Written by: Giulia Simolo
If you’ve ever looked at your clothing and thought you had nothing to wear, then what you’re missing is a capsule wardrobe. This is a selection of clothing that contains basic, versatile items with some important investment pieces thrown in for good measure. But what is an investment piece? And how does it contribute towards eco-friendly living?
What is an investment piece?
An investment piece, otherwise known as a wardrobe staple, is an item of clothing that lasts longer than a season, can be teamed with many other items in your wardrobe and complements your personal style. In fact, an investment piece should be able to offer you wear for years! This is much better than wasting money on clothing that you hardly get any wear out of. Plus, choosing investment pieces can also be a help to the environment.
What to bear in mind when choosing an investment piece
Some common examples of investment pieces include the much-loved LBD (little black dress), the classic suit for work and the pristine white shirt. But don’t be afraid to take a more personal approach to the investment piece. Think about where you spend most of your time, what you mostly like to do in your spare time and what item you need that will be able to mesh well with the styles already working in your wardrobe. For instance, if most of your social life involves lunches and shopping trips with friends, along with the rare club hop, you’re not going to benefit much from a very shiny or glittery party LBD.
Take stock
You can’t know what your wardrobe needs unless you take stock of what you already have in there. When taking a peek, be objective and pretend you’re an outsider looking into your wardrobe. If there are items in there that you haven’t worn in months, it’s time to donate them to charity because they are just causing clutter. See what items you get the most wear out of as these are an indication of your style. Whatever investment pieces you buy should work with, not against, the style that you have been showing the world. They will also last longer for you if they are in sync with your image.
Trend alert
Try to avoid buying clothing that is seasonal, even though this can be tempting. An investment piece is mainly about longevity, as you want the item of clothing to last you longer than one season. If you’ve ever experienced purchasing a trendy winter coat, wearing it a few times and then packing it away with thoughts that you’ll wear it the next year, only to find it’s out of style by then, then you’ll know how frustrating it can be to spend money on items that wind up going to waste! When buying an investment piece, think of it in long-term stakes. What has lasted longer than a season in your wardrobe? Is it the denim jacket that you get a lot of wear out of, or the designer LBD that has become a classic? Ask yourself this question when purchasing an investment piece so that you don’t get swayed by the trends.
How it helps the environment
If you purchase clothing that lasts you for years, it doesn’t become clutter which winds up in landfills. Also, you don’t feel that your clothing is out of fashion after a few months, thus preventing you from throwing it out and purchasing more clothing that suffers the same fate of becoming clutter. An investment piece thus helps the environment because it lasts a longer time in your closet!
The liveeco team
