If the recent Budget has made you question your purchases ever more closely, there is an upside: it might actually mean you dress better.
In my job, I’m often caught between influencers and celebs on the front row wearing crazily expensive clothes that, frankly, don’t always justify their price tag, and people who love telling me that anyone who spends more than £19.99 on a bag is an idiot.
Neither constitutes intelligent shopping. The £19.99 bag will have been hastily assembled by someone on subsistence wages, using plastic, or leather from animals who’ve been horrendously abused. It won’t last much beyond five minutes. Then landfill. Nothing to feel smug about.
Good design doesn’t cost more than the banal variety. And a big high street brand splurging out on a big name doesn’t necessarily guarantee the best results. Apparently, returns on John Galliano’s collection for Zara have been high because the quality hasn’t matched the hype. By contrast, JW Anderson’s ongoing partnership with Uniqlo repeatedly delivers well-produced basics with just enough flare in the silhouette to render them interesting.
The trick to making your money go further is what it’s always been: develop an eye for cut, proportion, read the labels (and I don’t mean the bold face one with a designer’s name on it) and wise up on fabrications. It’s become de rigueur to diss polyester – for understandable reasons. First it doesn’t biodegrade. And second, too many brands that are charging £500 or more for a dress use it. But not all synthetics are equal. Some drape beautifully, feel hefty and used in the right mix, can add drape and durability to natural yarns. They’re also washable, so you save on dry cleaning, which is also bad for the environment. Ethically, all consumerism is a constant balancing act.
Savvy shopping isn’t about wearing sackcloth and ashes – witness the fake fur trimmed kimono from Rixo – wear it with everything for years to come, day or night. Focus on the necessary luxuries and luxurious necessities. Is it worth spending a lot on a full-length embellished coat when in reality you wear jackets more, and can add your own jewellery?
Silk scarf, £95, Liberty London; Silk blend velvet dress, £395, Me+Em; Faux fur trim embroidered jacket, £395, Rixo
Details that raise an outfit from basic to memorable: the distance between stripes, the way a pattern is placed, interesting proportions – a balance between oversized and fitted, a tactile texture. Small luxuries – a silk scarf (look on the vintage sites) or a designer belt can do a lot of heavy lifting. Unexpected partnerings can be wonderful: a diamanté brooch pinned onto a kilt. Hybrid clothes – a tweed Chanel-inflected jacket that’s also a bomber à la Zara can triple its versatility. A statement skirt that can be dressed up with a velvet top or down with a jumper ditto. For the ultimate in hybrid ingenuity, check out Sacai, the Japanese label which splices knitwear with shirting, trenches with bombers to make one item that’s twice as interesting as its constituent parts.
If you’re buying a coat under £200, focus on what’s important. Hush’s 100 per cent double-faced pure wool (responsibly sourced) jacket costs £190. It’s short, doesn’t have fastenings or any other embellishment. It’s also warm, stylish, well made and proportioned. Looking for a dress? Apply the three events test: will it work for an evening, a funeral, a smart office do (or whatever scenarios are most applicable to you)?
Flower shaped brooch, £50, By Malene Birger; 1990s Vintage necklace, £85, Susan Caplan; 100% Double faced wool blazer, £190, Hush; Cotton blend structured bomber jacket, £129, Zara Collection; Sequin organza skirt, £139, Whistles
Pull out five items you haven’t worn for at least a year and challenge yourself to make three new outfits with each. Try unexpected combinations: evening skirts with chunky knits, tailored trousers with T-shirts, a silk shirt under a cardigan. Layering, brooching (using brooches to create or subtract volume, alter a neck, waist, or hemline) and rolling up sleeves just so becomes invaluable (and fun).
Become a tailoring bore. A £70 pair of trousers altered to fit beautifully will generally look better than a £500 pair that puddles around your ankles. Adjusting waistbands and moving or upgrading buttons can transform high-street clothes.
Before purchasing anything new, try the £20 refresh. Coloured tights, vintage jewellery clustered in threes, a scarf tied differently or pinned with brooches to turn it into an evening accessory. The most effective outfit updates are often tiny.
De-pill knitwear, steam jackets, clean shoes, replace worn heel tips and give handbags an occasional polish where appropriate. A clothes brush and bobble comb are among the best investments you can make.
Lisa wears: Wool and cashmere blend coat, £350, Reiss; Wool blend skirt, £120, Massimo Dutti; Brushed jersey top, £50, Hush; Textured leather bag, £640, Polène; Leather boots, £320, Alohas; Acetate sunglasses, £99, Bloobloom; Earrings, £15.99, Mango
Photographer: Sarah Brick; Hair and makeup: Oonagh Connor; Styling: Sophie Tobin; Stylist assistant: Hansveni Dave