk was a luxurious fabric but this blouse was a bit of a let down in those terms. I've since thrifted some silk pieces that I absolutely love so I think it's really just the blouse style that isn't agreeing with me.

The Silk items I do get along with: trousers (left) and a sleeveless silk blouse (right)

I still have that blouse but living in brisbane means there's maybe 5 days a year that I can comfortably wear it! I'm still not sure if I hold onto it because I love it or if it's some mental block because it's classified as a "must have" item for every woman?


All this rambling is to say:

I think that's why purchasing clothing second hand works so well for me, I need to road test things. The items that I buy thinking I cannot do without end up languishing because of some quirk or whatever, that Italian made silk blouse I was SO EXCITED to find at the thrift that I wore  once and I realised it just wasn't me and donated right back. Or the white leather trainers by Schutz that were only $9 at Vinnies (Schutz retail around AU $250 new) but ended up being too flat for me and made my toes go numb after walking 500 metres. By thrifting clothing or purchasing from used clothing boutiques you get the premium product for a much lower piece and then if it doesn't work out, you didn't make too much of a financial "investment" and you can easily find said item a new home. If I invest a substantial amount of money in an item there's potential that it ultimately won't work for me and the thrifty part of my personality cannot handle that. I'll try so hard to MAKE it work but in the end it's all for nothing because eventually I have to give in and admit it was a wasted effort. Now is a good time to add that one should make a note of these fails so you don't keep purchasing similar items and therefore continue losing money. I actually have so many examples of times I "invested" and it didn't "pay off" that I could blog for days! Maybe I will.

So my tip...?

*** Don't be afraid to experiment ***

With silhouette, with patterns, with materials, with items.

Silhouette: I have a long torso so tucking tops into waistbands works best for me, but also knotting tops, tying button downs at the waist, all good ways of giving the illusion of longer legs. That Kookai top I was talking about, $2 from the Salvos, that knots excellently. My parrot print button down, FCUK $4 from neighbourhood charity shop in Maroochydore, I tie at the waist with a hair elastic and tuck up under to blouse over at my waist.

Thrifted prints left to right: My parrot print top and cactus skirt. striped cullots with floral hem. Floral Trousers! Only $2 from the Lifeline rummage sale at the Eco Expo 2019.

Patterns: when I first arrived here in Aus I had a capsule Closet full of neutrals, no prints, however once I started thrifting I went mad on prints, some of which I still have today. That parrot print top I just referenced, goes with everything. I actually have 2 parrot print tops! The birds are small and the main base colour of the top is a navy in one iteration and white in the other, so they easily pair with everything. I thrifted a cactus print skirt just before the whole lock down scenario, it's handmade, I absolutely love it and it seems to go with everything in my Closet. Once again the cacti are small and the background is white, so I think that's helping the situation.
Materials: When I first began my capsule journey I swore off polyester, only "natural fabrics" were considered. Once I dove into thrifting though, I found a few pieces in polyester that aren't so bad after all. My cullots from Sheike, $9 from Vinnies, are one of my most worn items. Also my Forever New snake print skirt, $10 from the Salvos, I never have a problem with static, it's perfectly flowy and I get SO MANY compliments. You've all heard me bemoan the sweaty quality of my silk blouse but I also have a top and trousers in silk and they're lovely. A few of my 100% viscose pieces shrank in the wash but I googled how to stretch them back and I now hand-wash them. My black dress has all the delightful properties of silk, the fluid movement and light airy breathability, I just have to remember not to throw it in the machine (kind of like silk!)

Thrifted hats and shoes in my experience are comfier than new!

Items: I've always been a hat lover but I often felt like I was in costume, a bit of an impostor. I've seen some of you out there mention this too so I'm not alone, but since thrifting I've really opened up my hat collection. A couple of my all time favourite hats are thrifted, my Boater and my orange fedora. I feel like if you want to rock a hat you just have to do it and own it. Don't second guess yourself! People will look maybe but they're most likely thinking how kick ass you look, don't worry about what others think so long as you're true to yourself and your style.

GOSH! I think that's a good idea on which to end this long rambly post. I'm like this on Instagram too, I take a whole caption to say something simple! Do you agree at all with me? I guess for some things it could pay off, like a Chanel purse maybe, not that I'd ever spend more than $60 on a purse - cry laugh emojji. In my experience though, Investing in fashion just leaves me out of pocket and still in need of something to wear!

Thanks for reading (I hope you did read)

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♥ Paula Roving Style ♥