Sameness Encourages Differences

I love looking at the results of my blog visitors by country. It is exciting to imagine who, from where and how visitors come upon my website. Whether by accident or by design, it doesn't matter. It just proves how small the world is when we factor in the world wide web.

Jolie and Pitt in Yves St. Laurent tuxedos. Photo Credit: Getty Images
Photo Source: HollywoodTake. Retrieved February 25, 2015

And so it is when we dress. We can all potentially dress the same because designers of world wide renown can be used as the standard in what is the epitome of expenditure in our closets. The majority of the modern western world recognizes Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and so on. Two people on either side of the globe can buy the exact same latest Armani suit but how they wear it and with what is where the differences begin. Angelina Jolie is going to wear the same suit or tuxedo a whole lot differently than me or her husband!

Kate Hudson, American actress and Lily Allen, English singer/actress
in Louis Vuitton. Photo Source: Acid Cow Retrieved February 25, 2015

We have evolved socially and historically, from when dress demonstrated which village, which district, which geographical area you were a resident of and to which social strata you belonged. We are now more individualistic, more democratic and more global since we live and work all over the world. That being said, from the "sameness" individual differences develop. 

Interestingly, because of worldwide designer availability and a more democratic access to designers, the unfortunate might happen, at the same event no less.

Photo Source: The Mirror: Fashion Faux Pas as Wedding Guest Turns up to Ceremony in Same Coat as Kate Middleton.
Featured in the article by Richard Hartley-Parkinson. Retrieved February 25, 2015

What are you wearing?

If you take the time to comment, please let me know what part of the world you are commenting from.

What kind of comfortable?

Comfortable is often associated with casual; but really don't we want comfort in all our clothing whether it be formal, business or casual?

What is the difference between casual and comfortable? Jeans are casual but are they always the most comfortable? Not wearing a tie is considered casual but if everyone else is wearing a tie, how comfortable will you be in that setting? Wearing revealing clothing in the workplace can be terribly uncomfortable. Going to a formal event in a pants and top may be comfortable insofar as ease with which to move but I doubt you would be comfortable in casual clothing in that setting.

As with all debatable points, we need a definition.


Comfort Defined: 

Physical Comfort: no binding or tightness around the waist, chest, thighs, really anywhere on the body; ease of movement

Psychological Comfort: appropriate dress for the occasion

Emotional Comfort: relaxed and happy with what you are wearing

Social Comfort: feeling good no matter who you are with; not feeling self-conscious

Economic Comfort: directly related to occupation and profession combining appropriate dress for the occasion, place and people

Source: Izquotes. Retrieved Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2014

The Comfort Solution: a good fit. There are those who are simply wearing their clothing too small. Perhaps 10 pounds ago their clothing was a comfortable fit but that was 10 pounds ago. A button down tailored shirt can be as comfortable as a sweatshirt as long as it is the right size. This is one of the problems men face when wearing a seldom worn suit to a formal occasion. Very often the collar size is too small on the shirt and he might be trying to get into a suit that he bought five years ago for his sister's wedding. Then they complain that they don't like wearing suits. Most discomfort comes from ill fitting clothing.

Comfort is in the sensory perception of the wearer.

- JoyD

One of the Basics: Pencil Skirts

 NICE: a Classic - the Pencil Skirt

Photo: JoyD

Being a particular height, or vertically challenged by some judgements, has made the quest for the "long" look a lifetime challenge. As far as skirts are concerned, to give the illusion of height, we tend to choose monochromatic colours, match leg colour to shoe, and go long and narrow as opposed to wide and flouncy. The pencil skirt is the most flattering basic choice one can make if you are 5'4" or under. 

When I had a more professional role, many of those skirts were teamed with jackets because I believed I should compensate for my height and age with a skirted suit. I no longer have to worry about the age concern. I am sure that 90% of the skirts that I have purchased have been pencil skirts and I can't imagine a different skirt in my future. Those that were not, were seldom worn and soon abandoned.

Victoria Beckham has been credited with giving the pencil skirt a "new spin" on the Vogue website. She wears them below the knee for the most part and she designs them for her collections. Wear it at the knee or just above or below and you have a winner. 

Leave the full flared mid-calf skirt for your taller sisters.

Photo: JoyD

As I review my wardrobe, the pencil skirt exists in many variations. Denim, merino wool, stretch fabrics, cashmere and silk - I've had them in every fabric including polyester blends. 

They may have pleats or slits or adorned with zippers or buckles, but they all are form fitting, although that too can be in varying degrees. I even remember a peplum peach coloured below the knew pencil skirt from the 80s. As I type those words, I am shuddering. That one was turfed long ago. Yet some of my other pencil skirts, in their very basic forms, have survived the years.

