One and Only
I was thinking the other day about all of the choices we have in life. It’s actually quite astounding when you think about it. Car, Truck or SUV……..House, Apartment, or Condo……Drug Store, Sephora or Ulta. What if you only had one choice to buy your fashion items, one place to buy all of your cosmetics, or one choice to go on vacation every year? You would get to make that choice, but you’d have to commit for a year. What would you choose?
I thought this was an interesting exercise and I’d really like to explore it. Follow me on this journey as I explore this question and apply it to my lifestyle. I’m posting a one and only a day until Friday. The rules are that it has to be one place and it has to be within my current budget. This isn’t an exercise about what I would buy if I had unlimited cash. The cash flow is exactly the same. So if you’re nosey like I am, then keep on reading.
I won’t make you wait for the most important one and only, and that is fashion. If I had to choose one place to get my entire wardrobe (clothes and shoes only), my choice would be Zara. Zara is reliable, versatile and consistent. If Zara was a person, I’d be bending on one knee. I’m pretty sure that everyone reading this is familiar with this store. If not, then let me explain. The prices are really good. The quality is solid. And they are always on trend. Or in most cases, ahead of the trend in the States, mainly because they are based in Europe which is always a step or two ahead of the American fashion cycle. Also, they have their WOMAN line and Trafaluc (don’t ask me how to pronounce it), or TRF for short, which is their more affordable line. However, the level of style is consistent across both lines.
And did I mention the prices were great? Now let me explain the prices. These are not H&M or F21 prices. But this is not H&M or F21 quality either. However when you compare the styling and the quality to a lot of higher end brands, they measure up. They more than measure up. Here are a few things on my wish list. YES, these are different from my original fall wish list I compiled a few weeks ago, but so what. You’ll live. Just go with it
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These Velvet loafers are stunning and they retail for $50 at Zara. And of course they pass the flat test because you know I’m not going anywhere near an uncomfortable flat. All of the nopes to that. And in case you don’t know, velvet is everything this Fall. EVERYTHING. You need some in your life. You’re welcome.
And while you’re at it, go ahead and add this bag to your cart for $40. I know that it’s technically not in this category, but I want it. I don’t even have to explain how gorgeous this bag is. The chain detail makes it look super expensive. I need this bag and I will have it.
This dress above is simple, but it has character. I love black. But everybody loves black because it’s easy to wear. This dress is no exception and the retail is $23. Yep, $23. And look at the back of that dress. That is giving me an “I’m wearing this to the office because I have a dinner date right after”. To make this work appropriate, I would definitely pair it with a tank, and a leather bootie. After work, rip that damn tank off and you’re good to go.
Again, here is another simple dress with blousy sleeves that help to give it more character. It’s extremely loose fitting, so it will look good on anyone. And it’s navy, one of the main colors of the fall 2016 season. But more importantly, it’s $26. This dress is so versatile, it can be paired with booties, as shown above, or you can dress it down and pair it with a pair of clean sneakers to achieve an edgier look. Speaking of which……..keep reading……….
This sneaker in pale pink is life! And life only costs $40. I’ll take it. The athleisure trend will be even bigger this fall and will continue well into summer/spring 2017, so just embrace it. You will soon be wearing sneakers with everything. You will be scouring your closet looking for outfits you can pair with sneakers. But lucky for you, I found you one in navy for $26. So yes, go ahead and pair these with the navy dress with the blousy sleeve action. You know you want to.
Notice that I was able to do a nice update to my fall wardrobe for under $180 at one store. This included 2 pairs of shoes, 2 dresses and a handbag. The majority of the items were statement making pieces that can be easily implemented into any wardrobe no matter its current state. Not bad at all.
See how fun this was? I hope you enjoyed it. Check back tomorrow for another one and only pick………….Accessories. I’ll be doing this every day until Friday.