What Is Investment Dressing?

Investment Dressing is the principle of methodically selecting your wardrobe pieces so that they are of good quality AND they complement the items you already possess. There are two key components to Investment Dressing.

The first component is the Wardrobe Capsule. This is a grouping of clothes that can be mixed and matched and worn together with minimal effort. Capsules should be built according to: a color palette, styles that work together, and fabrics that are compatible. For optimum results, select 1 or 2 “anchor” jackets to serve as the starting point for your capsule, choosing dresses, skirts, pants, etc., that match as additional pieces for the capsule. Versatility is the key to creating a successful capsule.

Once established, a capsule can be expanded and pieces added or replaced very easily. When considering a new addition to your wardrobe, make sure that the piece matches at least three to four existing garments. This will reduce the “cost per wearing” of each piece in your wardrobe — leading us to the second component to Investment Dressing — Cost Per Wear.

Cost Per Wear is a calculation used to show the relative cost of a garment based on what you paid for it, how many other items you can wear it with, and how long the garment lasts. If you buy pieces that match several other items in your wardrobe, are of top quality, and are timeless as far as trends are concerned, you will get maximum use out of the garments, bringing down their effective cost.