I have a confession to make. I’m a cheap shopper. I like getting a lot of inexpensive things, because who doesn’t want FIVE new sweaters or a bag full of new things? I enjoy having a constant stream of new things, maybe a top or two every other week, or a new pair of shoes to break up the winter doldrums. Splurging for me tends to come in the form of an expensive (ish) bag for my birthday, or a nice piece of jewelry at Christmas. That’s it. I shop at Target and Old Navy and Forever 21 most of the time. You know this by now, right? I do occasionally have some fun money to spend on myself in the form of blog income, though, and I use it to splurge on lust worthy clothing items sometimes.
You see, I love Free People. Which is typically NOT a cheap place to shop. It started with a peasant blouse I got via a campaign last year. This top was gorgeous and I wore it (and still wear it) constantly. The quality was gorgeous and I really, really love that top. Then I splurged on the lace trim tunic last year (at $88 this was a SPLURGE), and I found that I could wear that top in a zillion different ways. It is beautifully made and I love that thing to death. It was worth the splurge.
You see, a couple of times a year I go through my closet and bag up clothes for Goodwill. I notice that a lot of the cheaper items I buy that get worn a few times and fill some kind of hole that I thought I had in my wardrobe for a short amount of time, gets donated. I never donate my Free People stuff. Since I have to save up for it and really think the purchase through, I think I make better decisions and keep these items for longer periods of time. Does this mean I won’t buy cheaper things? NO! I have many, many items from big box stores that I keep for years and adore. But since this post is about Free People, we can start with the purchases I’ve made there (and if they were worth it or not. Let’s do this!
1) I saw this cold shoulder sweater above while searching Nordstrom online (DANGEROUS!) and looking at another top I saw on a blogger a month of so ago. At $108 it is a purchase I don’t take lightly. I had some blogging money to use and I felt like I could try out something a bit outside of the box, price wise for me. I’m glad I took the risk! I love the shape of this sweater, how the sleeves hug my arms and the shape bells out from the shoulders. It is unique and the details are really pretty. I ordered it knowing I might send it back if it didn’t live up the hype, but I had to keep it. The splurge was worth it.
2) The top (burgundy crossover top) was so pretty in person. It arrived and it had a really fun shape, with a deep v wrap shape, and a cool knit fabric. I loved it. And then I wore it for a couple of hours around my house to try it out and immediately noticed how the fabric pulled and snagged. I wore it maybe two hours and there were 5 or 6 snags in the fabric. It was annoying! I don’t want to wear something that I have to baby, or worry about. I don’t mind spending a bit more on something that is amazing, but I do mind spending good money on things that aren’t great quality. I sent it back!
3) When I returned the sweater above I decided to try a similar style top (this high/low thermal) in the same color (a deep burgundy.) What I loved about this top was its softness, the length (I HATE short tops), and the color. I knew it would look great with skinny jeans by day, or faux leather pants by night. I will say, the fabric does snag a little bit, but it is not as obnoxious as the top above because this top is thermal and has a distressed edge. It blends in and is not a problem for me. I have worn this top three times in the past four days and will be one of my go to tops this Fall/Winter for sure.
4) Finally, I bought this super soft tee in black because, (surprise!) I saw it on a blogger and I was intrigued. I think finding a good tee shirt is tough. It needs to be a little slouchy, but not huge. I want it to be swingy and longer, but not boxy. I tend to buy the boyfriend tees at Old Navy, but those don’t always fit me like I want them too, and they are more disposable. This Free People tee is awesome! It has a gorgeous bell shape, a longer sleeve length, and a deep (but not TOO deep) V neck. And did I mention it is baby blanket soft? I want it in more colors, and think the splurge is worth it on the tee, 100%.
Tell me, do you shop at Free People? Do you think the splurge is worth it?
