Your Oliver Spencer blazer may be the lynchpin of your Friday night ensemble, but we’re willing to bet the shirt underneath isn’t always so high-end. In treacherous economic times, high street retail outfits that pile ’em high and sell ’em cheap may seem invaluable, but fast fashion is wrecking our economy and our planet. The US alone wastes an average of 14 million tonnes of fabric each year.

Buying designer clothes at least ensures a longer shelf-life, but few of us have the resources to build an entire wardrobe out of such pieces. Fortunately, you don’t have to – we’ve narrowed down the most important pieces to shell out on, and which staples you can relegate to the high street.

Worth The Money: Your Suit

A good suit makes you feel like a man, while a cheap suit makes you look like a child at a wedding. Your money goes into two things: fabrics and construction. Cheap out on the former and you get shine and trapped heat, which makes your forehead glisten to. Skimp on the latter and expect ill-fitting shoulders, bubbling across the chest when the glued-in canvas starts to melt, and seams that split the minute you bend over. A good suit should last a decade. So spend accordingly. (Related: The only four suits you’ll ever need)

Recommendations

Save Your Cash: Gym Kit

Athleisure may be on the rise, but for workout gear designed for the barbell instead of the bar, you can afford to put your wallet away. Unless a 0.1 per cent performance boost might put you on a podium, breathable cotton tees and shorts are all you really need. That guy lifting double his bodyweight seems fine without compression tights and a sweat-wicking performance vest.

Worth The Money: Winter Coat

There are two reasons to spend on a winter coat. 1) They’re less susceptible to trends, so you’ll get a few seasons of wear out of them. 2) That extra money means you won’t spend the entire season wet and shivering. Look to the classics: a fitted wool pea- or overcoat will work with everything in your wardrobe; classic Barbour jackets just need an annual re-waxing to withstand any weather; and down jackets have been battling the elements for over half a century.