If you all have been following us for a bit, you know we love a good bargain, an unbelievable sale, and finding pieces you’ve been eyeing for, well, basically free… who doesn’t?! 

But we’re going to do something difficult here and challenge that mentality (we know, a scary thing to do, especially in the world of content creation and online shopping). Sometimes, some products and services are seriously, absolutely, and completely worth the price tag. 

Of course, this isn’t always the case. Just because something is more expensive does not equate it’s quality and usability at all – trust us! 

But in a lot of cases, there are some things that are genuinely worth the extra money. (Ya know the phrase ‘the more bang for your buck’?! It applies here!) These products are the ones made with a more initial design, using higher quality materials, by more skilled artisans, and often made in parts of the world where all of these components are more thoughtfully considered. 

Beyond the quality, there are just some pieces you can’t get anywhere else – the scarcity effect. Your mileage may vary on this part, but for us, having something unique can be an important aspect of personal style and even interior design!

We tend to nerd out a bit on things we buy and especially the ones we collect (Nathan collects vintage clothes, watches, and other bits and bobs, while Anna collects designer handbags), and becoming more educated on details that separate the good stuff from the” future heirlooms” has crept into how we view other purchases in our lives too! There’s “expensive”, and then there’s “quality”, and knowing the difference can help you save money by allowing you to buy fewer things in the long run. 

In other words, you could buy a $10 t shirt that shrinks and becomes misshapen after one wash, or you can buy a $30 t shirt and wear it to threads over a longer period of time – then there are $30 t shirts being sold for $100 just because of a logo on the front, which is the kind of splurge we’re trying to avoid! 

With all of that said, we wanted to share some of the things we’ve found actually are worth the hype and higher price – those pieces that end up being either work horses, daily drivers, or the things we intend to keep for the long haul! We’ve found that between design appeal and true value (not just good deals), these things work for us and we can confidently recommend them to others.

Here are a few things that we swear by and believe are worth the price tag:

Smeg Products

We’ve already raved about why we love our Smeg coffee maker, but we’ve also been so happy with the toaster and tea kettle we got last year as well! Here’s the thing: these products are, by nature, a bit less pragmatic than your standard kitchen appliances. We understand that their price points are exorbitant for what they are, but if you’re even considering a Smeg product, you’re likely focused on their design appeal above their feature sets anyways. Here’s why their products are worth it to us: They’re far and away — in our opinion — the most beautifully designed products on the market, AND they function at a really high level. There are other products that have tried to mimic Smeg’s aesthetic, but reviews are iffy on their actual function. Combining form and function is what makes Smeg worth it for us!

Gucci Loafers

It’s not a stretch to say that loafers are potentially the fussiest and most high maintenance piece of footwear to own in the world. They’re either too tight, or too loose, or they’re perfect, but then stretch out too much. And regardless of how well they fit, they’re going to chafe and leave you with blisters until you break them in. We’ve found that to be almost universally true with one notable exception: Gucci Loafers. We both have a couple of pairs we’ve collected over the years, and, as investment pieces go, these icons from 1953 are some of our favorites.

There is virtually no break-in time, they are versatile (a massive key with such a hefty investment piece), and they’re durable (take it from someone — Nathan — who destroys shoes when he wears them). Beyond that, you can actually resole them and give them a 2nd life when they start to wear down — Anna’s done this before with great results.

We were both surprised the first time we slipped these on to find they instantly felt well-worn — they’re sort of that seemingly uptight friend who surprisingly goes with the flow when adventure strikes. These are the type you can take out of the box and immediately traverse Manhattan with (Nathan’s literally done that before). The price tag is obviously steep, but we’ve found these to be some of the most comfortable and versatile shoes in our wardrobe!

*Nathan sized down 1.5 sizes for a more snug fit, while Anna typically stays true to size.

Women’s, Men’s, a fun option for Summer, and a fun option for Fall.

A Nice Sofa

We’ve talked about our sofa before, and it’s easily the nicest one we’ve ever owned. Our only issue? We wished we had invested even more to get the performance fabric. We love how comfortable it is and how it brings our living room together with great texture and enough shape to feel unique despite it’s otherwise unassuming color. Some people get lucky and find a sofa that they can hold onto for several years or even decades without breaking the bank, but in our experience, you get what you pay for — and like we said, we wished we had paid even more to add more value).

We live hard in our sofa (which acts as a dining table, guest bed, dog bed, and host of late night chats with friends), so we need something that can take a beating and keep it’s shape and color for years to come. If you invest in a nice sofa (with good reviews, of course), you’re almost certain to get your value back in $$ Per Use.

*You can find our couch here (it’s the 80″ version in basketweave slub ivory with a bench seat).

A Brown Leather Handbag

Investing in a brown leather bag is one of the wisest decisions you can make for maximizing your entire wardrobe. It goes with warm or cool colors, can be dressed up or down with ease (depending on size), and it can work well with every season — once again, versatility is key!

Going with a brown bag over something white or black (while still good choices) gives you the chance to wear something year round. And for an investment piece, there’s just something really nice about knowing there’s never a time you can’t wear it.

*Anna loves this bag from DeMellier, and highly recommends it!

High Quality Denim

In college, it was so nice (er, the most budget friendly option possible) to find a pair of jeans for $20 from an outlet or the sale section at Forever 21. It was exactly what a broke college kid needed to get through a semester while looking reasonably on-trend or stylish. The problem with those $20 jeans? They never fit 100% right, they shrunk like crazy, faded in a way that didn’t feel like the cool kinda fades people usually want from their jeans, and they fell apart after a few washes. Still, they served a certain purpose for that phase of life, and for that, we thank them.

That said, we highly recommend buying **100% cotton, high quality denim when you’re looking for jeans. For starters, you’re way more likely to find a pair that fits you well if you invest in jeans from a brand known for their quality. Additionally, if you follow the washing instructions and take good care of your jeans, then they’ll last you for years on end. Lastly when you invest in good denim, it actually molds and fades to your body in a way that makes them feel like they’re truly part of your story (probably corny, we know), and you can have them patched and repaired by a tailor as they start to wear. Ultimately, we find ourselves reaching for a pair we invested more into on the regular.

One additional note: The denim world is a black hole of information, enthusiasts, opinions, and strenuous methods for taking care of your pants, but you don’t have to go down that road to enjoy good quality jeans.

Along those lines, we remember vividly when our engagement photographer asked Nathan, “hey are you a jeans guy?” to which he ignorantly responded “yes”. N just thought he meant “do you wear jeans?” but he meant “are you obsessed with raw, selvedge lined, $200+ denim from Japan?” We were broke at the time, so such a concept never even entered our minds. Now, while we don’t share the same level of enthusiasm as others may for jeans, we do appreciate strong quality that lasts!

Anna loves these jeans from Reformation, and Nathan is a big fan of Todd Snyder’s denim, which comes in a variety of colors and fits!

**We say 100% cotton because a lot of lower quality stretch jeans carry unnatural dyes, chemicals, and plastics that aren’t good for us or the people physically making them. Good denim is hard to make cheaply, so if a price looks too good to be true, it often, unfortunately, is.

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As one final disclaimer, we understand the pieces listed here are not in everyone’s budget, and we’re not recommending anyone reach outside of their means to get something just because we recommend it. The reality is, none of us truly need all of these things in our lives. That said, we hope our perspective is helpful if you do find yourself considering some higher ticket items or investment pieces for your home or wardrobe!