Investment Shopping.

There has been an interesting ripple of conversation about cheap fashion inspired by the book "Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion" by Elizabeth Cline. The idea being that cheap and so-called "disposable" fashion hawked to us by H&M, Forever 21, and Wal-Mart is coming at a great cost to society: financially, environmentally, and emotionally.

Who hasn't bought a pair of $10 shoes and said "whatever, maybe I wear them once, then they've already paid for themselves!" I sure have. Many times. And many times again. The problem is threefold. First, if I buy 10 pairs of shoes for $10 and wear them each once, that's like buying a $100 pair of shoes and wearing them only 10 times -- a notion at which I would balk. Second, 10 pairs of shoes are a hefty addition to a landfill, certainly more than one pair of shoes. And finally, It doesn't feel good to clutter one's life with cheap things that one does not like.

This was an idea that came into my consciousness several years ago, when I realized that all of my clothes were horribly cheap and ill-fitting. I decided at that point that I would henceforth only buy "investment clothing." Now, being that I am a graduate student (read: poor) with a great desire to stay current and en vogue, this has been a difficult oath to uphold. But I have made a very conscious effort, and slowly my investment wardrobe is taking place. So, in honor of that, I wanted to share with you three things that I saved up for, invested in, and now I cannot live without.

I don't even want to talk about how many pairs of $5 sunglasses I've left behind at restaurants, accidentally stepped on, and otherwise contributed to my local landfill. Suffice it to say, too many. I finally made the decision to invest in a pair real Ray-Ban Aviators, and I am so pleased with the decision. I love them, I care for them, and they bring me great joy.

Frye motorcycle boots, although they come at a cost, are a tremendous investment and well worth it. Cheap shoes, especially ones made of crazy man-made materials are just awful. They look awful, smell awful, and worst of all, they make me feel queasy and malcontent. No more. I fully intend to pass these boys on to my next-of-kin.

The LLBean Men's Wool Irish Fisherman's Sweater is worth it's weight in gold. Again, it was an investment for me, but I wear it non-stop. In fact, I'm wearing it right now. It's warm, it's timeless, and it is of superior quality.

These are all things that make me feel good. But nothing makes me feel as good as the fact that I'm getting my PhD in 16 days.

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