11 Classic Pieces That Are Worth Splurging on Right Now

Every new season we’re presented with trends, trends, trends! And while it’s certainly fun to dabble and wear whimsical pieces, we suggest sticking to the classics when spending real money on fashion. After all, if you’re going to splurge, shouldn’t it be for piece that you’ll want to wear forever?

I’ve always tried to equate purchases of this nature to a simple game of math: If you buy an expensive pair of shoes for, say, $500 and wear them five times before you decide that they are out of fashion, that’s $100 a pop, more than a meal for two at most restaurants in Manhattan (or anywhere, really). So while you’ll probably look cute each of those five times, is it really worth it? Or there’s the more environmental approach: Earlier this year green-fashion pioneer Livia Firth told us that wearing a piece at least 30 times before discarding it is not only good for your wallet, but also better for the Earth. Shopping can be a fun and frivolous way to blow off steam, but that’s a rather sobering argument in the era of fast fashion, isn’t it?

Whatever your shopping motivation, if you’re a true style hound, it’s the thrill of a good purchase that really gets you going. For me, historically, those pieces have been the ones that I can wear again and again: a great little black dress by Altuzarra, a pair of vintage Levi’s jeans, black pointy-toed loafers by Phillip Lim. They are pieces that can stand the test of time and actually look good with a little wear and tear.

“Investment pieces are available more than they’ve ever been,” says Roopal Patel, the SVP fashion director of Saks Fifth Avenue. “Designers are really honing in on that. They are creating pieces that are timeless, not a trend item for the season.” She is quick to point out that the “GG logo bags” at Gucci and the bomber jackets at Saint Laurent fall under this category of the new classics that are worth splurging on at the moment. She also doesn’t discredit a great piece of heritage jewelry or a handbag that works for day-to-day activities. “I feel right now the Mansur Gavriel bags are classic and they’re at a great price point,” she says.

Marquee labels are always the dream, but those price tags can quickly bring us back down to reality, which is why we’ve presented the 11 classic pieces that we believe every woman should own — at a variety of price points. Happy shopping!

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