Photo Source: Hugo Boss Pencil Skirt Saks 5th Avenue

The simplest classic style never seems to go out of fashion. Those pink asymmetrical or peach peplum styles, even if they are called pencil skirts are not classic. A skirt such as the Hugo Boss one in the photo will last a lifetime in your closet. Even the pencil skirt needs to be discarded if the length is no longer becoming to your age or there are too many revealing slits - or attached peplums - or too many added adornments. Sorry friends, but the older you are, you should stick to the longer classic style. Remember it is all a matter of proportion. Basically leave the minis to the twenty-somethings.

Denim skirt with front slit. Photo: JoyD

NO THANKS: Although this skirt is still in my closet, it needs to be thrown out. It is too short and with the front slit, too dated to still be an option. Why is it still in my closet? I'm not sure. Nostalgia? It won't be there long. I promise.

You Can Get an App for That: Technology Assisted Shopping

We already experience targeted advertising every time we log in or surf in what would now be considered "old fashioned" access. No matter what website I visit or what I write about in this blog, there is a technologically assisted response regarding the potential products that I might purchase. However, if online advertising had to depend on the likes of me, they would not be as successful.

Don't get me wrong, I do respond to advertising. The Bay told me that they would give me 25% off on all sleepwear. I wanted a new pair of pyjamas and so I went to the store because I wanted them immediately, not in 3 shipping days. However the fine print further informed me . . . but not on particular brand names, and not on any price ending in .99. Well . . . of course, whatever I wanted came under the exempted articles listed in their print flyer. Nonetheless, they got me there and I did buy something and it wasn't 25% off. They succeeded; I was duped. And it doesn't matter that I feel duped, the money is in their cash register.

Technology's purpose is to make life easier and those who create and spin, have outdone themselves in the shopping genre.

Shopping . . . there's an app for that. Your favourite retail storefront probably has an app that will give you the scoop on sale items or even offer you special savings just because you are using their app. In most cases, these are free. I can't imagine a retail outlet charging the consumer. Mind you, credit card companies do it all the time - charge you, that is, for using their card.

You can get an app that allows you to load and use your loyalty cards in a more organized way. No more aggravation with trying to find them in your wallet. How convenient . . . 

You can get an app for your email promotions so that they can all go into one folder but they may already be organized well enough in your junk folder.

Looking for something special? You can get an app to red flag particular deals. 

It is Twitter and Facebook where stores put their newest deals and wait for appropriate responses, that is to further their advertising scope by having you tell your friends. Eventually someone will buy.

Then there's Ebates - a portal that allows you to shop the different registered retailers and then get rebates. You get a quarterly cheque for shopping through the portal. What is something really worth when the investors along with everyone in the middle and their employees are making their share of the profit margin and the buyers are also getting rebates?

I fear I could be moving toward being an "electronic device" hermit if I continue these thoughts . . .  I wonder, can I get an app for that?

Would Price Maintenance Keep it Real?

Closet Analysis: Real or fake?

I know it sounds downright undemocratic and perhaps by some, even immoral; but sometimes I think, especially with high-end luxury items, that there should be stricter control for price maintenance. That essentially means that all retailers must sell at a producer-determined minimum resale price so that a "designer name item" would be the same price no matter where you bought it - in Paris or in Vancouver or in Singapore or in Las Vegas. This already holds true with most registered/authorized retailers. In fact, many luxury manufacturers will tell you that their products are only available at authorized dealers and at their "name brand" boutiques. The only way you would get a better deal would be determined by the value of the Canadian dollar, the Euro, the American dollar and whatever other currency value. Presently, if a Canadian thinks there are better deals in Europe for designer products, you are wrong, since to buy a Euro will cost you more in exchange.

With price maintenance, there would be no discount vendors selling designer products. Never mind, I lost my head for a moment . . . however, this brings us to a discussion of knock-offs. Do you know exactly what you are buying? If you bought your Louis Vuitton bag online at a discount price, can you be sure it is a Louis Vuitton bag? Deborah L. Jacobs, lawyer and journalist, has written some great articles for Forbes to help you out.

Fake Gucci Handbag purchased in China. Photo by JoyD.

 A friend recently came from China with two Gucci purses, both with trademark markings. They appeared well made with full lining and real leather. 

Two features on this bag tell me it is fake, albeit a well-made fake. Both deal with the finishing. Wayward threads on the handles would never be found on a genuine bag and very often, zippers would have trademarked hardware whereas this one has leather end straps.

Wayward threads on fake Gucci handbag handles. Photo by JoyD.

Leather zipper ends and pulls on fake Gucci handbag. Photo by JoyD.

When I asked where exactly he bought them, he was evasive - "from a reputable dealer", he said. If you don't buy luxury products in registered/authorized retail outlets, whether online or storefront, you are probably not getting what you think you are getting. Know this: even the fakes differ in quality and higher end fakes will cost you dearly, maybe not what a designer controlled bag would cost but still more than a leather and canvas bag is worth. It is one thing to buy a knock-off from a street vendor for 20 Euros, knowing full well it is a knock-off, and quite another, buying what you believe is a true luxury product from a reputable vendor. The vendor may be "reputable" but not "registered/authorized". I believe the old adage, if it's too good to be true, it probably is. Another Forbes article tells you How to Spot a Fake Designer Handbag. I don't know if price maintenance would make a difference in the whole knock-off industry. It might just give the scammers more of a profit margin. 

