Investing in more expensive items

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I'm currently looking at buying my third faux leather biker in 5 years due to them cracking and flaking but I'm starting to think maybe I should bite the bullet and buy real leather in the hope I'll never have to buy one again.

Ditto boots. I buy new flat boots every Autumn, not necessarily really cheap, £40-60ish each time. I walk a lot and always manage to split the soles on boots and end up with wet feet. So I'm thinking of buying a pair of Doc Martens, either classic style or chelsea boot.

My question is has anyone done this (or similar) and found that they were still replacing them or, even better, you did this 20 years ago and they are still going strong?

My style hasn't changed for years so I'm not worried about going off them, I'm early 30s but love seeing older ladies in biker jackets and DMs and I'm pretty sure I'll be one of them.
I don't have loads of money to spend but can't help but think I'll actually save money in the long run by doing this.

Any advice gratefully received

There's nothing there that doesn't make sense. Especially when it comes to winter gear. Go for it.

When you buy long lasting items, like leather, just make sure it's a classic, or you'll get tired very soon.

Investment pieces are (almost) always worth it. I’ve had the odd fail, but on the whole when i’ve hunted down a great quality item and forked out for it, i’ve been really pleased with it for the long term.

Thanks for the replies.
I think I just want you all to tell me it's ok.

When I was younger I constantly wanted new everything, all the time, now I want long lasting classic pieces that I can rely on year after year.

DH has a gorgeous soft leather jacket that gets better with age. I'm jealous. He mocks my pleather

I hate pleather. Especially in jackets.

I have a 9 year old leather jacket and it was only about £100 from Oasis. Always invest where you can.

I invest with coats, jackets and bags...not with shoes though, not sky high designer prices at least, they all wear out, i buy decent boots, just bought some for £130, I expect to get about 3 years out of them, not 20.

I have recently bought some beautiful Dr.Marten Chelsea boots for £45. You really can grab a bargain if you look hard enough

If you buy very cheap then chances are it won't last. However, I don't think that sprnding lots of money is an absolute guarantee that you will get good quality, durable items - it has been very hit and miss for me.
For boots, I bough some Clarks ankle boots about 3 or 4 years ago, wear them a lot and they are still going strong. But I've had other, more expensive boots that are nowhere near as good. Same with lots of stuff, once you get out of super cheap and into mid range prices. So I think that choosing carefully, looking at seams and soles and cut and fit are they key.

I would buy a decent leather jacket though if it is something you wear a lot. Dh's is still going strong after 26 years!

I have to say that some of my worst buys have been so-called investment pieces that I had planned very carefully. Equally one of my most loved and worn things at the moment is a £200 Harris Tweed jacket that I bought on a total impulse. Another best buy is a H&M cotton jumper that cost about £15 and is still going strong after 7 years.

I have clothes that I'm still wearing after 10 years and others that I resurrect from the cupboard after 20 or 30 years. So I do believe clothes can last, it's just that I find it very hard to predict what those lasting buys are. Of course you may do this better than me.

My longest lasting shoes are some Dr Martens and also some Solovair boots (similar) - had them both 20-30 years and worked them very hard. So with hindsight, they turned out to be an investment but I didn't know that at the time. I would only buy Dr Martens from the Made in England range now. Solovair have, as far as I know, always manufactured in the UK and I'd rather give them the business.

Biker jackets are tricky because I think they've crossed over from under-the-radar classic into mainstream fashion. They've become so popular that I think they're bound to fall out of favour sooner or later. I'm sure they'll bounce back but I can forsee a period in the wilderness first. In fact, in all honesty, I'm getting a bit tired of seeing them everywhere although that's my problem, not yours. Of course this may not not bother you. Maybe the litmus test is whether you'd wear one of those leather blazers now - they were equally popular in the 90s and we thought they'd be timeless too.

Thanks for all the suggestions.
I'm definitely going to do it, just need to find the right ones to buy.

I've previously had some Clark's Orinoco boots and split the soles so I'm thinking I need the thick DM rubber sole. Will look at Solovair too, have never heard of them before.

I would say my style is moderately alternative and always has been so not too worried about the fashion aspect.
I think I must have blocked out leather blazers...they sound awful

BumWad £45??! How? Where? That's amazing.

If you split soles or wear them down but the rest is ok, why not get them mended?

If your buy boots you can get better quality soles put on them. I’ve just resoled a pair of boots with “rugged sole” they are nicer to wear sturdier and will last another couple of years.

I normally carry on wearing them once they've split and they end up water damaged and beyond repair.
It definitely does seem to be something I do so any new boots would probably benefit from some kind of pre-emptive reinforcement.

If you know what your style is and it is unlikely to change have you looked at Conker boots? They are expensive but people typically get a decade of wear and they resole them.

I think the leather they use is the best I have come across and they are the most comfortable boots I have had. Very much an investment but worth it.

