The Jewish Mother’s Guide to Style: Investment Pieces

Talk is cheap, but not everything is. I admittedly have expensive taste and until now, have definitely deprived you all of luxury as I have shared the myriad of deals and discounts featured on past weeks’ Guide(s) to Style. As a stylist, I always insist my clients invest in key statement pieces that excite them, then we make sure to hit the sale racks for fun pieces that seemed non-sensical at full price but make all the sense in the world at the third stage of mark-downs. Then, we take to the J.Crews, H&M’s and Club Monacos of the world to fill in the gaps with trendy, cheaper items that round out day-to-day looks but tend not to withstand the test of time. While your cheap little Jewish heart may ache at the thought of swiping your credit card for items as expensive as those I’m about to suggest you purchase, the fact of the matter is this: the time and money spent taking your cheap-y shoes and Forever 21 dresses to the tailor could be avoided by purchasing one single pair of designer shoes or the perfect dress. I am certainly not insisting that these pieces do not suffer wear and tear of their own, but these goodies – unlike the ones you just scored on super sale at Lohemann’s – come with a lifetime guarantee. Outside of dry cleaning and basic maintenance, bring back these pieces to the place you bought them whenever they need a good mend or cobble and the shop will send them out for some serious T.L.C. While it is understandably hard to spend on something huge that comes outside of the form of a little black dress or pair of pumps, sometimes a simple shoegasm is enough to ensure an investment piece becomes a closet staple. Truth be told, my black pumps are collecting dust and my statement vintage jewelry is out of its case and accessed multiple times a week. Screw buyer’s remorse, eat a protein filled lunch and grab your (or your husband’s) credit card. Here are the items, price tag aside, that I believe should land themselves in your closet. These Cacharel wedges make me happy, plain and simple. I wore them all around the Barney’s shoe department while picking up shoes for a client with so much Upper East Side running through her veins she’d never consider them. I urge you to. Lucite has never looked more timeless than in this piece of footart and I can assure you they feel as much like you are floating on air as they look. If camel’s not your thing, they come in a rich navy and sans ankle strap. Remember my mention of a simple yet serious shoegasm? This Jew-mommies, is Exhibit A.

Made from a buttery silk jersey with a silk satin clad torso, this Lanvin dress is not only beyond comfortable but fits like a glove, transitioning its wearer from day to night easily. Multi-fuctional garments such as this are essential for mothers with little time to spare. Swap your day bangles for diamonds and black heels and POOF! Cocktail attire. In a deep violet, this piece which is being currently carried by both Barneys and my favorite boutique, Kirna Zabete, is far better than any old black dress. With frayed edges and the shoulder zipper detail, this dress is sophisticated but will never make you look overdone. Effortlessness is the new black.
Things are about to get intimate. When considering investing in your underpinnings you should always consider yourself and not entirely the likes of the person you are purchasing them for. 3.1 Phillip Lim lingerie and sleepwear is the ideal melding of comfort and sex appeal. I am never one to condone dressing for men and I apply those principles to boudoir attire as well. Considering the viewer of said intimates would most likely rather see you without them, it is crucial that you feel sexy and sophisticated in your own right. In my humble opinion, hand-cut silk lace and drapey silk jersey is far sexier than looking like the highest paid employee at a French brothel.

When it comes to jewelry investments that are not birthday, anniversary or just-because gifts from your partner, splurge on pieces that evoke a 1960’s or 70’s inspiration. A piece that seems to tap into a later decade won’t exude the same bohemian, educated understanding of vintage. Keep metallic or neutral statement pieces in mind, they will take you much further than brightly colored pieces, and never opt for something too branded. Heavily monogrammed pieces are, regardless of what anyone tells you, incredibly tacky. While I find jeweley entirely too personal to push on others, as I happen to prefer heirlooms and small designers more than anything I could buy in a department store, I encourage Celine’s yellow gold cuffs or this Chanel earth-toned  neck-piece from the Fall 2010 collections.

Let the comments about how much of a J.A.P. I am for penning this piece ensue.