How to Determine Quality Items

There’s good retro, like worn out Levi’s and malted milk shakes sipped with the swivel of a soda fountain chair. Then we have bad retro—sideburns and pine tree air fresheners that make you want to vomit in the back seat of a cab. Currently I am packing for a new home, a process that has reunited me with unopened boxes that didn’t make the cut from the last move.

A push-button phone in a statement color is too innovative to toss, making for a worthy accent for a styled vignette.

Some items have to go. First to be tossed is any electronic with a hard drive to the rolls of rose-printed wallpaper that reigned when Laura Ashley was a thriving franchise. Then there’s the grappling over the piles of undecided items. As moving has become an unfortunate symptom to someone who gets excited about real estate in a way more suited to special-edition coffee, unnecessary detritus adds to the anxiety of excavating through belongings.

Editing is a cleansing, ridding your home of excess and pairing down to what you really need. It can make a space look cleaner, more defined and curated, while simplifying your lifestyle to its basic needs. In a larger scheme, style may be cyclical but some trends need scrutiny. Will Gandalf beards and tattoos endure? I certainly hope not. In the same way of shedding concealers so we can see a natural appearance, clearing the programming of what we are told to buy over what we truly love helps us stay true to an inherent style.

Certain motifs will always reign.

How to Determine Quality Items:

Classic Motifs: If you have had the same style for years, think of the themes that last. Some classics include polkadots, Coco Chanel stripes, denim and understated logos.

Color: The spectrum certainly hits spikes, we now have a Color of the Year that’s as anticipated as an influencer fo the year, yet certain shades are a less manic addition to a scheme than others. Navy and red is a natural pairing thanks to our patriotic spirit, while soft pastels exude femininity. 

Authenticity: Anything handmade will have a longer life span than something thrashed together by a machine. Quality materials also signify an item’s worth. If something is made well but may have been outmoded, like a plugged-to-the-wall telephone or piece of art, such belongings are best set aside as a future opportunity may present itself.

Resources:

Polka-dot bathing suit: Fig Leaves

Art: ducks goose

Phone: Crosley Radio