These Are The Best Investment Buys, According To THE GLOSS Editors

Main image: Jason Lloyd Evans.

Evy double-breasted wool and mohair blend coat, The Row, €3,010; www.net-a-porter.com.

I’ve always loved a great coat. Preferably, a long one that’s a little oversized – it goes back to teen days of buying second-hand coats for a few quid (we called them “old men’s coats”, which sounds a little less glamorous than “vintage”). One of my favourite investment buys was a Dries Van Noten single-breasted three-quarter-length black coat with a vent in each sleeve, probably about 20 years ago. It was, I think, my first decent coat, and its simple style, length and great quality means it has lasted through the years without dating. It’s a bit worn now round the sleeves, but I’ve worn it over the decades with everything from jeans to over a long dress. It’s black, naturally – pretty well every piece of clothing that’s black has longevity, one of the reasons I love it. This spring, with longer, double-breasted coats back on the horizon, by everyone from Balenciaga to Bottega Veneta and Max Mara, a dream similar style would be this one by The Row in wool and mohair with silk lining (for the fabric as much as the elegant long shape – some designer ones are viscose). I’ll be sticking with my old Dries – but one can dream …

Castay Chelsea boots, Isabel Marant Étoile, €495; www.flannels.ie.

The investment piece I reach for most often has to be my Isabel Marant platform sole boots. I bought them in Paris in 2017 and they were a huge purchase for me at the time, costing around €350. Luckily, they’ve more than earned their cost per wear as I’m still wearing them six years later. (See above for a similar pair.) Withstanding trends and seasons, chunky black leather boots go with almost everything in my wardrobe, from dresses to jeans and tailored trousers.

Houndstooth wool-blend coat, €799; www.ralphlauren.ie.

Almost three years ago, I enjoyed a relaxing spa break at Lough Eske Castle, Co Donegal, which turned out to be a last hurrah before the first lockdown. On the way home, via Donegal town, I came across a queue snaking its way around The Diamond. Fortuitously, I happened upon Magee 1866’s annual sale and stopped to investigate. Sometime later, I emerged with Emma – a classic black and white herringbone tweed coat, which I’ve hardly worn, given various lockdown and working from home scenarios. (This coat is no longer available, but see above for a similar style.) This season, I look forward to wearing it (and hopefully hitting the trends) with a white oversized shirt, and black wide-leg trousers, or a chunky knit at weekends. I’ll accessorise with a maxi Bottega Veneta bag – another big ticket item which has more than justified the initial outlay in price-per-wear.

Imari top, €320; www.ullajohnson.com.

It may not be the most obvious choice but a romantic blouse is a piece that sustains me for seasons. And the best ones come at investment prices – that’s where you get beautiful details like silk or organic cotton, blousy shoulders that never fail to make a statement, or tapestry-worthy prints that would look equally as extra splashed over a sofa or a bed at home. (Can you tell I’m fond of quilting in interiors and fashion?) I’ve purchased a few from the likes of Sézane, but bucolic labels like Dôen and Ulla Johnson (see above) are firmly on my wish-list, too. A decadent blouse may seem high-maintenance, but to me it’s quite the opposite, they do so much talking the rest of your outfit gladly gets to rest on its laurels. Easy elegance always wins for me. Plus, a good ruffle.