Тhe business of luxury goods, short of registered/authorized retailers, is open for questionable tactics. This is definitely a case of buyer beware.

I've written about luxury brand products before .  .  . take a look . . . 
Unsatisfied with Luxury Brand Merchandise?
Fashion Design Copies
Designer Trademarks

Fix It Up First, Then Wear It

Know the worst before you go out! 

- Elsie de Wolf

In other words, look in the mirror and pay attention to what you see - panty lines or saggy butts, muffin tops or oversized sloppiness, a button missing or a stain. Whether something is too tight or too big, only a full size mirror reflects the true image. If you tell me that you don't care what other people think - fine. What do you think of your own "look"?  Shrugging your shoulders and saying you don't care in this instance won't do. If you leave your place creating excuses in case someone points out the falling hem, then you do care and you should change into something else. It is better to be seen twice in the same immaculate item, then once in something shabby. It seems that the human psyche registers the negative more quickly and for some reason remembers it more profoundly. That negative whatever in your clothing ends up coming back to haunt you for the rest of the day.

NEED: If you have made any clothing or closet resolutions, bringing your clothing to functional and aesthetic flawlessness is the most important. See my January 21, 2015 post. Without even looking in my closet, I know that my black blazer is missing a button on the sleeve, my sheepskin jacket needs to be replaced - it is beyond fixing, the hem is sagging on my navy sheath dress, my black boots need polishing, there are two un-ironed shirts that have been hanging in my closet for the last month . . . OMG! 

Speaking of haunting me for the rest of the day, it's time to take some of my own advice . . . 

Buyer's Remorse

Remorse, the fatal egg that pleasure laid. 

- William Cowper

There is quite a bit written about "buyer's remorse", which is post-purchase regret, as described by a variety of contributors to Wikipedia. Regret comes from guilt and fear and it is no different when it comes to purchases. 

Relative to clothing, we may feel guilty that we bought a cashmere sweater when the money may have been better spent elsewhere; or we admonish ourselves for buying a more luxurious item when a fleece functions similarly; or we may question our own rationale or a sales associate's determination when reflecting on the purchase as it hangs unworn in our closets.

I have seen the consequences of both guilt and fear. Both emotions render the persons incapable of functioning "normally" and inspire self-fulfilling prophecy. It's not as simple as "think it and it will materialize"; yet the roots of remorse seem to bring on more of the same.

In what ways can you overcome buyer's remorse and not be threatened by it again:

1. Know what is in your closet and know what you need or want. Analyze it for what you truly need or for what will update your look without buying more than you really need. Buyer's remorse is reduced when you buy something that meets several criteria/goals that you believe are necessary to fulfill.

2. Stop buying online. Funny that I am suggesting that, considering I would like you to contact me if any of my jewellery appeals to you. But truly, there is greater opportunity to buy what you do not need and therefore to feel greater remorse when buying online. If you have to dress, drive, park and pay, and search through several stores, your decisions will be more rational than simply sitting in the comfort of your home and waiting for the article to arrive.

2. One more time - ask yourself if you really need it. If you feel remorseful at any time, you are probably the type that will always come up with better ways to spend your money. Give yourself a good reason or two why you need the item and sabotage the remorse.

3. Analyze your remorse. If at any point you feel any remorse at all, put the item on and decide whether you really love it (will it bring you pleasure despite your guilt) or do you need to return the item. The point about the guilt is that you need to "get over it" in a functional way. Wear it; don't let it sit and stare at you from between the other items in your closet. If you still are overwhelmed with any guilt, whether purchased online or at a storefront, make the effort to return it. If you are not wearing it, the guilt increases; you then feel guilty for not wearing it, in addition to the original guilt you felt after you bought it. Good grief!

There is no person so severely punished, as those who subject themselves to the whip of their own remorse. 

- Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Others have also read:
"Sale" Induced Over-Buying, December, 2014

Luxury Found in an Organized Closet

NEED

Luxury is anything you don't need, right? I mean, you need food, water, clothing, shelter . . . but good wine, good food, beautiful interiors, nice clothes; those aren't necessities, they are luxuries - it's all luxury.

- Marc Jacobs

We need to surround ourselves with beautiful things to appreciate and nurture the beauty in the world. If your closets are a mess and you are annoyed because you can't find what you want without rifling through the entire length of your closet, your annoyance affects your mood and ultimately your attitude to life; at least life for that day. When you do finally find what you were looking for, you discover a stain or a missing button or a hem that has ravelled. Now, you are not only annoyed, you are angry. Your mood affects everything you continue doing and consequently everyone you meet. "I'm having a bad day," you proclaim, in hopes that you will be pardoned for any bad behaviour. 

