A . Real . Wardrobe: Part I

As of late (i.e., as of trying to pay off my AmEx bill), I'm trying to be a better, wiser shopper. I love.love.love to shop. Shopping is like Prozac for me: a little bit changes my whole outlook. But my problem is that the urge to shop is always a "spur of the moment" kind of thing. I feel like I need it, I buy something, and then the urge goes away.

The difficulty comes when I realize that I have a closet full of "I need it now" purchases. So I'm trying to spend money less often on little "I'll forget about it in a season" things and to save for bigger purchases. Because when you think about it, it doesn't take very long for a lot of $60 "good deals" to add up to a brand new Louis Vuitton bag.

So here's Part I in a series about pricier investments in your wardrobe that you'll absolutely never regret. Sure, you have to save for them, but in 10 years, they'll still be the same lux classics and you'll love them even more than the day you bought them:



Bamford Drop-Waist LBD, $1995


Christian Louboutin, $700


Hermes Black 25 Birkin, ~$4,000; Black Chanel Jumbo Flap, $2695; Louis Vuitton Suhali Lockit PM, $2630, Marc Jacobs Blake, $995