A stylist on which pieces you should invest in and those to avoid

I like my money where I can see it – hanging in my wardrobe.

Most of us are guilty of spontaneously purchasing an item we weren’t entirely committed to. Perhaps it was on sale so there were no questions asked, or maybe it was a love at first sight situation but you fell out of love with it the moment it entered your wardrobe.

Potentially you’re in the experimental stage of discovering your personal style and you haven’t exactly worked out what suits you. Or maybe, you have a vision of your ideal personal style in your head but executing it takes a bit more work and a bit more money than you anticipated.

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If only someone could remove this pressure by guiding us in the right direction – someone who could help us curate our ideal wardrobe by guiding us towards essential investment items that will be in high rotation for many seasons to come.

Luckily enough, the founder and director of the Australian Style Institute, Lauren Di Bartolo, was kind enough to give me her insight – accrued over 15 years of styling – into the items we should be investing in and the ones to avoid.

What items would you consider investment pieces?

We used to consider investment pieces to be items we’d get a lot of wear out of over multiple seasons. Return on investment was a key metric. Now I’d say that an investment piece might also be considered an item with resale value. The resale market has been growing at incredible speed – look at Vestiaire Collective for example.

We’re in a really cool time in fashion, where high meets low, old meets new and unlikely pairings create the most interesting looks. Investment dressing isn’t about having only core basics, it’s about knowing our style and shopping accordingly.

As a stylist, what three items do you advise people to invest in?

This is really dependent on our lifestyle, but as a stylist, three items that are generally considered to be good investments across the board are:

Knitwear: It doesn’t have to be expensive, but ideally, it’s a high-quality, natural fabric. One of my most worn items is a cashmere sweater I purchased a few years ago from Uniqlo. It’s been great for travel, for layering, and most of all, it’s held its shape.

Blazers: If the fit is right (or even a little oversize), this item will take you places. Over the past few seasons, I’ve picked up some great men’s blazers and suit jackets from Vinnies; they’re wool, they’re lined and they’re classic. If you want to spend more, you can’t go wrong with a Viktoria & Woods or Carla Zampatti jacket.

Denim jeans: Because of the abundance of denim made over the decades, it’s not hard to be both sustainable and stylish in denim, whether it’s vintage, thrifted or brand new, as there are very few items that don’t pair well with a pair of jeans.

What’s your favourite investment item?

Given we’re coming into winter, I’m a fan of a boot. Some of my best boot investments have been Acne boots, usually a Chelsea boot. They’re only an investment because of their timelessness, not because of resale value.

What should we keep in mind when looking at items to ‘invest’ in?

Look for classics over trend items. Last year ‘logomania’ was everywhere, but this year we’re talking ‘quiet luxury’. But irrespective of labels or brands, quiet luxury is really made up of wardrobe staples that never went ‘out of fashion’ and won’t.

Limited edition collaborations between high and low brands can be a good investment, like Jil Sander for Uniqlo or North Face and Gucci. While they will be everywhere, it’s for such a short period of time that we don’t usually get fatigued by them. Because they’re often not repeated, they can hold more longevity.

Every season some trends have extremes, but if you’re not sure whether they’re something you want to invest in, the safest spot to sit is in the middle. Reference the trend without being obvious.

What are three items that aren’t always worth investing in?

Coming in as the number one, expensive trend footwear that you might only wear once. If you had the cash, then the Amina Muaddi sequin stilettos may have been for you, but they were featured everywhere when they were released and then copied by fast fashion brands, so they don’t hold their value. The same goes for sneakers; if you’re watching your spending or wanting to be more sustainable, avoid anything too ‘of the season’. A Nike Airforce 1 will always be around, and while Adidas Gazelles are having their moment, they’re not going anywhere.

Secondly, designer T-shirts. T-shirts are all about fit, so it’s better to find the right one for your shape and invest in a few so they always look fresh versus a logo designer T-shirt that could set you back $400. And although it may be obvious, any item you purchase to please someone else. It’s never the key to a long-lasting piece you will wear on rotation.

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