When you buy something new, you want it to last a lifetime (or at least not regret it two days later!). Laurie Perren, the CEO of Roundabout Couture, a consignment institution in Westport for more than 30 years, knows all about this— she’s watched customers bring in items for years, and she knows the true definition of the term “investment piece.” And consignment is the true litmus test for these items: they should be things you could keep forever—and if you do, you’d be smart to—but also something that sells quickly and at a high price point at somewhere like Roundabout. Westport Lifestyle spoke to Laurie to get her insight on what moves the fastest off their floor— in other words, how to know whether you’ve made a good fashion investment.
For starters, this is probably not a surprise, but there are a handful of accessories that almost always hold their value well— the number one being Chanel bags, explains Laurie. “They keep raising the prices of the classic bags, and the resale price also keeps getting higher,” she says. While you probably won’t take home more than you paid, you can still get a pretty big check back for selling a Chanel bag (Roundabout pays 66 percent commission on top-condition Chanel bags). Other brands in this echelon include Hermés and Louis Vuitton, which continue to raise their prices dramatically, meaning your purchase should continue to hold value for years. There are some exceptions— hard-sided suitcases from Louis Vuitton, for example, don’t usually sell quickly or at high prices. “No one is gonna take those to the airport,” says Laurie. “They want wheels!”
While clothing doesn’t hold its value quite as well as handbags, brands like Vince and Theory that are known for well-made, classic silhouettes tend to do well, says Laurie. “Sweaters are a great investment as long as you take care of them,” she says. “We have cashmere sweaters from 40 years ago that are still cute and in just as good shape as they were back then.”
Outerwear is another strong category: leather moto jackets are a perennial favorite. “A good leather jacket doesn’t really change,” says Laurie. And even though the Mob Wife aesthetic is trendy right now, Laurie says that vintage furs have always been a good purchase. “You’re not contributing to the [practice or demand] because you’re buying secondhand,” explains Laurie.
For spring, Laurie’s top investment piece is a good tweedy jacket (bonus points if it’s Chanel, of course). “You’ll have it forever,” she says. And you never know when you might find one at Roundabout!
Roundabout is located at 606 Post Road East in Westport or at roundaboutcouture.com.