I have a crazy idea

My friend Shelly had this brilliant point that it doesn't come down to what clothes you own, oh no, it comes down to how you style your clothes.

Thus brings up the fashion vs. style argument. Fashion (to me) is labels and trends vs. style which is expression and attitude.

It's never worrying what to pack no matter where you are going because when you arrive you know you will look great. You will look great because you are staying true to yourself.

Some days I have awesome style. I put clothes together that exude confidence on me. Some days, just feel awkward.

My crazy idea is why not take pictures of your best outfits, tack it on your closet wall and use it as a quick reference guide for pulling an ensemble?

Huh? What do you think?

Some Really Really Good Advice

DON'T BUY LUXURIES UNLESS YOU HAVE THE CASH

Don't take out a bigger loan to buy that BMW (when a Honda will just do)

Don't buy those Jimmy Choos with your credit card

Don't take out money from your retirement to go on vacation (bad! bad! bad!)

It's simple but good advice a good rule.We covet, fantasize and ogle over those luxe goods but the one thing, the one thing to remember is:
Luxuries are special because they are rare. When you make splurging a habit, luxuries start losing their glimmer.

Keep them to a minimum.
My trick is to pair classics with one luxe accessory that is my trademark. Like my vintage Gucci watch. I take good care of it and wear it with everything. You only need one. My theory is if you overkill the labels in one outfit, they start cancelling each other out.

-Tiff

Planning 1 Month Ahead of Time

Hello,

Although it's only the 26th, I've went past my monthly budget. The plan is to have enough money left over to roll over into a ROTH IRA, stocks, an emergency fund and, if I am lucky, a vacations/splurges fund.

I won't give figures of what my budget was or how much I was planning to save but I initially went $30 over.

Some of you may be thinking "well $30? that's not that bad." But the whole point of a budget is that it has to be concrete. Definite and Precise. An end all, say all of what you can spend in a month including fixed and variable expenses. You can spend less, always, but not a penny more!!

What happens if you're car breaks down or your boyfriend surprises you with a weekend get away? Then use the money in your emergency or vacations fund. Then immediately start rebuilding it back. That's what they are there for! What you have in those saved away funds gives you figure of what you can spend in those situations.

Well, then I needed some bins and a shoe rack from Target and then I bought some books to read on the airplane so now I'm about $150 over budget. Great. I'm such a hypocrite.

On top of that, there are some medical bills I would like to pay off because the longer you wait the more detrimental it is to your credit score (which will cost you hundreds by the point in the future.)

So my plan is to take that out of next month's budget. To come into August with the mindset that I have $500 less to spend on movies, clothes, food etc... touch but doable and very necessary.

Anticipating is part of the strategy. When you do your budgeting for the month, anticipate what needs to be paid next month, also anticipate what you want ( a new handbag? new face cream?) and make sure you have enough dough. Don't have enough? Delay gratification and spread out your purchases. Do you really need that new Louis that bad?! Will you be just as happy without it? Also, don't forget any upcoming trips/concerts/special occasions because if you don't set a spending amount you'll usually spend a lot more than you expected. eeek

Clothing Diet?

Have you read this in the NY Times?

Shoppers on a 'Diet' tame their urge to buy

Some do it for the challenge, some do it to save money, some just don't want to think about what to wear in the morning anymore.

6 items for a whole month seem a little extreme to me. I could probably do it with 20? 30?

Although I've realized that's what I practically do every week. I fit a week's worth of clothes in a carry-on. I consider myself a professional packer now.

Here's a  list of what I would typically pack for a 5 day business casual trip:

1. White Brooks Brother's button-up
2. Black silk pleated skirt
3. Red gap cardigan
4. Khaki pencil skirt
5. Floral silk top with flutter sleeve
6. Black flats
7. Black pumps
8. Long Tous pearl necklace
9. Pair of gold earrings
10. Thick black belt

For me, the simpler the better based and on everyday classics. I like to keep my style clean but feminine. And comfort is a must! Running through the airport in painful heels is hell. duh.

The first day I would probably wear the BB's button up with the pleated skirt and Tous necklace and flats. Add the red cardigan buttoned up belted at the waist without the necklace but with heels and the earrings and you have another look.

I manage to change it up every week with different dresses/pieces/colors/accessories/outerwear.

But some of the guys got this 6 pieces a month down to a science. They leave 3 shirts and 3 pairs of pants at the dry cleaners Friday to have them cleaned over the weekend and when they fly back on Monday, they just pick them up on the way to the office.

It's been a while...

I was going to drop this blog completely when my life went crazy. Crazy in a good way and crazy in a bad way. Mainly work took over my life, there were a lot of deadlines to hit and a lot of late nights at the office (while pigging out on Indian food.) 


