She Works Hard For Her Money (& Spends It On Clothes)

One of the more challenging parts of being unemployed has been the lack of shopping. I used to shop all of the time, whenever I got out of work early enough, from the comfort of my couch while wearing my PJs, while out competitive shopping for my job. I love fashion. I love clothes. But that's probably pretty obvious seeing as I was buying clothes, on a very large scale, as a career. But now it's a simple equation: lack of incoming income to my bank account equals lack of incoming dresses and shoes into my closet.

Sure, I've added a couple things to my wardrobe since this chapter in my life has begun. And I've done a lot more window shopping at all of my usual haunts. Bloomingdale's, Anthropologie, H&M, Urban Outfitters. Lucky for me, and my savings, I haven't seen a lot of stuff in the stores lately that has caught my fancy. And for the things I have seen that I like, I already own a variation of from some point in time. A pair of gladiator sandals I picked up at TopShop when I was in Stockholm a few summers ago still can't beat anything I see in stores now. A white lacy dress from H&M I bought years ago still gets me tons of compliments. My beat-up denim jacket that I had to leave with my design team for a few days last year because they wanted to check out the natural wear and destruction on it. The lightweight AE army jacket I bought ages ago with money my grandmother sent me for Christmas is just like styles that are showing up on Who What Wear and Refinery 29.

So now, I've been digging into the back of my closet and finding things I completely forgot about. New goal: put together different combinations and get a completely new look out of items that have been in my wardrobe for years. And it's working! For example, when going out last weekend, instead of using that as an excuse to go shopping, I dug around in my closet. A Forever 21 dress I bought for Halloween 3 years ago that still looks as good as new (maybe because I'd only worn it twice before, yikes!). My favorite Dior high-heeled booties I picked up year and a half ago. The army jacket I mentioned before. A purse I picked up at TopShop in NYC last summer. Random accessories, some of which I've had since high school. An outfit that made me happy and all from things I already owned, and nothing that was even close to being new. No need to go out and spend more money as I would have 6 months ago.

So maybe being unemployed is teaching me something: how to be more responsible with my money. I still love fashion, but the trick is to know when to spend, when to save and what to hold on to. As long as pieces aren't extremely trendy or over-designed, it's usually worth keeping stuff in my opinion, which is partially why I save so much.

And contrary to popular belief, you can still be fashionable and not spend a fortune.

People who come to my apartment are often amazed by how much stuff I have. I have a hard time taking anything to Goodwill. My closet and dressers are overflowing and I've just about exhausted places to store shoes and purses. But the trick is to buy items that you know you're still going to like and that will hold up through the years. And it doesn't have to cost a ton. I get compliments on my clothes often and get asked where they are from.

Me: "Thanks, the dress is Marc Jacobs."
Girl X: "No wonder it looks so good!"

Me on another night with another dress: "Thanks, it's from Forever 21."
Girl Y: "You're kidding, right?! I ever find anything like that there."

Yes, Forever 21. It's not about the price or the brand or the store, I buy plenty of stuff at H&M and Forever 21, the trick is picking items that are well made and don't look cheap, which is entirely possible. And it also helps to mix lower priced trendy items with higher priced classic pieces.

Going forward I'll still always spend good money on shoes, purses, jewelry and classic pieces of clothing, but I'll definitely think more before dropping money on random stuff that I just "like" that will only get worn a couple times like I have in the past. The amount I used to spend on clothes per month sounds embarrassing now. And always remember, it's much smarter to spend $500 on a pair of classic shoes that you'll wear all of the time, than a trendy $60 dress that gets wore twice.

Glitter

At some point in early elementary school, I know it was before the second half of 4th grade because we moved at that point and I no longer took the school bus, I decided to put glitter in my hair one morning before running off to the bus stop on the corner. Nowadays putting glitter in your hair may not be an everyday activity, but you probably have done it, or seen someone else with it for a party or perhaps Halloween. But back then, for a 7 or 8 year old, this was unheard of. 

Once on the bus, a friend sitting nearby had climbed up on her seat to talk to me and at some point in our conversation about Barbies, homework or whatever else young girls talk about, she exclaimed, "Ewww! You have glitter in your hair." I'm not sure what my exact response was, but being shy, and apparently ahead of my time, I probably just blew it off.

Fast forward 20 or so years and I get an email the other day from Vital Juice about a stylist in Santa Monica that will weave pieces of tinsel into you hair. Definitely a step up from the coarse glitter I once sprinkled into my blonde tresses. Check it out for yourself.

Photo via Google

Jammy Jams

Went to a theme party last weekend, a Pajama Party to be exact. After much deliberation I decided to wear something that I thought would be acceptable whether I showed up and saw everyone scantily clad in négligées or covered up in footie pajamas. Turned out pretty much anything went. Party-goers were wearing everything from flannel PJs to tank tops and undies to lingerie. Add in plenty of booze, a big dance floor, a DJ and a stripper pole and it all equals a fun time!

H&M shirt, American Apparel shorts, RVCA socks, Warby Parker glasses, random accessories

Coachellaaaaa

Last weekend was Coachella. Three amazing days in the desert full of music. And fashion. Can't forget the fashion. I rather quickly threw a bunch of clothes in a suitcase for the weekend and hoped for the best, but it is obvious that some, okay, a lot of people plan their outfits far in advance. I saw everything from a guy dressed as a ghost to a couple wearing matching chambray rompers (that dude was brave).

My problem with getting dressed for Coachella is that it's hot. Last year it was 100+, but this year we got lucky and had more manageable temperatures, 80-90 during the day. This leads to a lot of girls running around in just bikinis and guys with no shirts on. Unfortunately, 90% of these people should be wearing more clothes. I opted for light dresses and denim shorts. Easy and comfy in the heat, but still cute.



I've actually been kind of disappointed with all of the style reports I have seen from the major websites covering Coachella. I saw plenty of people dressed way cuter then what I'm seeing online. But maybe that's because I was in the thick of things and not camped out to take pictures.


Unsurprisingly, there were tons of cut-off denim shorts, crop tops with high-waisted denim shorts, loose tanks, straw fedoras, gladiator sandals, bandeaus, fringe, lace, Ray-Bans (real or knock-off, EVERYONE was wearing them), cross-body bags, sundresses, boots (I'm not sure I can get on board with due to the heat). Neon was still present, but it's definitely down-trending from last year. The trend that really stood out though was headpieces. Although I saw all sorts of pieces, Native American feather headdresses where everywhere. Love, love, love.



And I can't forget, we did see some awesome bands including: Hockey, She & Him, The Specials, Passion Pit, Them Crooked Vultures, LCD Soundsystem, Fever Ray, Jay-Z (w/Beyonce), Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros, The xx, Hot Chip, Faith No More, Muse, Tiesto, Local Natives, Mayer Hawthrone, De La Soul, Julian Casablancas, Jonsi, Phoenix, Pavement, Thom Yorke and Gorillaz.

(Billabong fedora and bikini top, Forever 21 dress, pendant from some shop in Montauk)

Even if it's hot and crowded weekend, I'm already excited for next year!



More pictures on my Facebook and Flickr pages!