Classic hits

Recession-proofing your wardrobe isn’t as simple as addition and subtraction (mostly subtraction) when it comes to assigning budgets. Sure, a pair of pants under P500 sounds like an awesome deal but will it fall apart in the wash? Will the seams start to go south after you wear it a couple of times?

Sometimes cost-cutting isn’t a question of shopping cheaply but shopping wisely. That may mean investing in classic items that may not be as inexpensive as a dress from a fast fashion label but can certainly last longer.

Styles that flatter your figure and are immune to the rise and fall of trends have all the markings of a classic. This may mean a preppy polo shirt, a typical classic for the argyle sweater set, or an exquisitely cut little black dress. Tim Gunn is a big believer in classics. After all, his makeover show on ETC revolves around a 10-piece list of classics (like a blazer, white blouse and well-cut jeans) that serve as a backbone for a workable wardrobe.

Like that shirt with the alligator logo emblazoned over the breast, Fred Perry’s laurel wreath logo is a chic classic that’s retained its status as a Brit icon since the label began in the ‘30s. Taken from the symbol etched on the label founder’s Davis Cup sweater, Perry acquired the rights to the image after earning a written permission from the All England Tennis Club. A Davis Cup and three-time Wimbledon winner, Perry understood the workings of sportswear: they needed to be fuss-free and inherently elegant. But more than that, he managed to inject a jaunty insouciance into the brand.

Despite its stuffy origins — the label’s logo, after all, held true to the Wimbledon Cup’s acanthus leaf patterns — Perry’s image as a playboy (he was married four times and could be seen escorting various beautiful women to parties on magazine pages devoted to the comings and goings of celebs) helped to cement the label’s status as a playful classic.

Worn with a scruffy pair of jeans or a neat pencil skirt, a Fred Perry pique polo shirt can hold its own with either. Elegant suede flats or beat-up Converse sneakers, immaculate tennis lawn or garage band concert venue, tea with your grandmother or kicking it old school at a Wii party, the magic of a classic like Fred Perry is that it doesn’t choose venues or equally high-ticket items to pair with.

Wear it anywhere or with anything. Now that’s cost-cutting that makes sense.

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E-mail me at jackieoflash@yahoo.com.