Each year I think of the things that were most worth my time and money. I am always looking for quality items that last and style that beats the test of time. After I found a lovely app called Poshmark, it made me think of my purchases in a whole new way. How long will I like this item? How long will it be in style? How can I make less “disposable” decisions so that my purchases serve me longer?

Dare I say the perfect pair of Jeans? The Madewell Curvy Skinny Jeans

If I could get back all the time and money I have spent on trying on jeans and buying jeans that never work, I would be able to buy another 20 pairs of these Madewell jeans. Let me introduce you to the Madewell Curvy Skinny Jeans Tencel™ Edition:

These jeans are the perfect elasticity, rise, and color (the “Danny” wash). They hug my curves and don’t cut off my circulation. (You curvy girls know what I mean about jeans that do that.) The pockets are in the perfect position to accent and give that perfect peach shape, but don’t make your rear end look 2x wider in the back! One of my biggest pet peeves are jeans that have the pockets too wide apart. Get yourself a pair of Madewell Curvy Skinny Jeans.

Athleta Cosmic Blazer: a blazer from an athleisure retailer?

This next piece is a wardrobe staple for this work from home gal. I wandered into Athleta one weekend looking for versatile leggings, another constant search, and I can’t remember if I grabbed the Athleta Cosmic Blazer off the rack or if one of the sales associates brought it to me. Once I slipped it on I didn’t want to take it off. It fit like a glove and the fabric felt amazing. Swoon worthy. It breathes, feels cool when you put it on, and has an instant slimming effect. There’s two slim slit pockets, one contains an inner zip pocket if you want to secure a card credit or two on the go. I throw this blazer on whenever I want to look polished but feel comfortable. Also, it has an instant slimming effect. I swear by it- it was worth every penny.

Even for the perfect blazer though, I don’t like paying retail. I took advantage of several avenues for deals, including a Friends & Family 20% off. On top of the 20% off I used my American Express Offers. American Express runs a program on their various cards, that offers certain cash back or points on purchases with partner companies. My husband and I take advantage of this all the time! I believe the deal I got was “Spend $75+ at Gap Stores Inc and get $15 back”. (Athleta is owned by Gap.)

Finally, I always use my Rakuten cash back button! Formerly called “eBates”, Rakuten is a program that gives you cash back quarterly for all eligible purchases you’ve made online or in-store. You can get the credit by going to the website and clicking through to the retailer of your choice or you can add a simple button to your browser that will flash when you’re on an eligible retailer’s page. My thought process is, retailers are already collecting your cookies & data, you might as well get paid for it! Sign up here if you want to start getting paid for things you already buy!

The Signature Sneaker: Superga Cotu Classic

My signature sneaker walked into my life. The wear-with-anything white sneaker. Superga’s Cotu sneaker is the perfect staple for any wardrobe. I got white, I’ve never owned white sneakers purely out of utility. Why would I own something that will inevitably get dirty? You could ask the same thing about the 7 different white button up shirts I own but that didn’t stop me there.

My favorite blogger, Carly the Prepster, swears by the Superga sneaker and says she just throws them in the wash once they get a little too much wear. So I jumped on the white sneaker wagon because it fits my style & wardrobe simplicity goals. I will say while they aren’t “walk around Europe” comfy, for that I would go with Allbirds, they are perfect for a day or errands or shopping. They’re more wide than Vans or Keds and have a thicker sole, which mean they last longer.

I originally got my white ones when J. Crew was carrying them but bought a Lavender pair from one of my favorite sellers on Poshmark. If you’ve never signed up with Poshmark use my code “ONMONROESTREET” for $10 off your first purchase!

All these items have become my favorite staples and 100% worth the time & money I put towards purchasing them. I am actually wearing them right now as I put this post live! What recent purchases of yours are you constantly happy you bought?