Money Tip 003 - The true cheap cost of clothes is your retirement… the planet and bad style.

May 22

Nothing in this post is a recommendation.

Fashion is about human expression by way of the style you create, through the clothes you wear; not how much money you spend on it or what label it carries.

Who here has patted themselves on the back after a slay day at one of the major fast fashion clothing stores? H&M, Forever 21, Zara, whatever chain, pick your literal poison. Every North American woman reading this, has surely dragged some man, also possibly reading this, around these endless stores not once but many times in the last 15 years. Forever on the hunt for their next fully loaded, disposable wardrobe. Well, I’m here to free you from that short lived gratification and waste of your precious resources.

First, we must address style. Style is optional. But it shouldn’t be. For me, for the longest time, a woman who lacked style was the result of not just a lack of effort but a lack of female role models. Your’e telling me you can’t find one family member who is doing it right? One movie star you like the way she’s doing it? One single person in all of humanity to appeals to you to emulate? It pointed to a lack of effort towards looking interesting for other people. A sacrifice that made the rest of the world suffer. But now, we are long past workout clothes as day wear. It seems women, even “fashionistas” are just automated robots. No one looks…unique. The self expression tailored off of beautiful icons we desire to radiate to our posse… seems to be a lost art. Something only reserved for the elite or educated in the field. But that is ridiculous!

Style is one of my areas of expertise and a lifelong passion I will never be done with. I spent 15 years in the fashion industry and hold a bachelors degree in fashion design. I have made every article of clothing you can imagine. I studied costume design as a minor. I have dressed my college friends up in wooly mammoth leg warmers, repeatedly, with matching dresses, friends and family in wedding dresses (6 wedding dresses so far), and created countless outfits for myself and clients. I reported for Examiner.com on hundreds of fashion shows, and while that is behind me, I still watch the collections [at least haute couture which is the art that is supposed to influence every one else] every season. So, when I tell you I KNOW fashion, I kid you not. But when I tell you that I can count just a small number of icons, the people who’s style I admire and try to emulate, I am also very serious. That is because style takes REFINEMENT and DEDICATION and FOCUS. 3 character traits that are as rare of a find as style these days! We need to do better, even if it is just for our own wellbeings. And as you will see, this matters. Style is one part of life where I urge you to be…fastidious, unmerciful, devoted and decisive. Because THIS can save you MONEY! And this can be a way to open doors to the world you dream of.

Now, knowing how you want to express yourself to the world, think about what fashion icons you will emulate. What do you want to say through your appearance? And what will make shopping short, easy and often effortless? Creating your own style will come from this alone. It will make shopping in stores virtually impossible, and it will rid you of the urge to compulsively buy and still not feel like you’re any closer to a successful wardrobe. Let me explain.

If you put any of these names into google with the word fashion, you will see why I chose many of these icons. My image and fashion icons are Hedy Lamar, Marie Antoinette, Eiko Ishoioka, Bjork, Grace Jones, Amelia Earhart, Tina Weymouth, Eartha Kitt, Twiggy, Cher, Naomi Campbell, Frida Kahlo, Eykah Badu, Jackie O, Madonna, and Sophia Loren. I also love and listen to reggae and Bob Marley every day. The images of the Female Samurai Warrior Of The Upper Bushi*1 are like… everything. Now, that makes for some weird but well curated and directed taste! And it’s me. It’s unique and explains a lot of my style. It grows on itself. I suggest finding cultures and eras that speak to you as well. Mine are Japanese modern and 1800s, French late 1700s, American 1920s, 30’s, and 1960s (and I did the 90s the first time around like a boss), along with anything sci-fi or futuristic that is done “well” and not just barely covering a females private parts - boring! I love Italian women’s style as well. They are classy and sexual and while they do not take themselves seriously, their fashion is dead serious. It’s a beautiful dare in fashion that I urge American women to make more often without straight up wearing a bra with a trendy pj set in public.

Who and what are your icons and eras? Think about it. Give the list some room to grow, but really think about why and how you add people to the list. The WHY defines the WHAT that you also want to express and adhere to. Find women who also did things that inspire you and look at how they dressed.*1 Most people would say why the heck do you pick Amelia Earhart, and that’s because she was practical. She dressed up, but in mens fashion. I love that. And I love her accomplishments. I LOVE a woman in a suit and a tie who is still feminine. To me, there is soft power in that. STYLE IS SOFT POWER. It says things without saying anything out loud, which I have always loved about it.

When you get your style outline, then, go ahead and be ruthless. As women we don’t get to act like this often, so do it here. Make this an expression! Just don't let other people tell you who to be. Use inspiration and create it for yourself. Don’t buy anything because it is a “trend" and looks good on some 15-18 year old girl who has a big following or some designer hired because her mom was a model or famous coke head. How cliche is that? While also being gross and bad for the Earth?! Buy something because it will be one of your best expressions of your personality to the world. Because in it, you will also be part of your icon.