There's something to be said about stopping and smelling the roses and straightening out your closet. Roses are beautiful, a luxury. Buy some and put them in full view on the first day that you decide to attack the closet and take time to go and take a whiff.

The first thing you should not do is take out everything in your closet and throw it on the bed. Please, do not do that. Approach the closet in tiny steps. Make organizing your closet, a week-long, or even a month-long project. If it's been a mess for awhile, what's another few days?

Here are some general recommendations that you can interpret in a way that makes you comfortable and productive.

1. Categorize. Pants together, sweaters, tops, dresses, shirts, skirts - don't worry about sub-categories yet, just get everything that is the same together. Once that is done, then you can separate into colours within the clothing type. 

2. Get rid of wire hangers. Buy several packages of hangers that are all the same. For some reason, the same white, blue or beige plastic or decorator hangers bring a cohesive backdrop to the closet.

3. Sort by Function & Need. Now that you have everything looking organized, it's time to sort into another sub-category - function. If you have not worn something for over a year, put it aside. One more set of sub-categories for the stuff you haven't worn - garbage, give away, re-sale via consignment or Kijiji. 

4. Clean & Fix. The last thing to do is - clean, iron and mend. Those clothes that you have set aside for re-sale need this attention before you truck them to the consignment shop or post them online. Again this is something that could take you the next month or have someone else do it. Drycleaners and seamstresses need your business too.

For those of you who have perfectly organized closets - bravo! However, for the others, depending on whether you assign an hour a day or an hour a week to this project, it will feel good just to get started. You'll get it done - one small step at a time. And the result is pure luxury translated into time and temperament. You definitely will appreciate the luxury a well-organized closet affords and smelling the roses becomes more of a pleasure.

I am going to make everything around me beautiful - that will be my life.

- Elsie de Wolf

Prepping for Spring Sales: Asymmetrical Pairs

I have been preparing for my spring jewellery sales and have been enamoured by asymmetrical pairs of earrings. I have always had a few in my collections for the artists who buy from me; however this year the popular trends in jewellery have included the slightly offbeat askew look. Check out the asymmetrical look at Bazaar.

I love it and I love the idea of balancing the imbalance. My favourite pair at the moment is made from a vintage brooch and matching earring set. As with many items I collect, there is always something missing. In this case one earring and a brooch were all I found in a bag of abandoned treasures. Re-creating the asymmetrical look with a foundling earring is not really challenging, just a matter of luck. Here are my first three pairs:

Vintage 50s Re-Purposed Brooch and Earrings
Asymmetrical Earrings, Spring, 2015
Photo by JoyD, January, 2015

Psychedelic 60s Geometric Singleton Earring
matched with new colour coordinated beads.
Asymmetrical Earrings, Spring, 2015
Photo by JoyD, January, 2015

New Pendants Re-Purposed Earrings
Asymmetrical Earrings, Spring, 2015
Photo by JoyD, January, 2015

Of course, you may contact me to arrange purchase for any of my work. I do not have my pieces for sale anywhere else online. It is only through personal contact that I make my pieces available.

Navy with Brown and Navy with Black

NICE: Brown and Navy

Navy double breasted blazer with thin brown stripe purchased
 at Holt Renfrew, Calgary.
Photo by JoyD.

Placing these two colour combinations together is not a typical choice but a good while back I had the good fortune to buy a navy blazer that had a subtle brownish vertical stripe. In the photograph, that brown stripe is barely noticeable but when I complemented it with a brown cowl-neck top, it seemed perfect. (Speaking of photographs, the wall is supposed to be the white on the left. Photography is all about capturing the light and PhotoShop.) I have avoided buying brown for a very long time. As a brunette I never felt it did much for me; however this particular combination proved me wrong. I still would not buy a complete brown ensemble but there is room in my closet for brown boots, brown shoes, a brown skirt and my brown cowl neck top to be worn with navy of course or black.

NICE: Black and Navy

Sandro black tuxedo blazer with navy and black
geometric patterned body. Purchased at Sandro,
outlet mall in Romans-sur-Isere, France.
Photo by JoyD.

Before I left France, I was at a Sandro store where I purchased a navy and black blazer. Over the holiday season I probably wore it more often than perhaps I should have. It just seems to fit so many different situations, from lunch to dinner out to meeting a friend. The tuxedo styling allows dressing it up with a little black dress or a little navy dress. I have done both. The double breasted blazer in brown and navy is much more work style than going out style. However, topping skinny blue jeans with either blazer is an option for a less formal situation. 

