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This end of year period is always a great time to reflect. I always take a moment to look back on the goals that I set for myself, both personal and career, and whether I’ve achieved them. But I also take a moment to reflect on my own personal style looking back on the pieces that I’ve loved wearing throughout the year, shopping habits I’ve formed as well as the big ticket items that I splurged on.
In a first for this blog, I’m going to be sharing with you my best and worst luxury purchases for 2020. I’ve dedicated a fair few blog posts to luxury items this year so it only felt fitting to do a wrap up like this. This year, I made five big ticket item purchases. And I’m proud to report that two of them were secondhand and the other three were discounted. When it comes to designer items, I take a considered approach before pulling the trigger and typically purchase these items after they’ve been on my wishlist for some time. Given the hefty price tags, I take a bit of time performing my due diligence and waiting it out in the hopes of a sale!
Before I get into it, you should take my usage of the terms “best” and “worst” with a grain of salt (as they’ve formed their own meaning in the blogosphere), but I do feel that I should clarify that my “worst” purchase isn’t necessarily a bad one, just one that I’ve been the most disappointed with. Thankfully, I’ve only got one item to share in my ‘worst’ category. (Though I still feel like it’s one too many!)
So let’s get into it!
The Best
#1 – Dior J’Adior Slingbacks
L: Dior slingbacks (preloved here) styled with Everlane jeans*, M&S trench*, Celine bag (review here, affordable dupe here), Gucci belt (review here), Ray Ban sunglasses; R: Dior slingbacks (preloved here) styled with Everlane jeans*, Everlane knit*, Celine bag (review here, affordable dupe here), Ray Ban sunglasses
Kicking off my list of the best luxury purchases of 2020 is my first secondhand designer purchase of the year which was of the Dior J’Adior slingbacks that I snapped up on Vestiaire Collective. I paid several visits to the Sydney Dior Boutique in early 2020 to test out the different slingback styles and quickly fell for the kitten heel style.
Whilst I loved them, I couldn’t justify the price buying them new so I scoured the depths of the internet in search of a pre-loved pair. I was lucky enough to find an almost new pair in my size after six months of diligent searching! The heels are so lovely to wear and elevate the most relaxed of outfits. I’m very pleased I managed to nab this pair!
#2 – Celine Seau Sangle Bag
Celine bag (review here, affordable dupe here), Sarah Lloyd blazer*, Nobody Denim jeans, Dior slingbacks (preloved here), Ray Ban sunglasses
I feel like this bag needs no introduction given how often it features on my blog and my Instagram feed, so it should come as no surprise that it features as one of the best (if not, the best!) luxury purchases I made in 2020. Having been on my wish list for some time (and making this known on my Insta Stories!), I was delighted to received a DM from a lovely follower alerting me to a pre-loved Sangle available at a local consignment store which I snapped up immediately! This purchase not only confirmed that my love for black Celine bags runs deep, but that secondhand is a real joy to shop.
#3 – Acne Studios Scarf
Acne Studios scarf styled with The Curated coat*, Everlane jeans*, Dior slingbacks (preloved here), Gucci belt (review here), Celine bag (review here; preloved here and here), Ray Ban sunglasses
As far as designer purchases go, I’d say a scarf is a fantastic entry-level piece to buy. You get all the excitement of shopping a designer brand without the hefty price tags of bags or RTW pieces. Apart from being a luxe item, designer scarves are always incredibly well-made and versatile. And I plan on enjoying this Acne Studios scarf for a very long time. It’s deliciously oversized so doubles as a wrap when I’m sitting at my desk and the grey hue goes with everything. Considering how often I’ve relied on this scarf to keep me warm when out and about and wrapped around me while working at my desk, it’s a no-brainer as one of the best luxury purchases I made in 2020.
#4 – Celine sunglasses
Celine sunglasses, The Curated coat* (sz XS), Acne Studios scarf, The Frankie Shop trousers (sz S), Atmos & Here sandals, Celine bag (review here; preloved here and here)
As far as sunglasses go, only one pair really feature on my feed – my Ray Ban Clubmasters. I’ve always wanted a pair of Celine frames, but with my Asian nose (ie. no nose bridge), I never thought I could pull them off. By chance, I tried on a pair of Celine’s Catherine frames and I loved the classic shape. I waited it out for a sale and managed to nab these for 20% off during the recent frenzied sales last month!
Shop Celine Catherine Sunglasses
The worst
Gianvito Rossi Pumps
Gianvito Rossi heels (also here), Scanlan Theodore top (similar here and here), Frankie Shop trousers (sz S) Celine bag (review here; preloved here and here), Ray Ban sunglasses
It pains me to categories these as my ‘worst’ designer purchase because technically, there’s nothing wrong with the shoes – but let me elaborate further. I’ve had a pair of Gianvito Rossi pumps on my wishlist for years, in particular, a brown suede pair with the 85mm stiletto heel. So you can imagine my excitement when the exact pair I’ve been lusting after was discounted during last month’s Singles Day edit on Net-A-Porter.
Unfortunately, the shoes don’t fit me perfectly which is my mistake because, ironically, I followed the size guide on Net-A-Porter which advised going up half a size – so I bought a size 37.5. When I first tried them out of the box, they fit well, but after wearing them for the first time, and given the nature of suede leather, I was disappointed to realise (as they fit loosely on my feet) that I should have gone with my usual size 37. I still love the heels and plan on getting as much use of them as possible, and I’ve bought a pair of these shoe fillers called Sizers that are currently in transit (and seem to be the perfect solution?! Of course, I’ll report back!).
And that’s a wrap on the best and worst luxury purchases of the year… and a neat summary of all the luxury purchases I made in 2020.
Thanks for stopping by and for continuing to support what I do here. I am grateful to each and everyone of you who read my blog and follow me over on Instagram.
P.S. My tips for buying pre-loved designer bags and the designer bags I’ve sold and why.
