How Can You Keep Luxury and Premium Items Looking Good For Years

How do some people keep their best fashion pieces looking good for years?

It’s a fair question to ask, especially considering the fact that most fashion pieces, including those from luxury/premium brands, are often not made the same as they once were. One of my most important “fashion rules” is to avoid cheap quality fabrics ,which is not always easy to detect as brands can be deceptively clever about what they use in order to achieve maximum profit. You need to research before you buy then check items thoroughly. 

Most people I know have at least one high value item they’ve invested in and want to last, so let’s get into how you can ensure longevity for items you love. 

..There’s always that one item, right? The pair of boots that used to make every outfit look more chic, the coat that still looks brand new despite being many years old, the bag that was meant to be a forever piece, the dress that used to fit perfectly, and now just hangs there looking slightly damaged…And usually the item itself is not the problem. It’s not ruined, not hopeless, not beyond saving, it just needs a bit of tlc, and nobody’s gotten round to it.

It happens to most people’s pieces nowadays. Your parents and grandparents’ generations would buy items, take good care of them, tailoring and mending in order to maintain them. Throwaway culture was not common. Let’s return that more mindful approach to our fashiomn pieces. 

It’s All About Having a Good Fit

Most clothes stop getting worn because the fit goes a little off, and that’s such a careless reason to lose a good piece. It’s not uncommon for trousers to become too long once your heel height changes. Maybe a skirt sits oddly. A jacket still looks beautiful, but doesn’t fit as well on the shoulders. The structure is looser. Or perhaps you have a tea dress that used to feel amazing on and now feels too low or revealing so you’ve avoided wearing it. 

If you’re dealing with any of the above, then it’s in your best interest to look into tailoring. Tailoring is a life-saver for your pieces. I’ve written before about the importane of using a tailor, how finding someone you trust and doesn’t cost the earth, can keep your items looking and feeling their best when you wear them.

Keep in mind that bodies change and so does your taste but those timeless items you could wear forever? Have them tailored so you can. 

A piece can still be worth keeping even if it needs adjusting to suit.

A hem can be lifted, a waist can be taken in, even a sleeve can be shortened. 

People can get oddly finicky about clothes the second the fit isn’t perfect. Like, “Oh well, that chapter’s over”. But no, sometimes the chapter just needs a tailor and seeking one should be normalised. 

Yes, Even Accessories Need Care Too

Accessories are often overlooked when it comes to maintenance, maybe because any wear and tear isn’t immediately obvious.

This includes bags, jewellery, watches; they can all seem quite low-maintenance right up to the minute they’re not. For example a bag can lose shape because it’s been flung in a cupboard corner for months (you’re supposed to stuff them with tissue paper when not in use to retain their shape) or jewellery can become dull and scratched because it’s all been tossed together rather than kept in boxes or hung on jewellery stands (though most people know to buy products to maintain shine). A watch stops working and then sits there being “special” in a drawer instead of being worn. There’s no real reason for these items to be sitting there collecting dust and not getting the love they deserve so take everything out and start organising and caring for these pieces. 

It doesn’t need to take much work to extend the life of accessories. Sure, you might need to go to a jeweller or a watch maker, or if you got your bag from a luxury brand, then you might have a warranty for repairs (and there are professionals who specialise in repairing these too) but it doesn’t need to take much work or expense to update items, all you might need is a luxury watch battery replacement, or to buy polish for your silver jewellery etc.

Importantly, stop thinking of accessories as permanent items just because they were expensive. They’re still objects that need upkeep. A velvet box and a fancy brand name doesn’t cancel that out.

It’s All About the Tiny Repairs

Now this is where throwaway culture truly reveals itself because so many items are abandoned over problems that are genuinely small such as a loose button, a zip acting up, a little opening at the seam, a dropped hem, a tiny tear in the lining- none of these are major life events. These are so tiny, sure, maybe, just maybe if it was a stain (but you could probably dye the clothes), but something as small as these examples? Well, they can be easily fixed! Stop adding to landfill and consider the environment as well as your pocket!

The second something needs fixing, people tend to mentally move the item into the annoying category, which is usually the beginning of the end. That’s such a shame with quality pieces, because they’re often absolutely worth repairing. More than worth it, really. A small repair can keep something going for years. Ignore the same issue for long enough, though, and now the whole piece starts feeling shabby. 

You should have a sewing kit (and know how to sew), a link roller, a sweater bobble remover, a stain remover pen (like Tide to Go), and know where to buy washer machine-friendly fabric dyes in case the stains are bad. Simple huh?!

It’s Time to See a Cobbler

Yes, your shoes need maintenance in order to keep looking good, be it the storage, the cleaning, the occasional polishing, you get the point… It used to be super common to see a cobbler when shoes needed a repair. Thankfully, cobblers are still around (harder to find but still present). So when it comes to shoes you have spent a lot of money on, an investment piece for example, then you need to invest in the right maintenance, like a cobbler. 

Don’t take any of your items for granted, look after them and they will last.