Investing in Fashion: What is your priority?

We all shop according to our budget and lifestyle. There are some shoppers who only invest in accessories and buy inexpensive clothes. There are some who only invest in expensive clothes and don’t care much about accessories. Still others buy ‘throw-away’ basics and spend the balance of their budget on buying and maintaining vintage clothing and accessories. But each type of shopper has priorities and knows what they want to invest money in. There is a balance for everything. We just need to know what’s worth investing in and what’s not. Although often this is based on your own style and wardrobe choices, I believe that there are some items we should all invest in.

Sometimes, saving money to buy an expensive item seems excessive but buying less items that cost more money each rather than buying more, cheaper items will save you a TON of money and space in the future. Our world is changing very quickly and although ‘fast fashion’ makes a large assortment of products available to the consumer at at lower price points, this can often be a trap that forces us to spend more money! Be careful about buying many items for cheap because you don’t know how long they will last and what the cut or quality is like. A less expensive piece can often shift or even come apart at the seams over time and although you didn’t spend much on the item, that money is still wasted. Instead of buying 4 different styles of dresses, save that money and buy yourself one nice dress that is guaranteed to fit well, to make you feel sexy and last several years.

Here are the top three items that I believe are worthy of investment and that will last you a lifetime if you take proper care of them.

1. A classic sheath dress that you can wear on any occasion – to a friends wedding, to a dinner date at your favorite restaurant or to meet up with friends for lunch. This item can be dressed up for formal occasions or dressed down for less formal ones. The accessories (sunglasses, jewelry, scarf, shoes and bag) change the look and other items (jackets, fur stoles, tights or leggings, sweaters or cardigans, etc.) can be added or removed to completely transform the outfit.

2. A classic pair of pumps. Look for a pair that has a significant heel but also has a visible or hidden platform. This way, you can use the shoes for all occasions: the heel makes any outfit pop and the platform will provide comfort so that you can wear the shoes anytime, anywhere. The pumps can be styled with jeans or worn with your favorite dress for a head turning outfit. In my opinion, a pair of shoes that can take any outfit from everyday chic to evening sparkle is something worth investing in!

3. A nice bag that can turn into a clutch. You want something that you wear during the day with jeans and T’s but still be able to dress up for evening outfits. I’ve written about this before but the main suggestion I have about buying a bag (new or vintage) is to make sure that the style and hardware is a good match for your other accessories. If your bags work with your shoe collection and your jewelry, you’ll be able to create more outfit options by rearranging what you already own.

What is your opinion? What items do you own that you consider as great investments?

Wearing: vintage Azzedine Alaia dress, Christian Louboutin Lady Daf, Hermes scarf, Chanel bag

 

 

American country pop singer, Leann Rimes, wore NINI green circle dress to attend the Trevor Project gala last night and she looks absolutely amazing!

PS: I did not style her look, credit to her stylist.

What a great response we have from the green circle dress!! Thanks everyone again from the bottom of my heart for your love and support.

Another great way to spice up your sweaters to make them more fun and interesting is to pair them with pants that have a fun pattern. The pant can be cut however you like best: they can be skinny leg or wide leg pants and still look great. Just know the proportions that make you feel best and find the pair of pants that look best on you.

I’m wearing a pair of wide legged silk pants from Dries Van Noten. Because the pants have such a loud print and are wide legged, I wanted to keep the top more fitted to keep the silhouette in balance. You don’t want to have loose pants and a loose sweater because that will make you appear shorter: choose one or the other.

This is what I wore to meet up with a friend for lunch. I spent the rest of the day running errands and enjoying the nice chilly weather in Dallas. I was focused on feeling comfortable & chic at the same time. I believe that it’s important for women to look good and feel good in what they’re wearing all the time. It doesn’t matter where or what your destination is. It can be picking up groceries or going to the doctor.  Looking put together will always help you feel confident. Take a second out of your busy schedule and give yourself a little extra time for some personal pampering; to put on your make-up and get dressed in the morning, go get your nails done, do a home facial. It’s really important for us woman for take care of ourselves, especially during this busy and hectic holiday season time!

Wearing: Celine blue cashmere sweater, Dries Van Noten Pants, Chanel bag, Melody Ehsani earrings

Happy Sunday everyone!! xoxo NINI

The Sephora giveaway is still going on. Everyone is welcome to enter. I love reading everyone’s beauty product picks. Keep them coming and good luck to all!
Accessories is another great way to uplift your look. By switching out your sunglasses, changing your handbag or throwing on a piece of fur you can create an entirely different look. Don’t be afraid to wear or buy  vintage fur if price is a question. You can buy a great vintage mink Etsy for less than or near the price of a jacket. Nothing beats a mink stole on a winter night!

Today I paired brown against brown again. As I’ve mentioned many times, I love anything that helps elongate the body.  Besides that, I’m a huge fan of monochromatic looks. Brown on brown can be matronly and boring if you don’t have the right accessories with the look.  I would recommend styling with something unexpected. Using textures and bold colored accessories to brighten up the look and make it more playful and fashion forward is an easy way to go. And if you are styling this look for work, I would add a large bag. It can be brown or a fun color. Remember: a monochromatic look is a great opportunity to use the look as a backdrop for accessories that might seem too loud or too bright to use otherwise!

Vintage Buddha ring was a gift from a friend

Wearing: Givenchy wide leg pants, Mango turtleneck, vintage red clutch, faux fur from Prada. and sunnies from Sabre