Wardrobe as an Investment?

That’s the idea behind this article by NY Magazine. Can the clothes we wear potentially be worth something in the future? Are they collectibles? Clair Watson, who works for an NY auction house, assesses one woman’s wardrobe for its potential worth at auction. The stylish New Yorker who allowed her person style to be monetarily assessed is music artist Sandra Hamburg. Her sense for statement pieces that pop and quality craftsmanship may make her wardrobe one of the few that actually appreciate in value. It also helps that her mother passed down some great iconic clothes from the past.

But does “investment wardrobe” apply to everyday people like you and me? I’m thinking not so much. We really don’t have the expendable income to buy Dior couture dresses, hold on to them for fifty years, and then sell them to a museum or collector. Nevertheless, I like what this article and ideology promotes.

This article encourages me to be more careful about what I buy. I want to limit the things I buy at malls/high-street stores to items that I tend to wear down: tees, jeans, and comfortable shoes. But for statement pieces, I want them “investment worthy.” Instead of turning toward H&M or Macy’s, I want to find gems on ebay and charity/vintage shops or save up for sales on designer brands. I’ll try to buy more leather, fur, and silks because those items hold their value well. Because they are potentially valuable, I plan to take better care my clothes and hoard them longer. This idea promotes wardrobe longevity and buying less overall. I would even like to pass down some of my favorite pieces to my daughter if they last that long. Although we probably won’t make a fortune (or break even) from clothes, I do think that this article present a sophisticated way of looking at our wardrobe that most people could benefit from.