Cash Flow And your Your Wardrobe

Fashion has been an on going vice for me over the years. I love the richness of fine fabrics, and the shrill of high intensity prints. Financially, I am garment rich and cash poor. Fashion, might be one of those vices that you can just never seem to get enough of. Yes, I love my wardrobe, but there never seems to be a shortage of great fashion finds that I convince myself to need.

I was told once by the glamorous Sophie Trudeau that their is no point hoarding fashion. Clothes are meant to be worn. If an item sits in your closet, taking up valuable closet space for more than 8months without being worn, It is time to sell or donate the item.

When I drop major dollars on a garment, it can be hard to part with monetary loss. However most fashion related expenses are sunk costs. The money has been spent and the resale value has greatly diminished. No one buys full retail prices with the expectation of turning a profit. Straight up clothing donations to a good will or what have you are generous; and can give you a tax credit. However for high value clothing pieces there are a few great online vintage re-sellers that help you sell, market, and recover some of the expense you paid for the item while earning you more cash to make future fashion purchases.

Market Publique: Shop.marketpublique.com, sell high quality vintage clothing. Aspiring sellers take photos of the clothing and provide a detailed description of the clothing they wish to sell. Market Publique will do the rest for a $0.25 listing fee, and 5% commission.

Closet Rich: Closetrich.com, is an LA based company founded by Elizabeth Knott ( Rachel Zoe's protégée). If Closet Rich provides customer consultations, and if they like what you are selling they will manage the promotion and shipping of your goods for a 50% commission fee.

Yoogi's Closet: Yoogiscloset.com, buys an consigns purses, jewelry, and shoes. The company will evaluate the photos you send them of your goods and get back to you with in two business days. Yoogi's closet will then give you an option of an immediate buy, or consignment option. If you consign your clothes you are more likely to earn a larger return.

Plato's Closet: Platoscloset.com looks for contemporary teen and young adult fashion. Plato's locations can be found across the US, and Canada. The store will give you cash on the spot, for gently used clothing. The return is small, but $20 bucks is better than nothing.

Personal Steeze, A lesson in style

Yves Saint Laurent said: "Fashions fade, style in eternal." 

Fashions evolve, evaporate, and morph into do's and don'ts. Style is confidence, and a representation of individuality. The savvy and stezzy woman is always refined; and she never labors exasperated on the fad trends. Style is effortless, and simply chic. True personal style is a mix of past and present, textures, and levels. Personal style, is an art, it follows the structure of fine art as it is made to perform and accentuate the masterpiece of the individual. 

To master style there are a few tricks of the craft:

First, Know they body:

Regardless of your height and or shape, the most stylish women both petite and plus dress complementary to their shape. Where what you love, and emphasize your best features. I am 5'4, and do love the maxi dress/skirt look. But because I am short, the maxi skirt can wash me out if I do not create the illusion of a high waist. 

Invest in classics:

I have a quality over quantity mantra. I love investing in statement pieces and enjoy the quality of well made garments.  I don't shop credit  card loaded and ready at Forever 21. Instead I like to window shop and dig for gems. Fill your closet with an Audrey Hepburn inspired mantra: classics first; pencil skirts, cigarette pants, billowy blouses, and functional blazers. Shoes should complement. 

Embrace Vintage:

Vintage finds are the secret to commanding attention and grace. Most vintage is one of a kind, which assures that you will most likely be the only one wearing that gorgeous sweater you found at veda lux or gypsy market. If you are new to vintage start by excavating your mom or grandmas closet, ( I found a fab vintage Gucci purse in my Grandmas closet).

Dress for comfort:

Love what you wear, feel good it what you wear. A dress or suit can be stunning in theory; however if it does not fit with your psyche the look won't work, and the outfit won't be comfortable. The art of personal style is dressing according to your personality, and choosing looks that are wearable and comfortable. 

For accessory, fast fashion stores do offer cheap chic that works well for a party/event. If you see a cheep look you want to experiment with try the knock-off, or do it yourself. It you love it, then invest in the real goods. Mix designers, and brands. Don't be an advertisement for one designer, advertise the craft of your style. 

Versace for H&M

In order to get student tickets to a Gonzaga Basketball game, one must wait in line. This often means pitching a tent and manning the fort. I mostly can't be bothered to camp outside for standing room tickets. However if i were in London this week, I would happily camp outside the London Regent Street H&M store as rumors circulate that, Donatella Versace, HERSELF, will be making an appearance at the Regent Street H&M Store tomorrow to officially launch her collaboration with H&M to the masses. 

Donatell Versace rarely makes public appearances outside of the protective shield of either Hollywood or of Fashion runways. So for regular admires of the designer genius this could be a once in a life time opportunity to meet and greet the creative mind behind some of the most stunning fashion advancements of our era. 

Versace for H&M opens Thursday Nov. 17th in the UK; and November 19th in Canada and the US. H&M is expecting shopper chaos and commotion for the opening day. To combat the war of green eyed cash loaded shoppers H&M will be handing out bracelets with time sensitive shopping allowances. There is no limit on purchases however shoppers only have fifteen minutes to make purchase decisions.

The Versace collaboration is teasing fashion freaks with its promise of authentic and imitable Versace glamour at budget friendly prices. The line boasts a mix of prints, silhouettes, and jaw dropping statement pieces. 

The Versace for H&M runway show

A Nation of Shop-o-holics

Nothing good ever happens past midnight, the so called witching hour. Growing up, I received countless lectures on the dangers of the so called trouble hour. Legend has is it, that a midnight, things change, people change and impulses are mythically heightened. The day no longer belongs to us. What happens though, when the witching hour changes and transforms itself into a daylight intoxication? The heightened impulse of  midnight has found a new time to dominate and a new venue for seduction.

The once; exclusive fashion sample sale, has been moved online and made accessible to any person with a accesses to the Internet and a valid credit card. In the US Internet shopping is a $111 billion industry. Thoutnet.com, net-a-porter.com, ruelala.com, and hautelook.com, are just a few of many online flash sale sites that offer shoppers amazing discounts on high end goods. 

Statistics Canada indicates that most common purchase online are Travel Services, Entertainment products, and Fashion related goods. Flash sale sites, confuse us on the concept of value and price. The massive variance between sale and non-sale items leaves us with a constant feeling of cognitive dissonance (buyers remorse), and an urge to click. The lure, of the sale and the anonymity of online shopping is addictive; there is adrenalin associated with the feeling or believe that you have beaten the system. 

Psychology Today, did an article about the seduction of and appeal of compulsive shopping. The research suggested that the Internet is a strong trigger for compulsive buyers. The variety of products and the ability to purchase on-observed and the instant gratification is the hook; the fear of missing out an amazing buy further compliments the seduction technique of online shopping. 

Over the past five years, with the advance of and mass acceptance of E-shopping, credit card debt has risen. In the US, with a population of 330 million, there are more that 610 million credit cards issues. The average person of age to own a credit card has 3-4, all with a 14% or higher annual interest rate.  It estimated that the average credit card debt in the states is $15,799, and that many card holders use the available finds from one card to pay off the debt on another. 

Consumer protection groups have recently began to lobby against flash sales sites and other online shopping retailers. It is believed that in the near future, online shopping will be accompanied by "responsible shopping," adverts and promotions.