The upcoming Nordstrom Anniversary Sale provided the perfect inspiration for a guide on how to focus your wishlist during a large, overwhelmingly awesome sale. Classic Style Wardrobe Staples! It’s so easy to go crazy during sales and buy things because they are priced very temptingly, but if those items don’t get a lot of use in your wardrobe, fall apart on you, or don’t integrate well then really it’s a waste of money even at the sale price. It’s totally fun to purchase those frivolous or trendy items now and then, but if you are trying to edit a list and get the best true value and really shop strategically, this is the way to go. This sale strategy works for me for any sale really, whether it’s a warehouse sale, a flash sale or a yearly sale. I always keep in mind what item from this list I don’t have and I prioritize those purchases, then if budget allows I make room for other things.
Be sure to read post The Complete Bra Wardrobe for more elements of style content.
The Classic Style Wardrobe
Classic Style Wardrobe Staples are items that are timeless. They are iconic pieces that have stood the test of time, and never look dated. They become the building blocks to your wardrobe. Think of these items as an elegant blank canvas that you can add to with more vibrant, personality-filled pieces, or trendy items. Classic style staples also don’t have to mean dressy or formal. As you can see from my photo below, I’ve incorporated my style staples in a very casual way. Tailoring makes the difference between a casual outfit and a dressy outfit. Think of pairing a camel wool coat with a pair of black Lululemon tights, an Adidas sweatshirt, or a plain white button-down shirt with a pair of black shorts. You can inject personality by adding a pair of unexpected trendy metallic mules. The classic pieces are the ones you never have to even think about, they just work!
[shopr_shopthepost collection=”classic-wardrobe-staple-nsale” size=”large” title=”Iconic Classic Items”]
[shopr_shopthepost collection=”classic-style” size=”large”]
Classics With A Twist
Once you’ve edited your list of classic style pieces, you can start adding ‘classics with a twist’. Those are the classic items that have interesting details like a ruffled sleeve, or an oversize shape. I love exploring style within parameters. It’s like forcing yourself to write a story by picking a topic out of a hat. It helps you practice the basic skills, and it helps jog your creativity. It also makes you look competent at fashion.
Quality Pieces
Another thing to consider when shopping sales, particularly when you are focusing on investing in classics is material and quality. Quality and material is so important with your classic pieces because they need to last year after year, and they need to be worn often. Favor natural materials like cotton, silk, wool, cashmere over polyester, nylon or rayon. Look at the finishing details on an item – is it lined nicely? Does it have some nice tailoring features? Does it fit you well? Is the material durable? Sometimes good quality is very subtle to spot, but bad quality is very obvious. You don’t have to break the bank on quality but you should spend more on these items then you would the trendier pieces. For me, buying classic staples on sale is perfect because it lets me stretch into a price category that I normally wouldn’t. Buying this leather jacket was not possible at full price, but capturing it on sale was, and it’s been one of my favorite sale purchases from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale so far. I always recommend setting a budget and then spend that on the quality items instead of buying more cheaper trendier items. I’d much rather have one great piece that I wear a ton and for years then a bag full of things I have to replace every three months.
The Iconic Classic Style Items You Should Consider
13 Items To Get You Started!
[shopr_shopthepost collection=”classic-wardrobe-staple-nsale” size=”large”]
[shopr_shopthepost collection=”classic-style” size=”large”]
- Wool Coat in Camel 2.Straight or Skinny Leg Jeans 3. Black Jeans 4.Denim Jacket 5. White Tee and Black Tee 6.Black Leather Jacket 7. White Sneakers 8. Black Dressy Boots 9.Blazer 10. Little Black Dress. 11. Black Pumps 12. Black Handbag 13. White button down blouse.
2 comments
fun post! I’m going to try really hard this year at the NAS to pick one or two nicer classics and skip the million trendy things.
hold me accountable!! LOL.
I will! Lol! I say spend 70% of your budget on a classic, and then spend the rest on frivolous or trendy stuff.