Winter wardrobes are my favourite; cosy scarves, rich colours; oversized coats; rollneck jumpers; Chelsea boots – I love them all, and there’s something exciting about the season turning, and bringing out all your old favourites… and if you choose wisely, and shop sensibly, actually – that’s what you can do, year on year. I stopped buying fast fashion knitwear last year, as I was just sick of it only lasting a few washes and then falling to bits – now I buy much less, but the pieces I do buy, I ensure they are classic styles; and in materials that if I take care of, will actually last forever. I thought it would be good to put a blog post together, to share some of the pieces I look to invest in; and then pieces where I can afford to save and have a bit more experimentation with. Obviously a lot of these are investments, so you take a hit to begin with… but eventually it ends up saving you money; as you don’t need to re purchase the same items year after year – you just have to be a bit savvy about it.
Scarves
An absolute winter essential. The Burberry cashmere scarf is my favourite, as it’s just been around so long, and is now pretty timeless; but you can get a whole range of cashmere scarves at different price points. I’d recommend to go cashmere for your scarf, just because it will feel the kindest against your face; and get a decent cashmere, and you’ll never need to buy another again. Classic colours that will go with everything are obviously black, beige, grey, cream and white – even a rosewater pink you can’t really go wrong with. Mulberry do a good cashmere scarf version too; and if you want luxury that will also last forever, but don’t want to go up to the expense of cashmere – the Acne Canada scarves are also classics that will be around for a long time to come. H&M also do some extremely well priced 100% cashmere essentials, including scarves – and in a fantastic range of classic colours.
Knitwear
Kind of a winter wardrobe must have… I love a good jumper. Go for a mix of roll necks and crew necks, as again, they won’t ever go out of style. Obviously again cashmere is one of the best materials you can opt for, and I’d highly recommend investing in a few decent cashmere jumpers in those classic colours mentioned above; but an entire wardrobe of cashmere isn’t really doable for anyone, and would also be pretty boring… Lambswool is a great choice too, and a cashmere / wool mix is the best of both worlds – you do want to add different textures to your wardrobe. Merino wool is my favourite, and is probably the most durable of the lot – it’s also temperature regulating too. Mohair is very on trend, and is super soft – but it does have a tendency to get everywhere! My favourite places to buy good quality knitwear are: Arket, Chinti & Parker, Joseph, & Other Stories, and H&M (they do a fantastic and affordable premium range, that I really recommend). One thing I can’t emphasise enough though, is to make sure you purchase a good moth repellent. I use cedar wood hanging blocks, and also cedar balls for my shelves and drawers – moths will ruin your knitwear if they are allowed to get at it; but a good natural repellent like cedar wood will stop that. I got mine for a few pounds, and I just give them a quick rough up with sandpaper every few months to keep them revived. I’ll link some good options below. The Laundress also do a beautiful wool and cashmere spray that I always have a bottle of to hand. It’s perfect for freshening up your knits; but also contains moth repellents too. I also invested in a steamer, so that I can steam clean my more pricier knits, instead of putting them through the washing machine. So much gentler.
Coats
A good 100% wool coat will be a lifetime wardrobe investment if you pick wisely, and they keep you really warm. Go for a classic belted coat in either beige, black, or grey. MaxMara would be the obvious option for an investment, but they are really pricey; so if you want to go high street, again you really can’t go wrong with H&M; and I also think that Mango are killing it with their coat offerings this year, too. I got mine from H&M, it’s 100% wool and I think I paid about £140 for it, but my goodness it get the wear and really was worth every penny. I did have to stalk the website though, and they sold out completely within about 24 hours of being released; so my advice would be to keep on top of the website, and look early autumn if you can – they always get snapped up so fast due to the value for money.
Boots
If you’re going for one style, make it the Chelsea boot. If you want to go for a proper high end investment, Louboutin and Aquazurra are good calls. The Adox (Louboutin) and Downtown Bootie (Aquazzura) are very classic, yet comfortable styles that again if looked after, shouldn’t need to be replaced. Do find a good cobbler though, one that you can trust to do a good job (the old high street independents are best); as they will need some TLC every few years to keep them going. Classic leather is a failsafe, but suede looks stunning in winter – it just needs a bit of extra care. A good suede protector spray is a good place to start. If you don’t want to completely splurge, M&S do some very good quality classic boots. An 85 or 55mm heel will still give you style, but give you that comfort too.
Handbags
You really only need one investment handbag; and a tote / top handle style will see you through for years to come. Again, look after it well, and it will last you a lifetime. Obviously the usuals, nude, tan, grey and black are the colours to go for – but if you’re going for one investment piece and one only, I’d recommend black. The best designer choices for your key investment winter bag would be; Louis Vuitton Pochette Metis, Mulberry Bayswater, Saint Laurent Sac de Jour, Saint Laurent Tote, Chanel Classic Flap, Givenchy Antigona.
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