Financing your wardrobe is often of concern for many of the Richmond women I encounter.  While we all want to look, as the Project Runway Judges would put it, “Rich” and “Expensive”, we find ourselves limited by our budgets.  I decided to ask around and see what areas of fashion women found worthy of splurging, and what items merited scrimping.  Here are some of the responses:

SPLURGE

Pants and Jeans: Most women I spoke with mentioned that they would invest in a good pair of pants.  This was for various reasons, but the most common was difficulty in finding good fit.  One of my responses read, “Pants for my derrière have always been a concern [for me], so I will splurge on the perfect pair”.  I couldn’t agree more, having had the struggle myself. 

Sun Dresses:  Maybe it’s the summer weather that caused women to rank sun dresses in the splurge category.  One responder points out Sundresses, “are so versatile.  I can wear them anywhere and they are comfortable”.  The sun dress can be so many things, flirty, fun, low key, dressed up- it made it a shoe-in for the Splurge category.

Coat:  A coat is a good investment as it often times becomes the only statement we can make when it’s freezing!  We are no longer limited to the black pea coat, as so many new sleeves, cuts and colors are available.  One responder swears by it.  She opts for winter coats with lots of pocket storage, and notes, “they’re my ‘bags’”.

Honorable Mention Splurges:  Perfume, Hair Cut/Color

SAVE

Bathing Suits:  Bathing Suits tend to go through a lot of rough treatment (like chlorinated pools, exfoliating sands, and extensive sun exposure).  Because of this, swim suits often quickly lose their original appeal.  Many of the girls I talked to opted to buy multiple cheaper suits as opposed to one single expensive suit.  “I rarely spend time in a bathing suit” points out a contributer, “So why waste a ton of money on something I’m only going to wear a grand total of three times?” Touché.

Sunglasses:  I must say, this is my personal favorite on the save list.  I will never spend money on sunglasses.  Why?  Because I lose them, break them, scratch them, etc. etc.  Lucky for me glamorous sunglasses can be found at very affordable prices.  I keep a pair in the car, in my bag, at my home- all for under 50 dollars!

Trendy “Take a Gamble” Pieces:  Trucker hats, tiered skirts, and leopard print leggings all were “of the moment” must haves.  When buying a trendy piece, there is a high potential for expendability.  When it comes to trends, buy bargain pieces instead of investing in the top of the line items.  You’ll thank me in two years.

Honorable Mention Saves:  Handbags, Jewelry

There were some items that were brought up on both sides of the fence (shoes, cosmetics) that could easily be argued for splurging or for saving.  What do you think?  What are some of your favorite Splurges and Saves?  Take the poll!