One question I have gotten a couple of times recently is — “Is ____ worth the price?” Today, I thought I’d share a few investments that have been “worth it.”
+My Hermes H Heure watch. I wear this close to every day, and I absolutely love it. The leather gets better with time, though the strap can always be replaced if things get really dicey, and I never knew until I bought this how lovely it is to wear a timepiece. Yes, your phone is never far from reach, but it is far more elegant to casually glance at your wrist when attempting to be discreet, and also a lot more easily accessible, no matter how many little ones you are juggling. This is the type of timeless (ha – no pun intended) piece I will hand down to my daughter — an heirloom. You can find beautiful, gently-used versions on TheRealReal at a great price, too. I did briefly consider Hermes’ “Kelly” style, but felt the H Heure was more practical. The Kelly feels a bit more like a statement piece; the H Heure is a daily workhorse. (Still, wouldn’t mind a gently-loved Kelly for Christmas…)
+My Chanel medium classic flap bag in caviar leather and gold accents. I wear this all the time. I’d strongly recommend the caviar leather instead of the smooth leather, as the latter shows wear and tear and scratching a lot more easily than the caviar (“pebbled”) leather version. I also fully intend to pass this down to mini one day.
+Chanel espadrilles. I know this is a hot take, but I have worn these heavily every season since I first purchased them in maybe 2013? They are insanely comfortable and beautifully made — how can they still be hanging on without being re-soled despite heavy use?! I wore them continuously on a trip to Spain a few years back where we walked everywhere, and they’ve held up in New York’s grit and grime, too. I just love the casual elegance they lend to an otherwise straight-forward outfit of jeans and a striped tee, or — as I often wear them — with a solid-colored shirtdress. I also own some Chanel ballet flats but have to be honest and say that I don’t feel they hold up as well to heavy use — they show their age more easily and the heels can look run down fairly quickly. Don’t get me wrong: I love them. But my espadrilles have weathered far better.
+Loeffler Randall boots — I’m into the Gia style this season because I’m old, lead a 99% pedestrian life, and constantly chase two babies around. I’ve owned three or four pairs of LR boots in varying styles and have hung onto them each for multiple seasons despite intense wear-and-tear and a lot of inclement weather (ahem, Chicago). If you can get your paws on a pair of Matildes — do it. I wish they’d bring this elegant shape back. I still own and cherish a pair in a saddle brown color, though my treasured black ones had to be laid to rest after about six straight years of wear. The Matildes work with everything from jeans to skirts, cut a sleek profile, and are comfortable owing to that slight wedge heel (though you should know LR runs narrow). These shoes are quite simply exceptionally made.
+My Hermes Orans. This is probably one of the most-asked questions I field via DM: “Are your Hermes Orans worth it?” Yes. YES. Aside from my Chanel espadrilles, I live in these all summer long. Every other sandal/shoe is kind of “a statement” to go with whatever I’m wearing on a given day. But the Orans go with everything and live under my desk so I can slip into them on my way out the door, regardless of what I’m wearing. They work with jeans, dresses, skirts, shorts, and lend an easy sophistication to any look. I adore them.
+Pearl earrings. I wear mine close to every day. They go with everything and just fit my personal style to a T.
+Hermes scarves. Timeless, beautifully made, and go with virtually any look. You can wear them in a trillion ways, but I tend to wear them sort of draped around my neck, paired with a simple blouse or tee or shirt-dress. I adore mine.
+J. Brand Photoready Stretch Denim. Just the most flattering jeans ever in the most flattering fabric known to woman. They also last forever. I have a pair I’ve worn for maybe six or seven years that I’m still hanging on to.
+DVF wrap dresses. These are so well-made and they work at every age. I’ve accrued a selection of maybe five or six over time — often when on sale at The Outnet! — and I’m so happy I did. They’re the easiest piece to pull out of the closet when you’re not sure what to wear, want to look polished but approachable, and want to feel comfortable but flattered.
You’ll note I’ve left out some other high-end items I cherish and have written about elsewhere — for example, the Goyard St. Louis Tote, my Valentino Rockstuds, a few Louis Vuitton bags, Golden Goose sneakers, etc. I dearly love all of these items and do wear them frequently (my Goyard in particular), but when I stop to think about which pieces I wear most frequently and which have held up the best to the test of time, the above list feels about right.
A few other items that get a ton of use at home but aren’t at quite the level of luxury as the pieces above — and that therefore you might consider escalating to the top of your shopping list (i.e., more affordable but heavily used):
GIGI NEW YORK POUCH (<<I SEEM TO ALWAYS FIND A NEED FOR THIS BAG, WHICH GOES WITH ME ON EVERY TRIP; I USE IT TO STOW JEWELRY EN ROUTE BUT THEN AM ALWAYS HAPPY TO HAVE A CLUTCH THAT GOES WITH EVERYTHING FOR A RANDOM DIP OUT FOR DRINKS OR A QUICK RUN DOWN TO THE HOTEL RESTAURANT)
PACKING CUBES — SWEAR BY THESE AND THESE, WHICH MAKE PACKING A BREEZE
RALPH LAUREN OXFORDS AND POLOS
J. CREW ELSIE SUEDE PUMPS (THE BEST THE BEST)
TKEES FLIP FLOPS (I ACTUALLY HATE FLIP FLOPS — THEY ALWAYS FEEL JUVENILE ON ME! — BUT YOU NEED A PAIR FOR PEDICURES, BEACH, ETC — AND THESE HOLD UP INCREDIBLY WELL AND LOOK NON-BULKY)
LAYERED & LONG RING (I HAD ONE MADE WITH MINI’S INITIALS AND BIRTH DATE AND I WEAR IT NEARLY EVERY DAY)
P.S. Fall staples / fall trends.
P.P.S. Working on a Magpie Mail post — send me your questions via email or direct message!
P.P.P.S. Musings on epistolarity and poetics.
Absolutely love the scarf on the image above, light blue and gold, where is it from? How long ago was it purchased?
It is Hermes, but it is not my picture — I found it on Pinterest. I’m not sure when this was purchased!
The Loeffler Randall boots you mentioned are lovely. I remember loving the Matildes when they were sold years ago. Did you size up? I find that in order to wear thickish socks with boots, I sometimes need to size up and other times I don’t. Do they run narrow in the calf? Wondering if I can snag some online. My calf is sort of average so they may be too snug (?)
Hi Jess! Yes, I would size up in the Matildes, especially owing to winter sock thickness. TBH, my first pair was a size 5, and I am a true size 5, and they are a bit too snug. Still wear them because I love them, but wish I had them in a size 6 to accommodate my favorite “Darn Tough” winter socks. About the calf — they might run a bit narrow, so make sure you order from a place with decent returns (Amazon).
xx