Items Every College Girl Needs to Invest in:
Investment pieces last longer and NEVER go out of style so they are always worth the money. Unfortunately they tend to be quite expensive, but buying a look-a-like will end up costing you more because you will have to replace it year after year.
- Boots. Simple. Flat. Leather. High quality, Black or Brown…one day maybe both. Unfortunately good boots will cost you big time. But if you take care of them you can have them for a really long time and they are even appropriate for work and interviews as long as they are classy and quality.
Price point: $300-400+. YIKES I know. But you don’t have to expect just one person to chip in. Less is more this year.
Care:
-First of all you want to buy something called “boot trees”. I bought some for all my boots because it keeps the leather along the calf keep its form (plastic ones $12). Without these boots will tend to slouch around the ankles and there is nothing you can do to fix them.
-secondly you will want to waterproof them. You’ll want to do your research and make sure you use the right formula. Use the reviews on amazon to make sure the product you use works for the leather you have without leaving residue.
-Every so often get them resoled. If they have a slippery bottom you can get a thin (pretty much invisible) rubber sole put on so they don’t slip and the original bottoms do not wear down. Any shoe repair shop can do this and its really inexpensive.
-you can also get them cleaned if you stain them and re-polished. Also really cheap. Make sure you have them use polish that is an exact match for your leather color (especially important with browns).
Brands to check: Tory Burch tends to have really great boots that use really high quality materials. They are more on the expensive side but they have great shape and if cared for properly really last. Frye also makes good boots (no the classic ones everyone has) but they are slightly more casual so make sure that’s what you want.
2) Silk or Chiffon Blouses. Basic colors, no patterns, button up, long sleeved. These look good on every body type. They can also be worn to any function casual or dressy. You are looking for ivory as your first investment color, not just white because ivory can be worn in every season and it’s a softer color that looks better on skin tones. Invest in black and a particular color that highlights your skin tone. Everyone has one! This does not mean your favorite color. Pick the color that looks best on you regardless of how much you love the color mustard which looks horrible on everyone except Kerry Washington (swoon).
Price point: $100-300.
Care: dry clean only means dry clean only. Be careful who you send it to have this done. You do not need to wash clothing like this every time you wear it. If it does not smell great or has a stain….that’s when you wash it. Silk is delicate so the more you wash, the more wear it gets. If you find that your mom is an especially savvy laundress or you are you can consider hand washing and drying with either no soap or soap made specifically for silk and delicate fabrics.
Brands to check: Theory, Equipment and Joie. Theory makes really high quality clothes that last a really long time. Be careful about what brand you choose. Like as much as I love brands like gap or banana republic who will offer this item at a price on the low end of the spectrum the quality is also at the low end of the spectrum. I don’t know much about J.Crew in terms of quality because it really tends to vary. Inspect the seams carefully if you insist on this brand.
3) Cashmere/wool sweaters. V-neck or crew neck. But very simple no patters or texture. I wouldn’t go for any bright colors with your first piece because you can’t wear that item as often because everyone will notice you wear your neon pink sweater twice a week but no one will notice if it is black. Ivory, white, black, navy, grey or oatmeal/camel are good bets.
Price point: $100-400 depending on the fabric…cashmere is a shit ton more expensive.
Care: Your first instinct may be to dry clean cashmere/wool but its not great for the fabric because they tend to use harsh chemicals. Also a lot of dry cleaners don’t take proper care of clothes and you even run the risk of ruining them. Also dry cleaning can make the cashmere less soft. I suggest hand washing especially cashmere with baby shampoo, Woolite, or other cashmere specific washes. PRESS out the water. DO NOT EVER wring out the sweater or squeeze it vigorously. Lay it out to dry flat on a towel so it dries in a way that maintains its shape. Cashmere and wool take a while to dry so make sure you dry it in a room that gets enough natural air as possible. This means not in a tiny room with no windows. If its winter and you don’t want to open the windows just use a big room. Cashmere and wool over time get these things called pills that are little balls of the fibers of the sweater. They usually collect around areas that rub against each other (armpits and inner arm that brushes against your side)
Brands to check: Vince and Theory. Theory has a great reputation for high quality items. J. Crew is alright but be more careful with the way you care for them because they could be lower quality depending on what you buy, but they are less expensive.
Other pieces to invest in over time:
- A Big Girl Bag (cred Ashley Bryan). A nice leather simple bag you can use for work. This is not a purse. It should be big enough to carry folders or your laptop. Please do not try to cut corners to save on this item. You can have this for a very very long time. Care for it the way you would your boots. These are super expensive starting at $300….and can be way more expensive. You won’t need this until you are out of college.
- Plain, well-fitting, high quality, v-neck, crew, scoop, or boatneck t-shirts. Basic colors. Personally I love theory. Both the long-sleeved and short. Quality is key. I don’t know how many white t-shirts I bought before I realized this…and the price of those probably added up to about 2 of these. J.Crew is not high quality in terms of cotton incase you were wondering.
- A nice winter coat…all about a basic design, quality materials, and a good fit. These tend to be pretty expensive so this more of a post-college item. J.Crew actually makes some nice wool ones. Shop for these at department stores so you can ask the sales person about quality. They also have better selections and good sales around March.
- Jewelry. A necklace that is either real gold/white gold or silver. Something small. Just make sure its not gold-plated this means its not going to last and isn’t worth your money unless you are dealing with a reputable jeweler.
- A watch is also always needed. Michael Kors makes some good, classic styles. For about $200. In terms of practicality Michael Kors makes a gold and silver toned watch that is perfect because you don’t have to worry about clashing other jewelry with the watch.