I’m sure most of you can relate to the struggle of shopping on a budget. It’s the absolute worst. Throughout the years though, I have always wanted to make the most out of the money that I could spend. This would mean waiting for sales to shop or sacrificing a more expensive piece that I really liked for two or three less expensive items. If I walked out with several things, then spending the money seemed more justified. While there’s nothing wrong with shopping like that, I ended up with things that I liked, but not loved and, more importantly, there was no real cohesiveness to my style. I realized that I only wore a small percentage of what I had in my closet. It didn’t make sense for me to justify spending the money for a sale item if I wasn’t wearing it.
What I’ve come to realize is that on certain things it’s better to spend the money that to go cheap. There are essentials to every wardrobe that should be quality pieces that will last you. For instance a good pair of jeans (not the Forever 21 $8 jeans that will last you a year). Staple pieces will vary for everyone according to their style, but they’re worth the investment. What I call staple pieces are those that are essential to your wardrobe. That shirt, sweater, pant, pair of shoes or leggings that you always seem to wear 100 different ways is a staple piece. The point of staple pieces is to build a foundation for your wardrobe.
This Fashionista’s outfit is quite simple and easy to recreate, yet you can tell it’s true to her style. She used black jeans and a white turtleneck as the base for her outfit. She then built on it with a poncho, studded booties and a low messy bun. The black pants and white shirt served as her staple pieces that could essentially be paired with anything from a leather jacket to be edgy, or a denim shirt for a casual look.
So, my style advice for the week is to not be afraid to invest in something you know you will use a lot. As my mom tells me in Spanish “lo barato sale caro,” meaning what’s cheap ends up being more expensive.