The whole idea of wearing a base colour, either black, brown or navy, which are all neutrals, still is a strong part of our thinking when we plan our closets, especially for business wear. What is important is that now we can wear them together. Black and brown, black and navy, brown and navy are all allowed. Add grey and camel, another two neutrals, and all can be combined. But here I resurrect an old fashion rule - only two together at a time. I find that putting a bright primary colour with two of the neutrals is quite enough. But of course, there are always exceptions. 

Pajama Day on a Frigid Sunday

"granny" shawl knitted
by ShirleyB
Photo by JoyD

What better way to spend a Sunday, particularly a Sunday that is -37 degrees Celsius with a windchill making it -50, than in your pajamas all day long. Usually Christmas Day is my annual-must-have pajama day; however with guests and dinner, it didn't happen on the 25th. Today is perfect. Added to the pajamas are knitted socks and what I call a "granny shawl" as I sit and read, write or play online games. Just to make the day a tad productive, I have a pot of beans on and checking it every once in awhile makes it a perfect day. My husband decided to bake bread and so all is well with the world even at -50.

I usually use my camel coloured cashmere shawl as my "granny shawl", a shawl worn while sitting indoors, in an armchair, in a sunroom or on a veranda - I'm sure you can picture the scene. But this year, a friend who knits gifted me with an honest to goodness "granny shawl". I need to start referring to this new item in my closet as a "bed shawl" or a "pajama day shawl" (the word "granny" can wait for a few years), reminiscent of the bed jackets that were popular from the 1930s to the 50s.

Google Image retrieved from Retro Revival, 4/1/15.

A vintage bed jacket is another possibility if you are into pajama days. Cindy, who writes a blog named Retro Revival, informs us that bed jackets were worn when you had breakfast in bed or received guests while still in bed. These are definitely not occurrences in my lifestyle. As for receiving guests, this would be a fine addition even now if you happen to be in the hospital. That's the only place I imagine I would ever receive meals or guests while in bed. And of course it would be infinitely better than the "johnny gown" (see number 9 in my post about Illness and Dressing).

A vintage bed jacket may just become a NEED on my 2015 closet list.

Resolutions for Fitness & Fashion

NECESSARY

I like New Year's resolutions. They allow me to asses what is working in my life and what I could do well enough to dispense with. But I don't only make resolutions on New Year's Day. If you have visited this blog before you know that I have made a Buy Nothing Day resolution on what we know here as Black Friday, that post American Thanksgiving Day sale, which it seems the entire world is now adopting. That one is going well and my only transgression was buying some Salt Spring Island goat cheese for a salad I was making for a dinner party on one Saturday out of four so far. Not bad. Since New Year's often brings wishes of prosperity, I shall retain this resolution and attempt to maintain it for 2015.

Walking with my husband in France. Photo by JoyD.

Yet another resolution that many make is one to do with fitness. This one is evident by the number of gym memberships purchased the first week in January. I start out relatively well and then I move to France and lose complete control of my fitness schedule. Being in France for six months is not an excuse at all but somehow my routine there doesn't include fitness in the same way. I walk, maybe stroll is a better word; but there is no gym membership, and I certainly don't walk enough to make a difference. I now carry four extra kilos that proves my point. Of course, you know where I am going with this . . . 

A fit healthy body - that is the best fashion statement. 

- Jess C. Scott

That statement along with, "nothing tastes as good as losing 5 kilos feels" will complement my fitness goals in 2015.

It takes me a good week to think through and commit to any New Year's resolutions. I wish you well with yours and you might consider commenting, resolving, and coming back to this post to remind yourself of any you might make for this year.

Wishing you happiness, prosperity and fulfilment of your goals in 2015.

It Just Doesn't Stop . . .

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Green Monday, Pre-Holiday Sales, Boxing Day, Boxing Week Reductions, Post-Holiday Sales . . . it just doesn't stop . . . what is the "real" price of anything?

I never really paid attention to the inundation of targeted sales propaganda but now with my Buy Nothing Day resolution I seem more aware of all these commercial entities telling me that they are offering me the best prices ever. My electronic devices deliver "buy something" messages constantly: Monday - spend $25.00, get 10% off; Tuesday - buy 4, get one free; Wednesday - buy 3 get 3 free (the lowest priced 3 that is); Thursday - if I spend any amount I get a free gift; Friday - buy 1 and get a something or buy 2 and get something bigger; Saturday and Sunday - up to 65% off but only this weekend; and if you didn't take advantage of the sales last week, you can this week with 50% off selected items in the store and so the weeks rotate with some such variety of shallow promises enticing me to buy, buy, buy.

Reclaim control of your consumer life, of your wants and needs. Buy what you need and do not be fooled into the false satisfaction that you got something for nothing. 

I have written about buying less before. Check your closets and your pantry before you buy another thing!

A Gift to One's Self

Part of the Stash. Photo by JoyD.

A former jewellery maker and client called me last week and asked if I had anything left in my pre-Christmas inventory of jewellery. But of course - Bien sur! When I sell, I am motivated to create more and so I always have a stash. When she arrived I asked what she needed. "A gift for myself", she responded. 

