Right between Coco Chanel and Posh Spice
I am thrilled to have finally obtained my own personal copy of style maven Nina Garcia’s The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own.
Yes, I’m a year behind the book, which makes me an eon behind fashion itself, but surely there’s the suggestion of longevity for these items, yes? I have yet to identify my “statement necklace” but I’ve made note that I already own a few of the treasures: charm bracelet, iPod, sunhat, fur stole. (It’s fake, PETA; it’s practically shag.) Others in the blogosphere have scored higher, to be sure.
Now, I’m a quality gal and a shopping fiend, and a fan of lists, to boot. Should I seek out the other 98 necessities, in order to fully realize my station among the pantheon, right between Coco Chanel and Posh Spice? It would be a fun exercise, if potentially quite spendy, but if there are only the Hundred essential pieces, then aren’t most of these going to be basics that I can turn to for years? As they say, investment pieces, far worthier than my $24.99 Merona sweaters from Target?
Eh, not so much. It turns out that investment shopping is not really the viable option that Louis Vuitton would have us believe. Luxury items don’t retain their value any more than vehicles, which every man in my life has reaffirmed lose three-quarters of their value the minute you drive them off the lot.
As the folks at Jezebel point out:
Only a few luxury items can actually fetch comparable prices when sold second-hand (as-new Birkin bags can actually rise slightly in resale value, since Hermès controls the $6,000-and-up retail market with extraordinary artificial scarcity, closed three-year waiting lists and all). But when the resale boutique commissions (or eBay and PayPal fees) are taken into account, the “value” of a Birkin — or any fashion item — depreciates, often precipitously. (“Investing in Your Closet…” | May 20, 2009)
Conflicting advice comes from la Garcia herself, who suggests that the modern woman “splurge for quality and unique pieces that have longevity.” Yet she also says to “shop for value, keeping in mind you want to build on your wardobe, as opposed to indulging in disposable fashion that only lasts one season.” So go for high-quality (read: high $$) one-of-a-kinds, but only if they are really versatile pieces you can keep for a while. Fad or no fad, Nina, please to clarify!!
So what of the Hundred? From A-Line Dress to Zippered Hoodie, can these integral pieces be had without being harmful to my pocketbook? Will searching for the mythical Havaianas lead me right to the poor house in my golden age? Can I sustain sassy and classy and still pay rent?
Well. I know a challenge when I meet one.