Wearing clothes everyday is a gift to others. For a long time I tried to dress “perfect”, long after my crazy college fashion designing days. And that didn’t serve me, or my wallet. So the point is, look enough to find, buy a little, and buy nice things. Treat them with love and respect, honor your things. And, don't buy tons of nice things. No matter how rich you are, you only need so much. And that money can be working elsewhere accumulating income for you. So treat yourself and buy one thing every once in a while to build a wardrobe around for yourself. A wardrobe is a group of clothing that interchanges to express your inner most beauty to the outside world and can be handed down in it’s entirety to one of the luckiest little humans on the planet. A closet is generally a mist mash of clothes that makes little sense and produces 70 lbs of waste every year. Buy only the things you will pass to your children or nieces or your heir. If you need staples, source them from ethical and sustainable brand, otherwise, stick to second hand that depict your style. Think of it as a treasure hunt. Spend the little more for higher quality and morals. You will only cry once at these prices, instead of the 5-15 times you will have to keep buying something that falls apart or goes out of trend style.

Now, for the good part that will really change your life. Let’s talk about MONEY and fashion. Do you know that “the apparel business is a $12 Billion industry and the average American family spends $1700 on clothes annually according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 1930, the average woman owned 9 outfits. Today that figure is 30 outfits.” And if you are any of my friends you’re well into the infinite outfits or let’s just round it off at 300 outfits. “The road to bankrupt is paved with good deals.” *2

What is fascinating about that article is that they go on to mention that “The Self Storage Association reports that Americans spend $24 Billion each year to store their stuff. Last part of this, OnePoll found that women spend more than100 hours on 30 trips to shop for clothes, 15 hoe shopping excursions, and full 50 hours per year window shopping.”*2 This is NUTS! Madness. Sheer stupidity. And I myself am victim of it. What a waste. Do you know how many female owned start ups that equates to? Hundreds of thousands if not millions. Ladies, let’s agree to team up and just stop. Listen to this podcast with Gabriella Smith on why to just stop buying fast fashion and if you are really smart you can spend ALL that time starting a company or spend that time in caring for your spirit, or best yet- investing and learning more about money and financial wellness!

If you still need more reasons to stop shopping like it is a disorder untreated, let’s just do some simple math. Let’s say you spend $3000 a year on clothes, which for MANY of you reading this is realistic. Let’s just say you stop doing that. You decide to spend half of that on items you will cherish.

So you put 5K as an initial deposit into an investment account. You contribute $125 (your old disposable fashion budget) and get 7% interest on your money. In 25 years you will have….wait for it….$125,017. Wait, ummm what? Yes, You can buy an investment property, rent it out, and get some kind of income for the rest of your life because you broke up with fast fashion at 30 years old. Congratulations, you’re now adulting like the smart human you actually are. Let’s take this one step further. Let’s say you make a budget. You now find another $125 your dripping for useless crap that you don’t need and are not essential and doesn’t bring you joy. You now have $262,049. WTF?! Use this calculator. Compounded interest is your friend. Become very close to this, repeat it as a mantra, use it to remind yourself that having style now, provides for your tomorrow. Create style. Stop shopping.

Now, you say, I don’t care about style. I just want to be a fashion robot. Cool. Do you by doing everyone else. And if you absolutely need that item, then fine, buy it. BUT only after you watch and read up on what you’re participating in. Watch the True Cost. Do you really want to own something that was created by children or slaves or resulted with farmer suicide? Do you really want to pollute rivers that people have to live off of and bathe in? Watch the documentaries. How many more people must die so you can buy cheap clothing? 1,100 people died in Rana Plaza in Bangladesh because of unsafe conditions in 2013. Today, YEARS later, factories still collapse all the time. Workers making our cheap clothing are not safe. So when you say, well they wouldn’t have jobs. Then I must retort with, yes, but at least they would have their life.

It is time to take the blindfold off and educate yourself about what is going on and to become a conscious shopper. I am here to help you. If you pay the premium for items that are representative of YOUR style, you will treat that garment better, and in turn it will bring you more joy. Once you start doing this you can then start being like your idols. You can get busy building on your style and free your time so that you can focus on yourself where you deserve it; growing your love, money, or health.

I have had a love affair with fashion that lasted longer than most, and will always linger, but at some point, the truth must be accepted about where we stand in the world of fashion and I am a messenger or reminder of the good ol’ plain truth. Fashion is about human expression by way of the style you create through the clothes you wear, not how much money you spend or what label it carries. Everything else is just to manipulate you into buying something and playing on how you feel about yourself. Remember that. And please, be yourself, because everyone else…is honestly just looking like everyone else!!

Be unique. That is the soul of fashion. 70% of the rivers and lakes in Chia contaminated by 2.5 billion gallons of wastewater produced by the textile industry*5 is NOT fashion. That is genocide. And you’re funding it. Pay attention. The time is RIGHT. NOW.

FILMS TO EDUCATE YOURSELF

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyysJFGh5Hc

SWEATSHOP: DEADLY FASHION

SWEATSHOP 2: HUNT FOR A LIVING WAGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62hzRLrXvwY

CHINA BLUE

BITTER SEEDS (Every 30 minutes a farmer in India Kills himself)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVPkAH9TCRU