Save. Spend. Splurge.

Choosing quality over quantity instead of buying cheap substitutes

Even though this article says that one of the rules of being a stylish person without blowing a lot of money is to find lower-end versions of higher-end items they covet, when I get obsessed with something, like let’s say owning a perfect white blazer like this:

perfect-white-blazer

..and I see a contender that looks nice like this white tuxedo blazer:

http://rstyle.me/~1xNIE

I always see plenty of great options at mainstream retailers like Banana Republic, J. Crew, Club Monaco, even at lower-end retailers like H&M or Zara have pieces that are really affordable to achieve the same look…..

http://www.hm.com/ca/product/21514?article=21514-C

….. but I don’t bite.

Why?

…because I can’t get over the quality of the item.

The price may be right, but the price for its quality is not.

When I buy something these days, I am far more discerning to understand how it’s cut, and what the fabric is.

I am less inclined to buy the mostly-polyester blend items EVEN THOUGH in photos it looks the same as the higher end version.

I’d prefer not to buy polyester-anything at all, but it certainly can’t make up the majority of the fabric!

I could have fooled myself in the past saying: Well they’re all white blazers they all look the same don’t they?, but they really don’t.

Not only that, they don’t FEEL the same.

They don’t hang off your body in the same way, drape the way they should and in some cases you can even see through the fabric and see the shoulder pads clearly visible.

There is something visceral and oh-so-perfect about slipping on a perfectly fitted, beautiful piece of clothing that you may have saved and hunted a long time for, versus rushing out and buying the newest, cheapest high-street substitute of what you actually wanted.

It may meet the requirements now for the look you are trying to achieve, but it will not satisfy you, and you may even end up with a closetful of white, substitute almost-there cheap blazers instead of the one you really wanted.

In truth, I’d rather buy the perfect white blazer, or find something totally interesting and unique in a secondhand store that I did not think of, but evokes the same sense of style for me.

Good things are worth waiting and saving for.

6 Comments

  • nancy

    I’m moving more towards quality over quantity too. I agree that often you buy a cheaper dupe of an item you want, but it’s not quite right. It would have been better to put that money toward the higher price item that you really wanted instead. But at the same time, I try to recognize when I’m paying for quality and when it’s a designer name that’s making an item expensive. There are some not-great quality expensive items out there too. Sometimes the $100 J.Crew top (which could be $50 on sale!) is as good or better than the $400 designer one. I pick my spots and try not to be seduced by designer labels. And I do make a game of it, scouring the internet for coveted items for a cheaper price.

  • Taylor Lee @ Yuppie Millennial

    Polyester does constitute a pretty wide range of actual fabrics. Maybe it’s a high-end polyester rather than the cheap stuff? Unlikely, perhaps, but I’ve been surprised by how nice some polyester/viscose garments I’ve come across recently have been.

  • LaMesha

    As I get older and start making more money, I’m definitely doing this and phasing out my cheaper clothes. Great post.

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