You’ve heard the saying before, “You don’t have to keep up with the Joneses.” Yet, so many people still try to, and for what benefit? So you can look like everyone else.
I’m not going to lie, I love designer clothes, handbags, and shoes! But I also love to look original and not like everyone else. I’m not sure about you, but when I wear an outfit, I don’t want to be caught in a position of Who Wore it Best, because I want to be the only one wearing it. The same is true for the handbag I’m carrying or the shoes I’m wearing. As a matter of fact, most of the compliments I’ve received are from when I wore non-designer items (like the handbag pictured above). The reason being is because it was from a boutique that sold unique items that you can’t find everywhere. Don’t get me wrong, we live in a world where everybody copies everybody. Apple copies Samsung, and vice versa. Boutiques copy designer, and vice versa. Hulu copies Netflix, and vice versa. Let’s face it, even when you try to be original, someone will catch onto it and copy it. That’s where style comes in place. Nobody can copy the way you put things together just by simply owning the same pieces. Fashion isn’t about being trendy; it’s about being true to yourself and not buying designer just to keep up with society.
There’s nothing wrong with buying designer, but there is something wrong with buying it just to say you have it. When you have style, then you know what pieces you can splurge on and what pieces you can budget on. For example, the signature LV Monogram Louis Vuitton handbag was a must for me, but I don’t have to buy the Louis Vuitton jeans, when I can style the bag with a more budget-friendly option. The same is true for designer apparel and jewelry paired with non-designer handbags.
To reiterate, I’m not saying not to buy designer, because I would be a hypocrite given that I do; ha-ha. I am simply saying not to feel obligated to buy designer to feel good about yourself. We’re living in a time where it’s more important than ever to stand out and be yourself. Sometimes you may feel like it’s hard to justify why you don’t have the latest iPhone or designer bag, which makes it easy to feel like you need to keep up with everyone else in order to be happy. Social media makes this even worse, because it appears that everyone has a perfect life. Their vacations are always amazing, their kids are always happy, and they always look fabulous. So you think if you could just buy what they have, you will feel the way they feel. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.
It doesn’t matter if people think your outfit is cute or not because at the end of the day, it’s about being confident in yourself! I love when people compliment me on something I’m wearing, and they assume it’s designer and are shocked to learn it’s not.