Off Duty Style // A Valuable Wardrobe Idea

Kelly Donahue jacket | c/o Zaful shoes | River Island pants | c/o Daniel Wellington watch | Elizabeth mini dress

I’m not in love! It’s just a phase that I’m going through... when I first heard these lyrics by Enrique Igleasias. It gave me pause, but if you’ve been star struck, moon lit, sun scorched by certain personas you know the drift of brain waves undulations when, say, you meet your favorite celebrity or media person. Beyonce! Well, I didn’t have such luck of meetings, but I did fall in love with the idea of escaping into the weekend last Friday. Can’t believe another Friday is almost here. Now, what did I do? sssssssh

Speaking of love, I love the attention to detail on this navy blue unlined jacket. The finishing at the seams with lime green fabric is a mark of quality. And it’s one of the details I look out for when I purchase items following my wardrobe core values which we discussed here as(a)   Versatility(b)   Practicality(c)   QualityWhen purchasing a clothing item with quality in mind, there are three factors I hold in mind: Fabric, finishing and fit.I prefer natural fabrics like cotton, linen, silk and bamboo. These fabrics should feel soft and not scratchy and when they come blended with synthetic fibres such as polyester, rayon or lycra, the natural fibres should have higher percentages. I’ve had my fair share of poor choices and learned that sometimes price of the item does not equal this quality. For finishing I look out for straight neat seams. Loose stitches and loose buttons indicate the clothing might fall apart soon and dangling loose threads show the garment was made in a hurry or given poor attention in the process of manufacture. Cheap lining and outfits without labels are sometimes also indicative of poor quality in this regard. Even though I’ve purchased many good quality items without label, I believe brands that put their labels on their product will take care that the item represents their brand accurately, for me that is the importance of labels.Finally, for fit. Whether snug or loose, the placement of darts and yokes are not debatable. Button down shirts that gape in the chest area, skirts that ride up when I walk...whatever does not just sit right is of poor fit.
So, what are your wardrobe core values? What guides your clothing purchases?