brooke's nooks.

dearest anonymous,

such a fabulous question, thank you!

1. general wardrobe: for me, i have realized that saving for a quality piece that i can wear for years & years to come makes more sense than spending money on something i can only wear a couple times in the near future.  hence, most of my more classic pieces are from designers i know will hold up for multiple uses. i‘ve also reached a point where i don’t buy a lot of investment pieces that are trendy.  i buy solid colors, clean lines, & classic heels. a lot of the time, i’ll even call mama j & ask, ‘is this something you would wear?’ if she answers “yes! definitely,” i know it doesn’t feel too young for her, meaning it’ll most likely get me through a few more years. brands i love: after working at nordstrom for a couple years, i developed a massive adoration for vince, james perse, alexander wang, & autumn cashmere.  they are still my go-tos for a classic cashmere cardigan, an easy-to-wear v-neck sweater and/or a staple little black dress. where to get ‘em: luckily, many designers that i love have also been popping up on gilt, hautelook, ruelala, & ideeli over the last year or so & also, even if i see something i love & can’t live without, i still wait a little bit longer until a promotion code is available via retailmenot or Erin @ tallgirltales.*nothing irritates me more than buying something full price & then seeing it marked down elsewhere. so i wait. & wait. & wait. & research my options. & wait.
2. i do love my shoes: (you can gain weight & lose weight and regardless, a shoe will still fit!) the same rule i use with clothing applies here- save until you can afford what you really want. i can remember the exact day, location & experience for each shoe i own. rarely, do i go into a store & buy on the spot. i lust for months (even years) over a particular style & when something big in my life happens, i might treat my self to a little somethin somethin. (hence, ahem, new graduation shoes!) brands i love: jimmy choo for flats, tory burch for flats, reef flip flops, stuart weitzman for wedges, manolo blahnik for everyday pumps, mizuno running shoes, pink converse where to get ‘em: i can’t remember the last time i bought a full-priced shoe. the day after christmas, mama j & i get up early to head over to saks for their massive shoe sale.  two years ago, i swiped a pair of chanel pumps & this last year, i picked up a pair of gucci brown heels.  both are classic- & had they been a size 8, mama would’ve kept them for herself!  net-a-porter, barneys, saks, & the nordstrom anniversary sale in august always offers decent sales on high-end shoes. my chocolate brown frye boots were purchased at nordstrom’s anniversary sale. love them.
3. bright color & loud print love.  i don’t think i will ever be an all-black kind of dresser (unless kelly cutrone offers me a dream job!). i am pretty sure i will always wear crazy prints & bold colors. even with that being said, i still presently shop at places like target, forever21, etc. for more wild & fun graphic pieces just in case.  i do end up wearing them quite often (here, here, & here), but i won’t be upset if they only make an appearance three or four times in their career. brands i love: any collaboration with target (tucker, thakoon, calypso, libertine, etc) primp, lauren moshi where to get ‘em: target & ebay.  ebay is my go-to for all things print.  especially with the success of the “go international” collection for target, i find so many things on ebay that were sold out in store.

hope this helps!

xo,

brooke

p.s. let me know your shoe size! i’m gonna go through my closet in the near future to toss some of the non-classics & can always offer my shoes to you before i donate them to a greater good!