The Lies of Sales

Sales lie to us. And thus - we lie to ourselves.

Let's take a normal girl conversation:
Girl #1: Cute Shoes, Girl #2!
Girl #2: Thank you, I got them at NordstromRack
Girl #1: I heard they are having a sale!?
Girl #2: Yes! It's great! I saved $50 on these shoes - they were only $250!
Girl #1: Wow, that is a great deal, you saved a ton!

Does no one know what "Save" means anymore!?

From a dictionary.com:
save ¹

v. saved, sav·ing, saves

v.tr.

1.

a. To rescue from harm, danger, or loss.

b. To set free from the consequences of sin; redeem.

2. To keep in a safe condition; safeguard.

3. To prevent the waste or loss of; conserve.

4. To avoid spending (money) so as to keep or accumulate it.

5. To set aside for future use; store

v.intr.

1. To avoid waste or expense; economize.

2. To accumulate money:

Where does this say "Spend $250 at Nordstrom Rack"? Granted, I am just as guilty of this. Any girl is proud of themselves when they save money. But let's not kid ourselves - we aren't saving for a rainy day when we spend "less than the tag price" on a pair of shoes. Odds are we took that money that we "saved" and spent it on a pair of flats anyways. Either that, or we wouldn't have spent the full amount. Therefore we just got NICER shoes for the same that we would have spent....

Maybe everytime we make a "save" by spending less at a store than expected, we should take that money and put it in the bank. Then at least we are lowering our shopping addiction and increasing our bank account - the way we SHOULD be saving. Anyone game to try?

The New Approach: Enter into the world of realistic shopping

"Window Shopping". We are all guilty of doing it. Sure its fine to go shopping and not buy anything, but how often do we find something that we simply CAN'T live without and make it our personal mission to buy it? We justify it and reason why we deserve or need it (I mean, I could wear it out at night and during the day... it completely makes an outfit.... I will bring my lunch to work for a week) or just chalk it up to a "impulsive buy" and purchase our good. (in my case? it tends to be shoes.. but everyone has their vice)

The other problem with unrealistic shopping is increased expectations. It's the same thing we have been doing to ourselves since we were in middle school. We would hang posters on our walls from Teen People of amazingly built actors and drool over the abercombie bag models.We then go to school the next day and hit with the realization that boys in middle school are not much more than "scrawny" at that age.

If you spend all day staring at Michael Kors, your DSW and Payless shoes are going to much less of an appeal. Why look at $4000 apartments "just for fun" only to make your 600 sq foot mini-place feel even more subpar.

This is probably a harder task than it seems, but I have to admit, realistic shopping might just have its perks. Be happy with what you have and don't always want that beautiful pair of stilettos in the window....

Help! I can't afford a work wardrobe

Work clothes. Those perfectly pressed pants, pencil skirts, and sharp button down that just screams "Screw Kelly Clarkson, I am the new Miss Independent". Sigh.

When I think "work clothes", my mind instantly goes to Banana Republic (my personal love), Ann Taylor Loft, Saks off Fifth, Nordstrom Rack,  and JCrew. These are the ideal work clothes that makes every working girl feel like shes "made it". They are also the safe outfits of choice that you KNOW will fit in with your new job in the office. Heres the problem: ONE pair of trousers will set you back $85 at Banana, and $250 at JCrew. ONE blouse? $70 and $100 respectively. And that just gets you through Monday!

DON'T DO IT GIRLS!

Secrets to Success?
1. Don't think of it as a "Wardrobe". If you are starting a new job, you don't need a whole month's worth of outfits, just enough to make it through the first few days so you can see what the other girls are wearing. Sure would stink to buy tons of jackets and find out that everyone in the office emphasizes the CASUAL of dressy casual.
2. Target and Old Navy? you are looking at your new best friends! Who says you need to buy a cardigan from Loft when you can get the same one from Old Navy for cheaper? Best part is.. no one knows but you.
3. That doesn't mean you can't steal inspiration. Check out JCrew's website. See what is "instyle" for work, and let that help you wade through the "is this okay for work?" questions you are bound to have.
4. Sale shop. You are going to work for years, you can wait until the blouse goes on sale before you buy it.
5. Beware of the Dry Clean Only. This saves you $40 a week! Too late? well try not to make too much of a mess and you can wear your pants more than once.
6. Ask around. Every job is different, every office. Ask what is the normal work attire for the office from a friend who works their. Or read the manual- most companies seem to have the dress code rules laid out. When in doubt? go conservative.

Stretch your money. In the long run, it is better to have a week's worth of clothes instead of just clothes for Monday. (And good luck to Kelly O on her new job- the inspiration for this post!)

What do you think? Ideas? Other tips? Where do you get your work clothes?

The Rotating Shirt System: Maybe boys are actually on to something

I am sure you have all heard about this system- the guys in my office talk about it all the time. They have all of their shirts lined up in their closet and then they simply go down the row and pick the next shirt "in line". So simple, yet so genius.

Is it possible for girls to implement this system? I do not think that boys are always right (especially not with fashion), but they really could be on to something here:

How much time do we waste everyday trying to "pickout our clothes"?
1. I  start with "what I feel like wearing", which always tends to be the same three things (which I sadly can't wear everyday).
2. Am I having a fat day or a skinny day? This causes way to much internal reflection for 8am anyways.
3. Did I wear that color yesterday? Or three times this week already?
4. Do I have shoes to wear with this? (Is there anyway I can pull together yet another outfit that I can wear by red heels with?)
5. Do I have jewlery?
6. Can I find an undershirt tank top/matching pants/stylish belt, etc?

If I could come up with 15 outfits (that I probably already have in my closet, but get pushed to the back because "I never feel like wearing blue"), I could have a different outfit every day without even thinking about when I wore that sweater last. Could this work?

I shared this theory with one of the guys from work (Richard) who is on this "rotating system". He explained that it would work even better if he washed his clothes after every use. (Ew. Mental note to self, try not to sit next to Richard on his second or third round).  Ladies- who is in for trying the rotating shirt system and enjoying an extra 10 minutes of sleep a night? Guys- please try to wash your clothes more often.