The beauty of buying from an artisan like me is that you can say, I'd like that chain with this pendant or I would prefer a shorter/longer chain with larger/smaller links and so it goes. She chose the piece with the oversize silver heart that you see in the photo. Because she knows the production process, she asked that I replace the black links with a medium size silver chain link. My sense of balance was slightly nudged but the customer knows what he or she likes. She chose another large black enamel heart but only wanted the pendant and I was able to accommodate there as well. 

This year will not be as profitable as last when I had two major sales before Christmas. Arriving from France the first week in December this year created a void for me. The shows I usually participate in were over and the timing was such that I was unable to organize a gathering of my own. However I am still creating to round out my inventory; I have a commission; and I am planning a March sale. As well the former jewellery maker offered to host a show at her home in the new year.

I enjoy the home environment for shows since I can accommodate many different requests. I bring my tools and extra findings and am able to work as guests are browsing. As well guests have often brought old pieces that they have grown tired of and would like reworked and updated. I receive the most satisfaction from recreating something that has lain dormant in their closets, making it more wearable as a reconstructed piece.

"Junk" jewellery is a challenge. Many people have unwearable bric-a-brac that they pick up as souvenirs, especially when done so on the beach during a warm weather vacation. A woman in Edmonton once brought a bag of wooden souvenir baubles - those inexpensive wooden and shell trinkets that you kick yourself for buying when you get home but still accumulate on every vacation. I combined and recreated them into one statement necklace. She could identify pieces from her mother's Cuban vacation, her sister's gift from Mexico and her own purchases while in Spain along with other warm weather spots. Hers was the reaction I remember the most and from which I received the greatest satisfaction. She told me that she could not believe that the trinkets she was thinking about discarding (and feeling guilty doing so) were so beautiful and meaningful in the combined product. I never did take a photograph of that piece. Too bad.

Often, many pieces that people want reworked are family keepsakes. One woman handed me a green seed bead flower brooch that truly was questionable, insofar as spending the money to reconstruct. She sensed my hesitation and then explained, "I know it's kind of ugly but it has a special meaning to me". I added some metal leaf elements, mounted it asymmetrically on an oval metal disc, added a complementary chain and remade it into a necklace. She now claims that she feels more comfortable wearing it and it no longer languishes in a box under her bed.

Women hang on to the the strangest things - a single earring, a broken necklace, a tangled chain, unwearable, oddball, yet beautiful pieces that sit and wait to be thrown out but somehow never do. We keep them for their beauty and maybe more so, for the memories they evoke. Those were exactly the items I found in a box when going through my mother's estate. I dismantled the lot and reworked them as bracelets that I gave to the granddaughters and even one to a grandson. Now rather than being tossed, they can be worn to bring forth memories of the original owner and perhaps even become heirlooms in their own right.

So now you have an option - instead of discarding, have the pieces remade as a gift to yourself (or someone else) at any time of the year. 

Buy Nothing Saturday #3

This is the third Saturday before Christmas where I promised to buy nothing and all is well. We invited friends for dinner so the day was spent preparing the table and preparing the food. When your mind is occupied with a definite goal, it is easier. As well, I decided to do without something I thought I must have for the dinner. I forgot to buy it yesterday and my husband, who was prepping the veggies and meat, offered to go and pick it up. I declined, saying it was not necessary. How many things do we go out and buy that are truly not necessary? At the very least, this Buy Nothing Day has made me stop and think, do I really need it?

I believe I can manage to maintain this and carry it over to the new year. However in France, I may have to change the day since Saturday is the weekly Ste. Foy La Grande market and much of our grocery shopping takes place there. I suppose I can make food exempt from my Buy Nothing Day because there are many things that tempt a person at the market and that would be a good exercise in self-control, so perhaps my resolution will be to Buy Only Food at the Saturday Market (when I am in France later in 2015). Yes, in fact, that would test my self-control when it comes to buying frivolously.

Those in France who are thinking of a Buy Nothing Day should not include Monday since most independently owned commercial enterprises are closed Monday anyway. Those kind of days do not exist in North America where some stores and malls are open 24/7. Amazing . . . that there are enough people buying to warrant being open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Incroyable!

Are you prepared to include a Buy Nothing Day commitment as part of your New Year's resolutions? Where in the world are you? Let me know.

Dressing Up During the Holiday Season

Nice for Women and Men

Holiday celebrations have been going on since the end of November in my life and each year it seems that they start earlier and continue longer. I said no to an invitation for a large event this year because it coincided with my return from France. Part of my jet lag condition is lethargy and the first couple of days include going to bed at 8:00 PM and rising at 5:00 AM. This schedule does nothing for holiday reverie! However, if I had had the stamina to attend, I would have chosen my little black dress. Besides the holiday season and New Year's, there will be other opportunities to get dressed up since the season extends into February and March with gala fundraisers, at least here in Canada.

