Style Guide: Foundational, Investment and Runway Level Wardrobe

Fashion

Nov 25

Written By Damian Nicholas

How to implement style in real life.

Fashion | Style Guide

Words by Foli Creppy

AIME LEON DORE

Personal style is developed by knowing your measurement, understanding colors, and finding an archetype with a similar body structure and complexion. Now, with a curated concept of your style, you are ready to build a tangible collection of clothing. But how does one build a collection implementing personal style you've asked? A good starting point is to focus on the essentials, let’s break down the three levels we need to understand to implement your curated style concept.

Foundational

The foundational clothing in your wardrobe will be the backbone of your closet. These pieces are your workhorses. Your uniform - so to speak. These are the pieces that will be the basics of your wardrobe. They will get you started on your transition, they are not expensive and they can be mixed in with the pieces that would be considered investment and runway. An example of a foundational level wardrobe from a monetary standpoint would be clothing from brands like Orvis, JCrew, Barbour, Uniqlo, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Suitsupply.

Investment

As the name suggests, these are pieces of clothing you will have to consider spending a bit of money on, which is subjective based on your current income level. Personally, my investment range is between $400 to $1000. The garments that fall under this range are shoes, accessories, and outerwear. These pieces are usually of a higher construction quality and from brands that would universally be considered luxury items. The purpose of these pieces is to add an extra element to the already established foundational level or, with certain pieces, to graduate from the ready-to-wear level to those more tailored to your body’s frame level, such as “made-to-measure” or “made-to-order.” At the investment level, I like to play with color and textures instead of just going the default route of cotton and wool. You may want to try out garments made of casentino wool, cashmere, and silk as texture options. An example of a foundational level piece would be clothing from brands like The Armoury and Drake’s.

Acne Studios, Porter Slim-Fit Pleated Trouser, $420

Runway

The third and final step of your wardrobe is the “runway” level. The pieces at this level do not necessarily have to be runway collection pieces, (however if a brand offers their runway pieces for sale at their brick-and-mortar location or online, you are free to purchase it if you see something you like). The pieces at the “runway” level are to be treated like one-of-a-kind purchases. These will be your purchases that you will truly splurge on, (I put purchases like this in the $1000 and over category). These pieces will both be in line with your core style but still unique and not a more expensive version of what you already have at either the investment or foundational level. “Runway” pieces are meant to court attention. They are meant to be the icing on the wardrobe cake. These are the pieces you may want to pull out for a special occasion, for a photo shoot, or just because you’re in the mood and want to show off. An example of a “runway” level wardrobe from a monetary standpoint would be clothing from brands like Hermes, Dior, Prada, Maison Margiela, and Loewe

Loewe, Leather Trim Printed Wool Chore Jacket, $3,800

Overall, using these few styling tips has proven to be a fundamental base for anyone looking to level up on their style journey. With time, one can even hope to inspire others to develop their own ways of expressing themselves, one garment at a time.