My New Shopping Mantra

Before moving to Paris, I was most comfortable in an A & F t-shirt and Diesel jeans. I didn’t pay much attention to designer labels such as Alexander McQueen or Neil Barrett. Banana Republic, along with the rest of America, is where I shopped for work. But now my tastes and attitude towards fashion have changed. Rather than fill my closet with mid-priced trends that lose form and function quickly, I’ve converted to the “less is more” mentality. In other words, when shopping, I now buy quality over quantity.

I never really paid much attention to garment construction. If I liked the shirt, I bought the shirt. If the pants were on sale, I liked them even more. But what I realized today as I cleaned out my closet was I had a lot of crap. Sure, I had variety. But the “mélange” of fitted pants, button downs and v-neck sweaters added up to nothing more than a yawnfest.

So what I’ve learned from watching those around me in Paris is to invest in select pieces that I can easily mix and match with other items to create a solid ensemble. It’s not to say I like spending 900€ on a Martin Margiela black jacket. I’m still quite frugal. But knowing it will work with a variety of looks, I feel as though it’s money well spent.

That’s not to say I’ve completely abandoned casual wear from those companies represented in sexy catalogs with a moose as their logo. Their polos and other basic items have a place within my daily routine. But when it comes to representing myself at work or other special events, the high-end nameplates now win every time.

I’m anticipating my new clothes mantra and resulting expenditures to be in-line with what I’ve spent in the past. I’ll spend more but buy less. Which, as an added bonus, should give me more closet space. And because we’re moving to Munich where the Germans don’t build small rooms for hanging clothes, I’ll need all the space I can get.