I was a city coordinator for the UNICEF Tap Project in D.C. On top working 15 hours a day at the office, I was spending another 10-12 hours a week coordinating volunteers, planning events, publicizing the cause and recruiting restaurants. Very rewarding and a great success. I'll post pictures later.


And on top of all that, staying connected with friends, maintaining my relationship, visiting my parents (to let them know I'm alive,) trying to NOT have my health go to hell and I joined a new group called SCYPS. 


SCYPS stands for Supply Chain Young Professionals Society. Check us out here 


I've had some time to think about what I was doing and what I was trying to accomplish here.


Not shopping for a whole year sounded good on paper, it also sounded kinda gimmicky. 


That did not happen. In fact, I shopped a lot. I like shopping, I like clothes. Cutting myself cold turkey is like being on a diet and not having one nibble of chocolate. Simply, I did not have the discipline. There I admitted it.


What did I buy? Everything. Shoes, purses, scarves, hats, chunky necklaces, dresses, silky tops, creamy wool jackets...etc... AND IT WAS HEAVENLY.


But lately, I've been shopping less. A lot less. And being a lot more frugal in general. And it dawned on me, there aren't a lot of personal financial role models out there fore women. There are a lot of career role models ( I am heavily inspired by the women in my own family) and fashion role models like Carrie Bradshaw, Alexa Chung, Heidi Klum and Gwyneth Paltrow. But have you noticed, we're not all multi-millionaire celebrities who could drop 5 figures on a piece of clothing but probably get tons of free samples from designers anyway?!


Why do we mere mortal everyday women do you not spend more time talking about our finances?! We work so hard for our money, isn't it about time we respect our paychecks and do us a favor by saving first, investing smart and spending carefully? Maybe because it's a faux pas to talk about dollars and sense with your girlfriends, you may look cheap or greedy or insensitive. 


It's also a little dry. Talking about your favorite stock tips and mutual funds isn't as fun as talking about Lindsey Lohan's jail sentence or what new French bistro place everyone has to try. 


There is also the impression that today's modern successful woman has to have it all. Yes, life is hard but we can handle it and then we reward ourselves with Louis Vuitton bags, luxurious vacations and piles of shoes. There's a recesion but it's a fundamental belief we invest in. We support each other in it. When we go shopping and our girlfriend asks us if she should get that BCBG black cutout cocktail dress, do we go "yes it looks so  cute on you, you should totally get it" OR do we go  "can you afford it?" Awkward. 


But let's not kid ourselves any longer. Wardrobe Rework is now my journey on becoming a personal finance guru. It's a new mentality. It's forming a new lifestyle that's not just a quick response to the recession but a series of changes where I come out as a happier, healthier and wealthier person :-D

Copy Dries Van Noten's Spring Look

The ethnic trend continued strong with Dries Van Noten's Spring 2010 look in rich luxe fabrics and asian motifs.

They masterfully mixed silky prints in bold colors melting Indian, Chinese, African and classic American culture together.

So how can you copy this designer look for thousands of dollars less?

Try heading down to your local flea market (here we have the Eastern Markets by the Hill,) Asian goods store in your mall or even your local Asian grocery store for traditional jackets, dresses and pajama pants. Many of them stock cheap ethnic basics such as silk Qi Paos, unisex jackets and kungfu uniforms.

If you're lucky enough, there might even be a World's Market with plenty of African tribal jewelry, scarves and totes.

Still no luck? Go online to Asian supergoods sites such as http://www.pearlriver.com/ (the original store is in NYC's Chinatown) and http://www.eaststore.com/

A 'Mighty Michelle' shopping tote from Pearl River

 

Unisex Jacket from Pearl River $39.50

 

 Tai Chi Shoes $6, Pearl River

Style your new finds with neutral basics like the looks above such as khaki trousers, black jackets and gray knits.

A silk embroidered jacket with frog clasps that was gift from my mom. I wear this over my basic shift dresses.

Accessories I've picked up over the years from vintage stores and flea markets.

Hello Kitty Accessories for the Busy Travelling Professional

I'm reverting back to my 10 year old self with these adorable Hello Kitty Accessories @ Target. I'm finding any excuse to buy everything but these finds are necessary for any busy travelling working beauty junkie!

Hello Kitty iTouch cover for $14.24

Hello Kitty Wireless Mouse $24.99

I actually really dig the nail files for only $1.99, great for throwing in your purse and fixing that chipped nail on the go

Hello Kitty Cosmetics Case Set for $9.99

They also have these Hello Kitty bubble gum scented cleansing hand wipes packs that come with 20 wipes for only $1.99. They're actually my favorite because consultants are germ-a-phobes who are constantly wiping down their laptops, backpacks, luggage, hands, shoes etc...

And these all can be found at Target.