If you had a £1,000 to spend on updating your wardrobe, what would you buy?

[NewShoesForSpring]

Please don't say 'pay bills', 'put it into the mortgage / pension pot / kids savings / rainy day etc -assume they're all ok)

Would you buy one or two expensive things or loads of cheaper stuff?

I'm saving at the moment after a couple of years of low spend on myself & I aim to have around that amount by the end of the summer so I can invest in some nice new clothes for autumn/ winter

I need non work stuff (I keep a separate wardrobe for work)

I'm early 50s, 5ft 9" & size 12.

I'm torn as I'm considering looking for a killer jacket, / coat & some v nice jeans but not really sure yet

Would love to hear what's on your (fantasy or real) shopping lists

Levis x2 £200, coat £300, Russel & Bromley shoes £300 and tops £50 each.

Coat!
boots!
bag!

then the best jeans, blouse, fine wool jumper I could find

I'm not sure there'd be any left after coat, boots, bag.

It really depends on your lifestyle, shape and what you like?

I’m working on good quality basics right now- jeans, t-shirts, belts, shoes, jackets and the money goes very fast! I invested in a good wrap around black wool coat and a nice trench coat last autumn winter. I’ve discovered Esska shoes are both comfortable and hardwearing (I think much better quality than Russell Bromley tbh). T-shirts in a thicker fabric, good shape, good neckline make a massive difference I think.

I would buy some nice pieces that I could mix and match.
my dream would be to have £1000 to spend in allsaints, COS etc.

I wouldnt go on a major designer splurge, and only end up getting a one or two items for that amount … I’d go middle of the road and get a few really nice pieces that I wouldn’t usually stretch to.

I don’t often buy expensive clothes, but the few bits I have bought have lasted so much longer and for so much better than cheaper items.

I'd get a pair of boots, some Levi's, a couple of very well fitting bras and then some good jumpers.

For me it's shoes and bras. But I think you need to audit your lifestyle and existing wardrobe really.

I just paid £550 to have Botox on my underarms for excessive sweating !

A few expensive 'workhorse' bits for me. More basic stuff you can pick up as you go along (lots of it on Vinted).

Barbour trench coat
Short hunter wellies
Levis jeans
Bright Adidas Gazelles

A Liberty silk shirt and cotton sundress. Probs in the sale though!

I’d probably spend about half on shoes as that’s the one bit of my wardrobe I’m not entirely happy about, but normally I’m not interested enough to shell out the money.

And I’d spend the other half on vintage - on something (or things) fabulous but wearable, not something I’d put away for an event that never comes. Something like 1940s/ 50s tailoring or Moygashel linen.

Or I might blow the whole lot on something I’d never be able to afford again, e.g a Margaret Howell blazer. (I was going to add, ‘or a Mackintosh raincoat’ but there wouldn’t be enough!)

It's amazing really isn't it as £1,000 seems like lots but it really isn't when you start looking at stuff.

I'd love to add an extra zero to it!

I would be looking at Sezanne.

1. https://www.sezane.com/en-en/product/betty-cardigan/hazelnut#size-XXS
2. https://www.nobodyschild.com/products/blue-gingham-sleeveless-tiered-charlie-midi-dress-d255251blu
3. https://www.nobodyschild.com/products/blue-bandeau-felicity-midi-dress-d255223blu
4. https://www.stories.com/en-gb/product/adidas-originals-samba-og-silver-1196865009/
5. I’m obsessed with this dress so I’d hunt it down (can’t find it for sale anywhere online, only to rent) - https://byrotation.com/products/farm-rio-red-dresses-clt2uiwfx00bps50syomrp02y?srsltid=AfmBOorHfxawEDY9s7Auk4iVyHT_vQ3Dd1WO3ZJxt4dBnasOABglEMPT

with any left, I’d get some decent basics from M&S - t-shirts, jeans, underwear, etc.

I’d probably get a few good basics from somewhere not too expensive- eg black shirts, white t shirts. Then a really nice handbag from a mid range brand eg Dragon Diffusion. A Cos/Arket jumper. And a linen shift dress/skirt. I go for basics on repeat daily and then change accessories/jewellery.

But it depends on whether you want summer or winter things and what you need.

I always think it’s more noticeable when someone has a nice bag rather than branded clothes. But a smart winter coat is a good option too.

I would put it towards a Max Mara coat

I would have a short trip to Belfast (which wouldn't come out of budget) and spend it in Envoy of Belfast.
Envoy of Belfast

or
this dress in this colour
Pauw dress

or this dress which is ridiculous but I love it. There's cropped jackets the balance could go on.
Egg dress

or a trip to London to spend it all in Colenimo
Colenimo

or
I love this dress too
Casey Casey dress

Decent jeans(I'm a levis fan)
Nice winter coat
Good quality boots(I love solovair, grenson and dms but not to everyone's taste)
Nice knitwear
Trainers

Cashmere jumpers (M&S are actually decent quality), a lovely stylish coat, great jeans and some boots if anything left over

Gosh, they are crazy indeed. I don’t think I’d pay a fiver for them if I saw them in a charity shop, but I guess it you want to look like you’re wearing a burlap sack..,

I only buy my clothes from M n S usually when I have a sparks offer so I generally buy a new coat each winter from there and everything else really. it does me. So £1000 would do me for a year probably. Before they were hacked I bought 5 pairs of jeans for £100 which has been great - I wear jeans every day
I'm not a massive fan on the investment coats you need other coats too or you are always in the investment one.
But that's just my opinion and I just dress for feeling cool ! Enjoy your hard earned shopping anyway.

What boots do you wear with your Levis?

I'd buy a super winter coat, a statement that's beautifully cut with that something extra that makes it special. Nothing too heavy (our winters aren't generally that bad) and in a lovely colour, possibly teal? Very soft and cosy that does up with big buttons and has beautifully finished proper pockets. I'm seeing bouclé wool? If only!

Boots and sunglasses. The budget would barely stretch to both, but I’ve been wearing the same pair of sunglasses for a decade, so they’d have to be exceptional. And they’re the one thing I’m never going to look for in a sale.

I despise all summer footwear and resent having to expend money and thought on buying anything. Crossing my fingers that boots I wanted over winter will soon be on sale.