These Are the Cult Investment Buys of 2025 We’ll Still Be Wearing in 2026

As the year draws to a close, and once you've climbed the mountain of admin that is Christmas, it's the perfect time of year for taking stock of your wardrobe, as well as what you've bought this year. Does that coat or that pair of boots still give you a frisson as you slip them on? Or are you already sensing they might be fleeting (or, rather, you might be moving on next season without a second thought).

As you can probably already tell, you ideally still want to get that illicit zing from a garment or accessory that proves to you, time and time again, that it was a sound investment that will keep paying dividends. It can be hard to get it right, right? As every fashion editor will admit, impulse buys happen, enticing you as you scroll or stroll past a particularly tantalising store window. But in 2026, the aim is for less impulse, more intention.

Don't worry, Marie Claire has got your back on this one. We decided to ask a clutch of fashionable women-in-the-know—from buyers to influencers to stylists—what cult investment buys they made in 2025, particularly ones they bought with the express purpose of wearing them into 2026.

At Net-a-Porter, customer searches can be an illuminating source of information, telling us the volume of traffic received by a particular item (the logic being that searching will often lead to buying). Toteme's fringed wool-blend bouclé jacket saw increased searches over the past six months, which is entirely unsurprising. It's the brand's cult scarf jacket, now available in colour variations beyond the black with ecru topstitching. If you're looking ahead to 2026, my advice would be to invest either in the camel or black as opposed to its signature black-and-white. It's still classic Toteme, but with a subtle twist—one that will keep things interesting next spring.

The Row, meanwhile, is always going to be a sound investment, with a level of quality that combines with its ability to create the "cult" with its eyes closed, that means it won't go off the boil any time soon.

At Net-a-Porter, searches for one of its bags—the suede Bindle—increased by 600% over the last six months. At £890, it actually has a lower price point than most of its handbags, which easily stretch into four figures, but its soft cut also picks up on this year's trend for squashy bags that don't prioritise structure. The Bindle is particularly versatile—it could be a wedding-guest accessory with chocolate-brown tailoring but, equally, a great day bag for running around town.

Another handbag that has more than proved its worth is Chloé's Paddington. The 20 year-old bag, reissued under creative director Chemena Kamali, has seen increased customer searches of 319% over the past six months, with fans including Alexa Chung, who appeared on the brand's catwalk modelling the bag in March 2025.

Other investment buys have practicality at their core. For digital creator Louisa Hatt, it's been a purchase from a high-street stalwart. "I finally found black trousers from COS, with the right cut, weight and length, and they’re set to become a real workhorse in my wardrobe next year."

Stylish Monikh Dale also prioritised trousers, specifically corduroy slacks by The Row. "I've never tried on a trouser that fits so well, so I bought them in both colours. After two years of my body changing pretty drastically through pregnancy, I wanted to gift myself a pair that not only fit, but complimented my new body. Traditionally a fabric like this would be a key texture for the holiday season, but these are so light I see myself wearing them into spring too—and yes, with flip flops."

But back to bags, which, according to chief buying officer at Mytheresa, Tiffany Hsu, says is the definition of a cult investment buy as it "transcends seasonal trends". Her pick? Miu Miu's Aventure leather tote, which, she says, "embodies this longevity through its refined structure, neutral palette and versatility. Miu Miu continues to deliver bags that feel current today and enduring tomorrow, striking the right balance between practicality and quiet luxury."

Perhaps you're sorted when it comes to accessories, in which case she has another suggestion—a leather bomber jacket. "I currently have my eye on one from Saint Laurent," says Hsu.