It's all in the details!

The term 'investment piece' is thrown about quite frequently in the fashion world, and not without good reason. When it comes to the consistently necessary pieces in your wardrobe - a great pair of jeans, a stunning party dress, your everyday handbag - you may want to invest a little bit more money in brands like Diane Von Furstenberg, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Moschino and D&G amongst many, many other designer brands that have lower-priced lines. Keep in mind that these items are not the same for everyone; if you're a bohemian freelance graphic designer living in Kensington Market chances are your choices in this respect are going to be worlds apart from a Bay Street condo-dwelling mutual funds banker, so it is imperative that you take into account your personal wardrobe needs and lifestyle when deciding what you'll get the most value out of.

Most significantly, shop around! The best deals on designer clothing are rarely to be found in the retail market; take a few minutes to join the mailing lists of websites like net-a-porter.com, shopbop.com and zappos.com, as they frequently offer stunning sales and unbelievably discount codes on items that you'll likely pay an arm and a leg for in the department stores and boutiques. For those of you still wary of online shopping in regards to the authenticity of product, ensure that the site you are buying from is certified (this information is often found in the contact section) and has an easy refund and return policy! This way rest assured with every purchase you make that you're not being swindled by prices that sometimes appear too good to be true!

Lastly, don't be afraid to skimp when it comes to trend pieces. Hair accessories, sunglasses, shoes, jewelry - the truth of the matter is that there are so many knock-offs abounding the market these days that even the most fashion-conscious can hardly tell the difference the majority of the time, particularly in passing, which is where you'll be donning these items most. The trick here is to not, I repeat NOT, spend your money on blatant knock-offs (n.b. anything with a fake logo = bad), but rather hunt around at stores like Zara, Forever 21 and H&M, which offer an array of fast-fashion designer inspired pieces that will keep you looking up-to-the-minute and, more importantly, trendy without the appearance of being cheap - being frugal is one thing, looking cheap is quite another.

Even the chicest of women (MTV presenter and U.K. 'it' girl Alexa Chung, as seen above, is a great example of mixing high and low fashion pieces and making it work!) can often be found donning a $20 dress with a $200 handbag! The only thing imperative to having personal style and looking like a million bucks all the time is confidence, which of course doesn't require any money whatsoever. Take a moment to examine what styles you gravitate towards in fashion magazines, on other people in the street, in your favorite music and films, and you'll be on your way to being the most stylish on the block in no time at all.

Do you have any tips or tricks that you find enhance your confidence and sense of style, or any insider's tricks to finding great deals on designer and trend pieces alike? If so I'd love to hear them in the comment section below!

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