The Cost of Quality

The Essential Wardrobe, having one's clothing streamlined to a small number of key pieces, of good quality, which you can mix and match and comprised only of those items you love to wear, can be had even on a budget. But what if you can only afford clothing at stores like Wal-Mart and K-Mart? Wouldn't you have to sacrifice quality?

Let's begin with the old adage, you get what you pay for. In a sense, this is true. Often cheap products are cheaply made. Buttons fall off, the toy breaks the first time your child plays with it, the sweater quickly pills. Once when I was working as an esthetician at a day spa, I went to put gas in my car on my lunch break. Somehow I spilled gas on my pants and shoes! I could not work in that luxurious environment smelling that way. We had to wear black pants, and I had a limited amount of time, so I ran to K-Mart and bought a pair of pants for $3 on clearance. Everything about these slacks was awful--the look, the fit, the fabric; they were hideous! I never wore them again after that day. Yes, sometimes you get what you pay for.

Then again... Yesterday I paid $3 at Goodwill for a pair of Italian patent leather dress pumps. Real leather, not faux. I also paid $4 for a super cute pair of Jones corduroys in a gorgeous garnet red. They are ankle length and wide at the bottom and will look wonderful with either flats or boots. A Ralph Lauren, short-sleeved polo sweater was a similar price in a pretty coral. Quality designer clothing at K-Mart clearance prices.

In Columbus I would find amazing vintage, ethnic, and high quality clothing at garage sales in wealthier, hip areas of the city such as Victorian Village and German Village. My friend Dawn had a yard sale to get rid of clothes from her former life in New York City, which no longer fit her. I got a whole chic wardrobe for $5. I have an A-line coat that is very Audrey Hepburn, in the perfect mushroom color, that I got at Old Navy and have worn for years. It is made of cotton, is lined, and works well for spring or fall. The buttons have never fallen off, and it has held up very well. The style is classic and versatile.

Conversely, you may pay top dollar for low quality, name brand clothing. You never know. You must look closely. How does it fit? Is the cut flattering? Is the material flimsy? Are the buttons already coming loose when the item in brand new? And my #1 pet peeve--is it cut crookedly? This is such a common problem, poorly cut clothing with seams that are not straight, even with designer labels. Lay the piece flat and make sure the pant legs don't twist and the shirt hangs straight.

I went to the boutique I mentioned that carries Free People clothing yesterday. Even the sale prices were way too high. The styles were nothing special, and yet a white t-shirt was something like $80. As I looked at price tags, I wondered if the shop's owner, or the creator of this clothing, thought that the public is either extremely gullible or bordering on insanity. Black leggings with fake leather (polyurethane) trim for $100? I am better than that, and so are you.

Maybe you have never thought about it this way, but all clothing is designer clothing. It's true. Someone designs everything, even for Wal-Mart. Also, all clothing is brand name. Sonoma is a Kohl's brand. Jaclyn Smith is a K-Mart brand. Moth is an Anthropologie brand. Mossimo is at Target. You get the idea. Famous designer brands may or may not be higher quality than the lower end stores offer. Yes, you get what you pay for if you are not careful. But no, you don't have to pay outrageous prices to obtain a quality essential wardrobe. The key is to find your signature style, and to stick with it, being scrupulously discriminating. What is your personal style, and what are the brands that carry it? That is a topic for another joie de vivre day...

Stylish Mom Ensemble #1

Thanks to what I wrote yesterday about feeling like I was once so stylish but have lost my panache since becoming a mother (and gaining weight and entering my 40s...), I was inspired to create a whole new series! I hired a photographer today. She is 8 years old, homeschooled, and happens to be my only child, Beezy. We incorporated "digital photography" into our school time, and while chilly, it was a gorgeous sunny day, and we were able to get some fine, outdoor shots. Having previously worked as a model, I know it can take a whole roll of film to get just a few usable pictures, so the fact that she took less than a dozen, and we came away with plenty to feature here, I'd say she is a natural! It was a lot of work for my husband to format, so I think I can only get away with asking for his help once or twice a week. I'll stockpile, though, in the meantime.

I picked out my outfit last night before bed. I used to do this when getting ready for the next day of high school. I recommend the idea, because it made me excited to get dressed this morning. Sometimes I stay in my pajamas too long and then use taking a shower as a break in the school day. Instead, today I got ready first, and we walked the dog and had lunch in between sessions.  And since I had gone to all the trouble, I was motivated to get out and show off my style! We went to the library and ran errands to the grocery, Family Dollar and Shopko Hometown. Plus we stopped to see my grandparents. Here is the ensemble, shot on my front porch:

The sweater was a Goodwill thrift store find, and the cherry red ankle jeans are from Simply Vera at Kohls, which I bought online at the beginning of fall. My socks are from Target, which have a crazy pattern and are "scrunchable". My sister gave me the Dr. Scholls clogs for my birthday when I was pregnant in 2003, but I haven't actually worn them much, so they are in great shape. The next photo is with our dog, Daisy, taken in front of our 2003 Volkswagon Beetle.  I am wearing  tortoise shell prescription sunglasses by Polaroid and a dusty rose L.L. Bean "barn coat" with brown corduroy trim that I found on Ebay. I bought this when I was in the mode of wanting to dress like an eccentric, "English country" style woman, so of course I also got "wellies" (rain boots) which I'll be sure to feature another time. I still rather like the idea of the eccentric English lady.

I wanted a close up to display my accessories, which did not quite show up as well as I would have liked. The necklace is a vintage 20s style with turquoise beads and gold filigree, and my earrings are feathers connected by a delicate chain. These were purchased at a shop on the circle in Angola, Indiana, but I can't remember its name. You can also see here that I am letting my gray hair come in! This was taken on my side porch:

Notice that I didn't get matchy-matchy. The color of my jeans is not in my sweater, but it works. And my clogs are a different shade of red than the pants, but again, it all flows together. I chose the jewelry to pick up the turquoise stripe in my sweater, and the earrings also have turquoise. By the way, it gets very windy where I live on a regular basis, so a very precise hairstyle simply is not workable. It also is healthier not to wash one's hair every day, especially if it is long, so this is 2nd day hair.

First I turned my head upside down and brushed it. Then I used style extender by Neuma, a natural hair care line available at the Ajave salon in Bryan, to revive my natural curls. I also recommend their smooting creme. I used a flat iron on my bangs only, then sprayed with Jason thin to thick, extra volume hair spray, which can be purchased at vitacost.com. That's it! I hope this has inspired you, and please check back for future stylish mom ensembles!! I will leave you with a few more pics from the day.

Special tip:  Rosemary is said to improve mental clarity, so smooth on Avalon's rosemary hand and body lotion (vitacost.com) before dressing in your fab fashions!