Very early on, before there was much of a bump at all, I was in need of some retail therapy and went out shopping. I felt silly even trying on clothes, and knowing that whatever I bought was going to be virtually unwearable in a few short months made me a better decision-maker. Plenty of impulse purchases I'd normally ring up at the register were left in the fitting room. What I did buy was a $250 oversize chambray sheath dress. How'd it make the cut? I used the good old cost-per-wear calculation (divide the total cost of the item by the amount of times you plan to wear it) to deduce that it was enough of a staple that I'd be able to don it more frequently (see lesson No. 1!), and it had enough wiggle room thanks to a handy drawstring that I'd be able to fit into it longer. At this rate, the dress has only cost me $12.50!
All this thought to purchase one dress might seem a bit intense, but if I were this practical when it came to shopping fleeting trends, I'd have a closet with a lot more investment pieces than the one that currently includes overalls and Tevas, as great as those are.
