I’ve always been a bit of a hoarder. Throughout my life, and particularly my teens, I have always favoured a ‘quantity’ approach to buying clothes, spending my weekends stocking up on dresses and shoes in Primark which would shrink after one wash or cut my feet to ribbons. These items would no doubt only last for a few weeks, a month at most, but it didn’t particularly matter, cos I could just go out and get another £2 pair of shoes, or another £5 dress. And so the cycle continued.

Even more difficult for me was getting rid of these clothes when they had served their purpose. I am hideously sentimental, I still have a bag of old shoes upstairs which I have been meaning to throw away for a good 18 months, but somehow just cannot bring myself to do it. All those memories in those shoes!

The problem here is that I always favoured buying cheap and buying twice over investing a good quality item, something which in my old age I have since learned to appreciate. I’m beginning to adopt a more cautious approach to shopping, and regularly going through my wardrobe to see how each item will fit in with what I currently own. Making a has been really helpful. With this in mind, over the last few months I’ve started investing in staple pieces with a view to creating a capsule wardrobe – key items which will go with several outfits, and won’t need replacing for at least a couple of years.

{Brit-Stitch satchel in Warm Caramel £35 (down from £70) // Ray Ban RX5310 glasses £95 // Moxham Sora Necklace £120 (bought for £60) // Shore Projects Portland watch £115 (bought for £85) // Monki Bella Eye flats £14 (down from £20)}
This small collection of items are key pieces which I’ve built up over the last six months or so. As you can see here, I’ve been a bit thrifty. I had all of these pieces in mind for a good few months before committing to buy them, and waited until the right time to do so.

First up, easily the most adorable handbag I have ever owned. I’ve been after a Brit Stitch bag for ages, ever since Lyzi shared her cute little red backpack in an outfit post. This is a ‘half pint’ in their warm caramel colour – I fell in love with the colour as soon as I saw it, it’s a beautiful muted orange which is perfect for autumn, but goes with a lot of other tones in my wardrobe too. Brit Stitch were hosting a one day half price event during London Fashion Week, where I snapped it up for £35. It’s worth following your favourite brands on Twitter to make sure when they are hosting these kinds of events, so you can snag that handbag you’ve wanted for a hefty discount.

I’ve come to realise that I need to wear glasses on an almost daily basis now. And if that’s something I need to commit to, why the heck not do it in style. I’ve had a couple of decent retro-looking glasses in the past, but have never owned a pair of Ray Bans – as soon as these arrived I knew that they were going to last. Compared to other flimsy feeling brands these are definitely worth forking out for, they are sturdy enough to be sat on (trust me) and not buckle. I confess I didn’t pay full price for these either, I got them through a work scheme which gives you cashback for things which help you do your job better – ie sitting in front of a computer editing all day. If you need a new pair of glasses it might be worth asking if your workplace or company offer a similar scheme.

Ahhhh Moxham. I’ve been following them on since they began, and swooning over their perfect aesthetic and flawless style on a daily basis. We happened to sell these necklaces on Coco de Mer (who I do the photos for), and I confess that whilst shooting this beauty I did wear it round the studio all day. It’s brass rivets and gold plated clasps really make this a statement piece, perfect for jazzing up a plain white shirt or blouse. I got this one for a discount too – one of the perks for working for Coco! Moxham regularly host giveaways and competitions on Instagram, so keep your eyes peeled there too.

Another brand worth swooning over – Shore Projects. I’d seen them pop up over the blogosphere over the summer, and upon visiting their uber-cool website fell head over heels with their watches. This is the Portland, which comes with a mint coloured strap, but I also invested in a brown leather one too, which fits with my wardrobe a little better. One of the cool things about this watch is that the straps are really easily interchangeable, offering endless fashion possibilities! I had been umm-ing and ahh-ing about buying one of these for ages, and finally took the plunge when they announced that they were upping their prices by £30. To be honest, I think I got a true bargain – this watch is truly amazing quality for the price, and I’ve had a ton of compliments on it. Even Tom is contemplating buying one.

Last but certainly not least are a pair of shoes I totally 100% copied from another blog obsession of mine. I’d been meaning to buy a pair of plain black flats for ages, ones which I could just slip on with a pair of jeans or would look inconspicuous with a nice dress and tights. These Monki flats offer that benefit, but also have a bit of a weird creepy edge to them, which I appreciate. Spending a fair amount on a pair of flats always makes me feel a little uneasy, which is a side-effect of my Primark days. However, at least I know that these are going to last more than twice as long, and not destroy my feet in the process.

I think a couple of these items deserve their own posts, or outfit posts at least, which is my goal for the next couple of weeks! I’m really trying to commit to clearing out my wardrobe, only allowing myself one chest of drawers and half a rail for clothes. It’s my plan to get everything out and up on Depop in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for that!

Have you got any quality/quantity rules? If you’ve got any tips which work for you I’d love to hear them, it might help in moments of despair!