Photo Source: Wendy's LookBook

Of course, you probably can predict what I am about to write - for women, the LBD is the best alternative for holiday dressing. The jewellery or scarves you choose will determine whether it is a casual or more formal look. Formal indicates to me long gowns and a bit more elegance than the LBD can provide but for now . . .

Casual LBD: Complement your LBD with a pair of oversize hoop earrings or an asymmetrical choice with an armful of bangles and cuffs.

The Not-Quite-Formal LBD: Just add bling. Choose a statement piece - earrings, necklace or bracelets, and then keep anything else you choose to add to the feature piece toned down. Nice is just one of the above. Say No Thanks to an overwhelming combination of blinged-out chandelier earrings, a statement necklace and an armload of bangles and bracelets. 

For men, the suit can be the answer to all your holiday needs in the same way the LBD is for women. You can make it casual or more formal as well.

Casual Suit: Wear a dark suit with a t-shirt so that you take the jacket off if for some reason you feel overdressed or wear the jacket with a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt to show that you took a little effort to get dressed.

Photo Source: Bonobos

Formal Suit: Many men wear dark business suits with a shirt and tie to formal functions; however there is the tuxedo as a truly formal alternative. Not many consider buying a tuxedo but now an American company has made that choice contemporary and real for a new generation. I've written about Bonobos before. Launched as an e-commerce business selling better fitting pants in 2007, it now is selling a full range of suits, including tuxedos, at Nordstrom's and in other select storefronts in the United States. Visit Bonobos here. This is not your father's suit or tuxedo. Even if you cannot order from them because of your location, it's a good site to visit to see contemporary North American styles in suits.


The question of being under- or over-dressed is a question for another post . . .

Buy Nothing Saturday #2

Accomplished without incident!

However what was a restriction in one part of my life became an over-indulgence in another. We were invited out for both lunch and dinner on Saturday, the 13th. The family gathering at lunch had me exerting more control than I have in a good while when it came to food. Then there was dinner where again I had to temper my appetite - I repeated the mantra - Nothing tastes as good as losing 10 pounds feels. You see I gained 8 pounds in 6 months while in France.

Psychologically I am setting myself up for failure. Apparently if one imposes too many restrictions upon oneself, it is easier to lapse into old habits. Buy Nothing Saturday is working for me now but I can see myself changing it to another day when I take on another teaching contract. My Black Friday resolution to have a weekly Buy Nothing Day will be easy to maintain I am sure!

My second resolution was to be more analytical with the contents of my closet and donate clothing whenever I want to buy something new. I can see this as being more difficult. In fact I was looking to buy something and changed my mind because I realized that I had not perused my closet nor did I make a decision of what I would put in the donation bin. As well the articles I was looking at did not comply with my third resolution. 

The third resolution was to not buy anything "Made in China" or other countries with questionable labour practices. This may be the most difficult! I need to look at this with a more analytical eye and take a survey of what percentage of the clothing that I look at is actually made offshore. Almost all I would bet! But that's another post.

Buy Nothing Saturdays During December

For those who might accuse me of being a "Scrooge" during the holiday season because of my Buy Nothing Saturdays proposal, in fact, I think I will be better prepared for the holiday season with Saturdays off from shopping.

December 6, 2014 was my first Buy Nothing Saturday in the month of December. What did I do, what was or was not accomplished and will I be able to maintain this through the month?

What did I do?

1. I had a long and leisurely breakfast. After all I had nowhere that I had to go or anyplace that I had to be.

2. I had gone grocery shopping on Friday and planned to make chicken soup from scratch. After breakfast I prepped the chicken and ingredients for the broth and let time and a slow simmer do its magic. By noon I had a delicious chicken vegetable soup that was not only healthy but also low fat.

3. I read.

4. I watched tv.

5. I read.

What was not accomplished?

I wanted to organize my winter closet. My plan was to take out items that needed mending, cleaning and put them in respective bins. I also wanted to pull out all clothing that might qualify for "holiday" dressing.

What were the consequences?

I revelled in the luxury of not having to be anywhere at any particular time. Surprisingly, I did not feel any pressure or sense of remorse that I did not get to "save" any money on the "only today" sales. With a more relaxed day, I now feel more organized for any holiday buying I need to do during the next couple of weeks.

A Weekly Buy Nothing Day

To commemorate my November 2014 "Black Friday" alternative to shopping, I decided to make non-buying resolutions. I need to add some detail to my promises. The first resolution I made was to . . . have a weekly Buy Nothing Day. But what day should that day be? When a person works, Friday, Saturday and Sunday tend to be the "shopping" days and therefore the most difficult days to assign as Buy Nothing Days. Insofar as Monday to Thursday, if you assign a Buy Nothing Day to a day that you usually buy nothing anyway, what's the point? 