I also find Fly boots very comfortable and hard wearing.

Absolutely worth it. I bought some Dubarry boots and have never needed new winter boots since. Comfy. Warm. Look brand new years on.

I'm very heavy on shoes and my Dr Martens and Solovairs are the only ones I've worn for years and haven't killed. But I bought the Docs before they moved production overseas and I've not heard such good things about them since, which is why I suggested the Made in England range, although they're even more £££.

Re the leather blazers - yes they may sound hideous now but that's kind of my point. For a while they were a 'wear forever classic'. Bikers also work very well with skinny jeans because they help balance you out but we're moving on to a new silhouette now and I'm not sure about them with a wider leg - they look a bit fussy and chunky to me. You can think you're not bothered by fashion but when something really crashes and burns you can find you didn't love it quite as much as you thought (or maybe it's me who's fickle).

You say you don't think your style will change. Maybe it won't but you're in your early 30s. Your lifestyle and job may well change, your body almost certainly will and your taste just might. So all I'm saying is, keep an open mind and don't commit more money than you can afford to piss away, if that makes sense. Because yes, some clothes do last - or come round again and again. But the trick is being able to spot them in advance. I've been buying my own clothes for 47 years and I'm fucked if I know.

Oh god, yes, leather blazers. I have a navy one from circa 1992. I saved for ages to buy it, justified it only on the basis of in being a forever coat. Looking at photos, I still think it suited me. But I haven't worn it for over 20 years, because by 1996, they were completely naff. I've even been eyeing it up recently wondering if it could be remodelled in some way - there is, after all, plenty leather in it! However, I have a tweed coat of my dad's that could be 50 + years old, and I LOVE it. Silk lining, Harris tweed, deep pockets, single vent, comes to below knee on me. I spent £25 having it altered to fit me, and while I don't think it was/will ever be 'fashionable' there is def something very stylish about it. Lots of people ask where I got it. I tend to think that anything that is in fashion probably doesn't have much longevity, whatever you pay for it, but other things like doc boots or similar or good tweed improves with age.

Cherries if you ever want to find a good home for that tweed coat, I'm your woman I think you're right - the trick is to spot those clothes that are kind of outside fashion and then hope they never quite catch on.

Floisme you're very right. I can be fickle, I might change my mind. I think I'm trying to justify spending more than I usually would on myself but still with the hope things will last for more than one season. I'd rather go off them before they fall apart on me.

I'm a little bit in love with the Solovair Dealer boots. Thanks for bringing them to my attention.

No need to justify it, op. I am all for spending as much as you can afford on things you love, I only get twitchy when people start talking about clothes as an investment. In my view they're just clothes - and fashion's a funny old game. Enjoy the Solovairs

I only paid about £75 for my Dr Marten Pascal Virginia last October and although they may not be Made in England they are still pristine after a year's wear. I'd expect to get a good 5 years minimum out of these - maybe not 20 or 30 but far better than what around £100 will get you on the high st.

They were at a Dr.Martens outlet

100% been worth my money

My regular everyday clothes are decent quality high Street - almost entirely uniqlo and &otherstories

But the items I wear over and over again, spending more on really good quality has been so worth it, as on a cost per wear basis they're the best value items I own

I got completely fed up buying new leather bags every year when the zips busted. Splurged on a really great investment leather bag and it's still going strong 8 years later

All Saints leather jacket - still one of my favourite items, 9 years later. The lining got knackered but I got it relined for £40 at my local dry cleaner and it's good as new

Premium denim - I was fed up of my Topshop jeans going baggy, spent an obscene amount on a pair of j brands (which I wear to work most days) - couldn't believe the difference. Just the perfect fit, wash like a dream and stay beautifully soft and don't go baggy

I also upgraded items I wear loads to better quality once I'm sure I really do wear them to death. For example I upgraded my faux leather leggings to genuine leather because i was wearing them enough that I could justify the expense

I don't buy expensive wool or cashmere (uniqlo is perfect) because I've lost too many jumpers to bastard moths

Dresses I don't splurge on because I can't wear them as much

Everything I spend money on has to be something I use all the time, whereby the cheaper ones aren't going the distance, and classic so I won't get bored

Good advice on the cashmere front Bananafish. It is soul destroying seeing your best jumper obliterated. I have mountains of cedar balls and Lakeland moth spray but the buggers do prevail - especially in older houses. I don't do the plastic cover thing cos I always wear mine all year round. Get mine from Pure or M&S now.

The cost per wear of my All Saints cargo biker is negligible- practically free. Had it for years. I wear it for work over dresses to toughen things up a bit and it has been a trusted workhorse piece.

Good jeans are a must but I do find many Levis to be as good as much more expensive brands - except they are doing me arse less favours nowadays.

Really pleased you got the leather leggings Banana

Dr Martens last forever. I have DM boots and the only thing letting them down is the zip. [I have a calf zip boot] The sole and stitching will last for years.