Fashion Rant: 7 Pairs of Zara Shoes or 1 Jimmy Choo? (Investing vs Buying in Fashion)

UPDATE: Cheers @Independent Fashion Bloggers (IFB) for featuring this post on their site on their weekly Links à la Mode roundup.

I was going through my shoes the other day as I’ve been intending to have a closet clear out (but never get around to it…) and discovered that I have more than 25 pairs. Gasp. Some of which I had bought and forgotten about and still have their tags on. Lawd.

When did my stash get this BIG?!

Then I rembered this article that said that for every 6.6 (which I round up to 7) pairs of Zara shoes that you buy, you COULD HAVE been able to afford a Manolo Blahnik or a pair of Jimmy Choos. 

I take Zara here to stand for popular high street brands like Office, Aldo, Mango, Topshop etc. And Jimmy Choo here could be anything from Louboutins to Balmain.

Now the average pair of Zara/Topshop/Office heels is £60. I read an article that said Zara’s average price per shoe is £65 given that they sell shoes that range from £9.99 up to £180 sometimes. But I’ve settled for £60 in my case as that’s the most I’ve spent on a pair of Zara heels.

£60 x 7 = £420

With £420 you would have been able to bag this £375 Jimmy Choo Abel Suede Pumps.

This Sophia Webster Evangeline metallic and patent-leather sandals at £395

Or for an extra fiver, this Christian Louboutin Burgundy Satin Iriza 100 satin d’Orsay pumps at £425.

“Investment dressing” is simple: channel the funds you’d spend on fast fashion into quality purchases.

Of course, this concept of buy less and invest more is only true if the following conditions are met:

a) Most or all of the high street (Zara, Mango, Asos, Aldo etc)  shoes you buy cost £60 and above.

b) That you have more than 7 of these items.

c) That you care about designer and branded shoes. Yes, I know a lot of people who can afford it, but are just not into Choos, Manolos and Louboutins. A pair of Toms and they’re good to go!

d) That Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik and all the other high end designers of this world keep their base prices below £450. I struggled to find a pair of Christian Louboutin heels that I loved at £420 or below.

e) That you LOVE what you can find at these high end shops for £420. I ain’t paying for no wacky ass Fendi shoes just because they are ‘designer’.

f) That your job, disposition or lifestyle permits that you are able to wear these shoes enough. I won’t be buying a pair of Balmain heels that I’ll only wear one in 3 months :/

It is very easy to spend small amounts every week on shoes. You don’t really know how much you have spent until you declutter your wardrobe.

If you love Valentino, Gucci and Balmain shoes, I swear this works! All you have to do is every time you see a really cute pair of heels that you can’t resist and CAN AFFORD, put away the equivalent of the cost of the shoes. 

I tried to do this last year and it was so hard, goddamn. Zara had to go and manufacture some really yummy pairs…

Investment buying is great because:

a) You are guaranteed of quality even though a lot of people have had terrible experiences.

b) Less clutter. You don’t shop as often as you would normally do. 

c) You get more wear out of your shoes.

d) Reselling pays off. If you take proper care of your shoes, you would be able to easily sell them on Ebay if you think it’s time to upgrade your footwear.

I definitely covet some high end shoes  – Gianvito Rossi, Sophia Webster, Christian Louboutin- but I definitely would not completely look away from high street options because they offer great styles too!

Do you care about brands, design, quality or do you just want to have as many options as you can in your shoe closet?

What are your shoe buying criteria?

Are you an investor or buyer?

Are you a Topshopper or do you choose Choo?  (Couldn’t resist that line 🙂 )

xo

Lydie