Now the question arises, does food count? After all it is a necessity. But then if you say food is exempt, then it may be easier to rationalize restaurant meals. OK food is exempt from Buy Nothing Days but then how would restaurant meals be defined? As a luxury or as a necessity . . . you see, it does get difficult to determine what is necessity and what is not. If we define Buy Nothing, it means "buy nothing". So what part of "buy nothing" is there not to understand?

I guess Friday can't be my assigned day since we arrived back in Canada last night and have to replenish the fridge and food cupboards today and today happens to be Friday.

I am thinking that I should make Saturday my Buy Nothing Day. It would be difficult but it would also force me to do other things, like downsize my closets. OK, Saturday it is - at least for this week.

As soon as I finished writing that last paragraph, an email came in from a vendor telling me about a further 20% off all purchases (sales items included) tomorrow only. Sigh. I have a feeling this is going to be more difficult than I thought . . . I'll keep you posted!

"Sale" Induced Over-Buying

There's something about hotel rooms that make me want to write. And so as I waited for a reasonable hour to go to sleep while at the Merignac/Bordeaux airport enroute to Canada, I began thinking about spending money on things I don't need - in this case clothing in particular.

With my "Buy Nothing Day" resolutions, my own unfortunate "sale" experiences, and while contemplating the "Black Friday" mentality, I came up with the notion of "sale induced over-buying". With discount retailers inundating the market, you would think that this would not be a problem. After all, on any day of the year, you are likely to find a "deal" albeit requiring some "shopping around". Perhaps the difference lies in the fact that on "Black Friday" the consumer believes that the best possible price is given no matter where one ends up shopping. Or is it the idea of "lost leaders", those items possibly marked below cost of production minimums that bring you to the store or website but once you are in, you end up buying many other items besides the lost leader? After all, the shopper can rationalize that since the lost leader cost almost nothing, he or she can afford to buy more. And that is how my thinking progressed and my idea of "sale-induced over-buying" began.

I then researched a smattering of both economic and psychological literature, where the following topics recurred: "buyers' remorse", the "paradox of choice", "addictive/compulsive buying behaviour" aka shopaholic along with some Marketing 101 terminology. I think there's a post in each of these.

My belief is that at the "over 50%" discount, consumers begin thinking, "at this price I should buy two or three or twenty", whether it be toilet paper or cashmere sweaters. A University of Southern California paper tells us that for regular mark-downs, "a large segment of the population . . . respond(s) to negligible discounts (as little as half of 1%)" and that the words "everyday low price" increases sales of the product exhibiting that sign. It may be the standard price for that particular store and it doesn't mean it has been marked down. So if consumers respond that significantly to insignificant reductions or no reduction at all, at what percentage will they overbuy? 

The way we think about retail pricing determines what we might overbuy at sale prices. If I am introduced to a product at a low price, it will be difficult for me to pay a higher price whereas if I only know a product at a high price, I won't mind paying it and anything lower will lead me to believe that I am getting a deal. This is what Introductory Marketing calls "internal reference prices" or the prices a consumer is willing to pay based on experience. Then comes the discount, which I suspect would have to be significant and range between 60% and 80% off before a rational person becomes irrational about the number of items he or she buys. As I write those numbers I have to remember that consumers also respond to negligible discounts of less than 1%. So the question still remains, what discount percentages provoke overbuying?

What should you do so that you do not become a victim of sale-induced over-buying?

Buy what you can use and not more . . .

1. Lost Leaders. Only buy the lost leader and only buy as many as you can use. If you want to give them as gifts, this is of course a good time to buy.

2. Never say, "this is such a good deal, I'm going to buy three (or however many) more". Buy what you can use. If you buy with storage in mind, consider the hoarding mentality, and ask yourself if it is really necessary.

3. Go to the storefront, auctions or online with a plan and stick to it. I have heard of those who go to auctions and get so caught up in the excitement of the moment that they come home with way more than what they originally set out to buy.

Or is it personality type that factors into overbuying? . . . a discounted price, a perceived need, a spendthrift mentality and there arises the circumstance to buy more than one really needs. I have never seen this idea clinically analyzed but maybe someone somewhere has already done this. Let me know if you have seen this literature or have done research of this kind. 

In the meantime, be careful about how many cashmere sweaters you buy!

Resources:

Scherhorn, Gerhard. The addictive trait in buying behaviour. Journal of Consumer Policy, 1990. Retrieved November, 30, 2014 from  http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00411868#page-2

Bigne, Enrique, Ruiz, Carla, and Sanz, Silvia. The impact of internet user shopping patterns and demographics on consumer mobile buying behaviour. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 2005. Retrieved on November 30, 2014 from http://www.csulb.edu/journals/jecr/issues/20053/paper3.pdf

Lars Perner, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Marketing. Department of Marketing, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California. Introduction to Marketing: Pricing. Retrieved on November 30, 2014 from http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/intro_Pricing.html