Matching Philosophies

This post is entirely too image-heavy but I can't help it.  I'm totally smitten with basically every look that came out of the Philosophy show. 

I too am a bit surprised that this is a Fall show but I'd buy this and save it for the following Spring. I'm, admittedly, not the best at mixing patters or layering.  I'm more the matchey-matchey type and this tonal look from coats to dresses to tights down to adorable wingtip and multi-strap mary janes is right up my alley. I better start saving now because I really think I need every piece.  And with shoes in this many gorgeous, coordinated shades, I can't skimp in that department either.

But let's just get on with the pretty pictures, shall we...

All I can say is, Le Sigh!

Philosophy

“It’s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.”

William Somerset Maugham

I've been in an introspective and philosophical mood. What do you consider "the best" for your life?

Luv

Poochie

Don't Shop

I just viewed the Style Coalition video called "Don't Shop" and immediately engaged in discussion with many other bloggers on Twitter.

The purpose of the video is as stated:

Concept: on June 22nd, Style Coalition hosted 13 top NYC fashion bloggers for a special video shoot at DEX New York studios for DON'T SHOP! campaign, supporting the fashion industry and inspired by DON'T VOTE! video. In a similar way our video starts with "don't shop" message, and slowly turns into campaign message showing the importance and value of supporting our favorite fashion designers in these tough economic times.

Putting aside the fact that, as I work in advertising and marketing, I don't like when people copy other campaigns (let's call this an homage) I wasn't quite sure about the overall message.

Yes, we are in a precarious economic time. And yes I value the work and artistry created by fashion designers, established and up-and-coming. I appreciate the beauty and fun that shopping and clothes and shoes bring to our lives. I would be sad if some of my favorite designers closed up shop.

But...

That said I don't agree with what was stated here.

For one, to most people the majority of the designers listed are out of reach. Even to get a single piece. I don't think that the masses are going to be buying any less than before. And for those who were buying and passionate about these designers, I think they will still buy. Maybe not as much but shopping is still going on. Consumers are actually making fewer but better/higher quality purchases. And we're not going to suddenly not have clothes either.

Secondly, this is not 9/11, where people were afraid to leave their homes and travel. Heck, I worked at Walt Disney World at that time period and when the President said to go to WDW, we were happy because people were afraid to travel to populated destinations for fear of getting attacked and killed. No, right now we're in a big economic mess because of bad debt and bad lending and a lot of bad financial decisions (and other scary complicated economic things).

But the biggest issue threatening high end designers and luxury houses and stores, in my opinion, isn't that people aren't spending. It's been the greed and shoddy business practices of these companies over the last 5 - 10 years. Reading Deluxe was very eye-opening. I think anyone involved or interested in the fashion or the fashion industry should read it.

These brands have cut costs, thrown away heritage and craftsmanship, churned out junk, contributed to the massification of their brands and in many ways deceived the public. They have flown high on cheap leather goods, over extended their brands and misrepresented their numbers. I've seen prices on some shoes double in the last few years and it's not because of better quality materials or craftsmanship. I've actually seen that go down.

And why should I keep buying from them if mass brands are getting better and the luxury brands are getting worse?

If these companies want to keep my business and get me to spend with the reduced amount I am still going to spend they need to make their pieces better, make them special, make them available to me and make me feel catered to.

Right now I see the opposite more often than not.

I am still going to spend. There are still things I want. But I don't think I can get behind this.

Frankly, I'd rather see the money and effort go to some of the charities that are struggling as donations go down.

So here's my message...

Don't shop.

Give $5, $10, $25 to your favorite charities instead.

Opening doors and divergent paths

I received a quote today...

The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.
— Flora Whittemore

and it made me stop and think about all of the choices in our lives, big and small, and how they define us and bring us to where we are. It's hard to imagine forward about how so many choices will change the course of your life. And how many ways these choices become interconnected to create the person you are.



From the relationships we keep, create or end to the people and places that move through our lives, each of them leaves a mark upon us.

There are three large defining moments in my life that I look back to and see how my life could have been totally different. The first was my choice of college. I had applied to a large number of schools (I was doing a project as well as applying) and had a number of options. I had a scholarship to the college I ultimately went to, which also happened to be one a number of people I knew went to. I often think how I would have met totally new people, lived in a radically different city or even how this difference would have changed my career, if I'd gone to another school. I don't regret where I am now but I do wish that I would have branched out and gone for less safe choice.



A few years out of school I was very very unhappy. I was unhappy with my life, my job, my living situation, etc. I remember being on my 22nd birthday; I was in another country with my family and I was crying my heart out in the middle of a public park with my Dad trying to console me. I don't get that upset very often, but I felt lost and had no idea how to fix my life. For me the lack of a plan and options was the worst part.

To distract myself I did a lot of volunteer work at a zoo. I mean ALOT - 500 hours in less than 2 years. I love animals and it was good to be out of the house and outside of myself. This time cemented my belief and support for always getting involved and doing volunteer work. But it also got me a job opportunity.

At the same time I had been applying for jobs in my field. The same week I got a job offer from the zoo I got an offer in marketing that was a big jump from where I was. That may have been one of the hardest decisions I had to make. Do I take the lower paying job at the zoo or the higher paying job in business. I ended up taking a holistic look at where I was and took the job in business. It enabled me to move to the next phase in my adult life.

Sounds like sort of a dispassionate decision, but less than a year in working at this job I was on a business trip and all of the right doors and details and stars aligned to create the moment where my husband and I met. If one of the details had changed in any way, we never would have met.

I know this to be true.



The other big change in the time continuum was deciding where to live. I knew I didn't want to stay in Florida and after I got married we debated several places. In visiting all of the colleges when I was applying so long ago, I had visited central North Carolina. A brief visit of two days. But I fell in love with it. And now many a year later, I got a job offer and we moved. I had not visited since that first visit and my husband had never been at all. But we moved. Made the big risk. Opened the second door to the right and stepped through.



I know this is a little abstract for this blog, but this philosophy is what I'm about - take a risk, try something daring, be willing to make a mistake and possibly regret it.



Luck and love (and great shoes) can't find you if you aren't out there.

P.S. Photos courtesy of Aradan, Asseenintv, Bleachpuppy, El Contador, and Grabow on Flickr