Investments

1.)

Image from: http://www.allanjdenim.com/

The right fitting jeans are always worth more money. For me, a girl who is 5'2 and a little curvy, fit makes a big difference to me. I love brands that make jeans in short sizes that accentuate the butt rather than flatten the butt. I'm not usually a fan of skinny skinny jeans or really flared jeans on myself, so a comfortable straight cut is ideal. I used to wear Lucky Brand a lot until I was gifted with a pair of Allan J jeans.

Allan J is a Korean brand that gets their denim from Italy and their jeans made in Korea. My pair is so, so soft and the stitching is beautiful. The bottom of the legs have leather sewn around the foot of the jean that make for a nice detail. One of the great features of the jeans is the additional fabric added to the back, above your behind, to make sure no one sees er...too much of you when you bend down.

2.) Eyeliner

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P202104&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=5879

About a month ago, I decided I was fed up with my pencil eyeliner because it kept smudging in the heat and giving me an undesired punk rock/girl from The Ring look. So, I went in to Sephora eager to try a high-end, non-smudge pencil when this sassy, tall saleswoman with beautiful liquid-lined cat-eyes steered me away from the pencils and picked up Hourglass Script Precision Liquid Liner. I had never used liquid before, so I was a little bit skeptical, but she convinced me because of her own eyeliner and the fact (?) that Madonna uses it. (I know, I know, I'm ridiculous). The eyeliner has a tiny, tiny brush that allows for maximum control. It's kindof perfect. So perfect that I ran out of the liner and tried to substitute it with a cheaper Maybelline version. And the result? Wrong. So Wrong.

3.) Havaianas

http://www.zappos.com/havaianas-slim

After years or purchasing cheap flip flops from Old Navy, Target, and third-world countries in Asia, I decided enough was enough. What is the point of buying flip flops that will break after a month? I was initially reluctant to spend over $20 on sandals made out of rubber and I thought people were just buying them to be trendy, but Havaianas are actually quite well made and durable. So there's a good reason why they are so popular.

4.) Black Flats

http://www.zappos.com/cole-haan-air-bacara-ballet-black-patent

Good shoes are so important. My favorite pair come from Cole Haan. I bought them at Century 21 for about $80 and they are seriously worth every penny. My grandma always stresses the importance of good shoes because they will affect your feet when you are older. Also, you never want your shoes to fall apart while you are wearing them or be in so much pain that you would rather walk barefoot, so shoes are the most important investment.

5.) Winter coat

http://www.theoutnet.com/product/208413

The whole winter wear thing is pretty new for me, and therefore SUPER essential because I've frozen my ass off the last two winters in New York. My new coat is a little too snug when you want to wear layers and layers. So, I'm looking forward to finding a winter coat in London for next season. Hopefully I'll have better luck and it will last me a couple years.