The Luxury Pieces Worth the Investment This Fall

The notion of constructing a life that emphasizes quality over quantity, is more alive and pertinent than ever before. When you dress in something that you adore, your whole perspective changes. You’re endowed with a cape of confidence and sparkle. Your posture improves. Everyday moments feel more important and meaningful. You’re given a transmission from the artist who designed the piece.

As you prepare your wardrobe for fall, allow yourself to step into a mindset of value and luxury. Buy primarily things that you’ll keep, wear, and love forever. Such pieces are the antidote to fast fashion and the dizzying shallowness of quick-to-pass trends. It’s time to return to sophistication.

Create a capsule wardrobe of classic, gorgeously crafted pieces—it will serve you forever and elevate your entire life. Here, investment pieces that will enrich your life for fall and beyond—and when applicable, a more affordable but still luxurious, beautifully crafted option.

The Bag

Even in the aftermath of Phoebe Philo’s glowing residency at Celine, the Nano bag reigns supreme. This is a forever It Bag with a desirability that surpasses the usual half-life of trendy, must-have bags. It’s structured, sculptural, and sophisticated. It’s the bag that will be on your wishlist season after season, year after year. As such, it’s the bag to invest in.

The Row's Morgan Bag is an investment that’s surprisingly within reach. We love that all of the handbags by The Row are discreet, label-wise, while still being absolutely perfect in form—and incredibly wearable. This bag will take you from day to evening, any time of year. It’s a subtle piece, and there’s something magical about it.

Of course, you can't go wrong with a timeless Chanel flap bag. Available in just about any color, fabric, or pattern you can think of, there is bound to be one that suits your personality and tastes.

If you’ve long had your eye on a particular bag, we recommend searching luxury consignment stores like The Real Real and ThredUp, weekly, until it appears. For a fraction of the cost, you can find the bag that means the most to you.

The Shoes

A good Chelsea boot will get you far during fall. Isabel Marant's Dondis boot can be worn anywhere, year after year. For heels, the Carolyne Low-Heel Patent Halter Pumps by Monolo Blahnik are the ultimate sophisticated kitten heels that can be worn to the office, out for drinks, and to any event.

And since many of us live in sneakers, why not invest in the best? The Veja Novas are an elevated version of the sneakers you’ve worn for your entire life.

The Blazer

This velvet, emerald green blazer by Tom Ford is mind-blowingly gorgeous and undeniably cool. It’s classic in form, but the color and sumptuous fabric imbue it with an aura of extreme elegance. Why invest in this, rather than a classic black twill blazer? You can find a great black blazer at almost any price point, but a piece that’s this spectacular is hard to come by. It’s atypical, but not trendy.

For something a little more everyday, look to the Sandyato Oversized Double-Breasted Twill Blazer from LouLou Studio. It's ever so slightly oversized and stylized, while still being incredibly classic. If you're looking for something a little more preppy, Rowing Blazers offers a double-breasted check blazer that will be made just for you.

The T-Shirt

This Row's Wesler top is the ultimate luxury T-shirt. It’s composed of incredibly soft, fluid cotton, with a signature French seam that runs along the back. If your daily uniform includes an understated white T-shirt, this piece will become your favorite.

For more affordable options, Alex Mill and Buck Mason make great essentials at reasonable prices.

The Trousers

Power suits are always in. These satin trousers from Kimberly Goldson feature deep, attention-demanding pleats, and we love that they’re high waisted. They’ll command the attention of the boardroom. Tibi has mastered the art of the slouchy pant with its Lauren trousers, which are as perfect for work as they are for lounging around the house. For a lower price point, you can't beat Theory's Precision Pants, which are just as timeless and sharp.

The Dress

This Prada dress is a showstopper. It’s a future icon, and although it’s by no means essential, it’s a piece that will fill your heart with love and excitement forever. However, this draped Paco Rabanne dress is a closet essential. It’s ideal for the office, for evenings out, and for travel. It’s comfortable and it’ll become a mainstay piece in your repertoire. Pair it with knee-high boots or a kitten heel, a great handbag, and jewelry.

This Nili Lotan slip dress is masterfully cut and incredibly soft to the touch. It’s perfect for date night, of course, but you can style it to work for nearly any occasion.

The Jewelry

This one is obvious, but it’s still our pick. The Cartier Love Bracelet is a cliché for a reason—it’s beautiful, you never take it off, and it’s imbued with meaning. Contrary to popular belief, it’s fine—actually, it’s incredible—to buy this for yourself. It’s an investment piece that you’ll wear and treasure every day forever.

This necklace, by Hermès, is a surprisingly affordable (well, for Hermès) everyday piece that pays homage to the Kelly padlock. This Gucci heart necklace is even nicer on the wallet—and will serve as a constant reminder of your love for yourself, which makes it invaluable.

The Coat

Leave it to Prada to make a puffer coat into something exquisite—this is belted, warm, sleek, and made from recycled plastic trash collected from the ocean. We also love this quilted number by Toteme, which will take you through all the in-between weather of fall and spring.

If you're looking for a true luxury classic, though, it's Max Mara's famous Teddy Bear coat. Treat her with love and care, and she'll last you a lifetime.

The Breton Shirt

A perfect Brteon shirt will always be one of the coolest items of clothing in any collection. It’s ideal for every season, and it pays tribute to classic, trendless style. The ultimate Breton is this classic piece, made in France, by Saint James. It’s available in a few different colors, but we love the classic navy and white the most. Kule is also a great and extremely reliable source for striped shirts that fit exactly the way that you want them to, and Everlane also offers one that's worthy of mention.