We all love a fashion bargain (my current fave is an abstract-print Patterson J. Kincaid dress that someone mistook for Marni), but I would argue that a serious investment from an award-winning designer is something that brings your appreciation of fashion to a whole new level. Truly great design is timeless and, like a blue-chip stock, holds its value over the years, but what’s more, supporting artisanal clothing lines enables fashion talents to keep making beautiful things, a hard fact I hadn’t given much consideration until I saw Seamless. Previously I assumed that once the CFDA waved its magic wand over a designer’s head he or she lived in the lap of luxury, or at least comfortably in a floor-though loft or four-story brownstone. Apparently not. This documentary shows one top designer toiling away in the basement of her parents’ dry cleaning business. But I digress. Suffice to say, it’s a must-see.

Still, I appreciate all too well how pesky financial realities like grad school loans and car payments can keep even the most passionate fashion connoisseur from filling her closet with Kimberly Ovitz and Giuseppe Zanotti. So how do those of us without a trust fund or a Goldman Sachs bonus at our disposal do it? Limit yourself to two love-at-first-sight splurges a season. (In case you’re curious, my big ticket items were a Thakoon Addition dress and a Mulberry bag. And I may be hitting Santa up for a Herve Leger.) Distinctive but never gimmicky, these pedigreed pieces have the power to elevate the more pedestrian basics that make up the majority of most of our wardrobes. Python Sergio Rossi sandals bring instant fashion cred to a basic tee and baggy trousers, while Balmain gladiators make Monrow sweatpants worthy of Paris Fashion Week.

(See more ways to mix fashion’s blue-chip investments with affordable pieces in our Go High/Low lookbook.)

--Maureen

Our Designer Boutique resort collections have begun to trickle in (coming soon to What’s New!), and their arrival reminded me to take a little stroll through the fall collections we’ve gathered in our purple boutique. This is seriously luxurious style that, yes, is also a serious investment, but these brands offer the kind of pieces that will elevate any closet.

Take Derek Lam’s fall collection. Each season this designer reinvents American sportswear, and the little party dresses, sleek outerwear, and cozy knits are classics in the making. (For you working ladies out there, imagine exchanging business cards while wearing Lam’s fitted blazer, pencil skirt, and high-collar blouse—now that’s a power suit.) Brit favorite Mulberry makes the bags that style luminaries like Kate Moss carry for years, and from my favorite French cobbler, Barbara Bui chaussures are the kind of footwear that make an outfit.

Style investments are not limited to serious pieces, however, as Canadian designers Dean and Dan Caten can attest. Their DSQUARED2 label is tongue-in-cheek playfulness, while retaining a timeless element. And First Lady and Anna Wintour favorite Thakoon takes elegant silhouettes and infuses them with a touch of personality via his signature whimsical prints.

Each would be a noteworthy addition to any wardrobe. Tell me, what’s on your fashion investment list?

--Amie

My mom has this leather trench coat that she bought in the ’70s. It’s slick and shiny with just a hint of retro, and she only pulls it out for holidays and special events. I’ve been trying to sneak it home in my suitcase for years because it’s so brilliantly chic. Sadly, I’ve yet to succeed, but a recent photo story on ZOOZOOM.com has inspired me to take up the effort once again. The theme? The timeless appeal of American sportswear.

The feature has also encouraged me to look for my own wear-forever pieces. My goal? To find a go-to, every-occasion dress and a rebel-cool moto jacket, and I could think of no better place to start my search than our Designer Boutique, a hotbed of young American designers.

First up are the frocks. I’ve narrowed my selection down to two: a grey and black number by Lela Rose and a fuchsia, floral-print delight by Sari Gueron (Israeli-born but raised in these United States). They each have characteristics that make them distinctive, and they’ll be as chic ten, twenty, even thirty years from now as they are today.

Next, the jackets. Derek Lam offers up a practical felt one that still has an edge, while Jenni Kayne does the look up California style with a cropped silhouette in leather. Both pull off the kind of cool a moto jacket should possess with that suspended-in-time feel I want.

Which to choose? I haven’t quite decided yet, but I’m pretty certain they’ll be the object of coveting affection for years to come.

--Amie

Frivolous, flimsy, flash-in-the-pan fashion? We're officially over it. Right now we're longing for something with substance, for trend-proof styles with serious staying power. Enduringly elegant numbers from noteworthy up-and-comers Jenni Kayne and Rachel Roy are just what we need to shake us out of our fashion funk, while Brian Reyes's ruffled shift makes a compelling case for love at first sight. And Calvin Klein? Well he pretty much wrote the book on time-honored classics with an untraditional twist. The styles you'll love now and forever? Find them right here, at the Designer Boutique.