Fashion Friday: Budget Styling
10:15
When Joy asked me to write for this blog, specifically to run a style segment, I was very excited by the opportunity and the challenge. I considered it an opportunity because I am a fashion enthusiast and have always wanted to write about style especially from my (low cost, moral relativism) perspective- more on this later. A challenge because with the influx of style bloggers (and experts) in the digital space, talking about style (yet again!) might seem repetitive to some people and the
question has always been, what do I say concerning style and the fashion industry that is both interesting and novel to fellow style aficionados?
question has always been, what do I say concerning style and the fashion industry that is both interesting and novel to fellow style aficionados?
That question was answered this morning as I got dressed for work. While putting on my blazer, I was reminded of a conversation I had with a work colleague as regards Blazers. She randomly stopped me and asked where I got my ‘jackets’ from and my reply was ‘Everywhere’; because really that was the best answer I could give (more on my shopping habits later, lol!). And then I went on to say;
And she went;
“Ah no o! They are too expensive joor”
And then there was the expected laughter and so on and so forth.
Now let me give you a little background on said colleague so you can better appreciate the relevance of this conversation to this article.
My colleague, let’s call her Fiona, earns a six figure salary and while she makes good attempt to appear neat and well put together, her sense of style is pretty much very conservative and dare I say almost nonexistent. While I always assumed that her rather introverted nature influenced her sense of style, that conversation revealed one unobvious thing about her (and about almost every other woman I know);
She Appreciates Beautiful Things!!!
In my opinion, every woman wants to look as good as the next woman, if not better. Now the expression of that need is hinged on a lot of factors, a major one being the availability of funds, especially in this part of the world where every really nice fashion item is imported and one is confronted with the harsh reality of shipping costs and exchange rate.
How many times have you seen that awesome pair of shoes on Jumia only to quickly close the web page when you saw the price was #12,595? How many times have you walked into a shop only to be told a structured bag cost as much as #15,000? How many of us, young women-students, graduates, young professionals and even entrepreneurs- can spend as much as #15,000 on a really nice and trendy blazer?
Now I am not saying we are all broke and/or cash strapped and as such cannot afford these beautiful things that we so desire; but the reality is, there is only so much we can spend on looking good especially for those of us independent women who have to pay bills, bills and more bills.
Truth is, even with my barely six figure salary and business school fees, I want to look as good as the next girl whose Mum is a member of the House Of Representative (Hi, Cee!)
The bottomline is, because we are all not Kim Kardashian we actually have to shop on a budget!
Knowing how in Naija we like to form, it is pertinent to state here that looking good on a budget is not cheap or tacky or ratchet and definitely does not make you any less stylish than the next girl who can splurge on really expensive items and would not wait until clearance sales before shopping like the rest of us.
(Ok! Maybe not all of us. Maybe it’s just me that cannot walk past a shop that boldly announces SALES! I mean while you can entice and kidnap kids using candy, if you ever patrol my street with a van marked SALES, you would probably have me in your basement before night fall)
In my opinion budget styling is about living within your means when it comes to fashion with limited or no debt. It's making the most of what you have & not consuming for consuming sake. It’s about knowing when to buy and when to say ‘see ya during ya annual sales binshes’! It also takes resourcefulness, a little effort and a healthy dose of style.
While in other climes there are lots of style and fashion blogs with huge followership that addresses women’s need to look fab without spending a fortune (see thebudgetbabe.com), in this part of the world, it is almost unheard of to say you bought a particular item for this ridiculously cheap price, or that you shop at this particular place or that you would rather wait until Jumia sends you a discount voucher before shopping so at least you can save some thousands of naira (If any Jumia Staff is reading this, it’s been a while I got something from y’all. How far na?).
Never the less I believe that there are other style conscious women like myself who are looking to being fashionably on trend without breaking the bank and we do this in ways that I hope to be able to let you in on (even though some persons might go, why she wan kon reveal our secret for here na?).
So there you have it; Central to every other thing this segment promises to deliver (fashion tips, advice, style trends, vintage styling, personal styling, fashion hacks, DIYs, and even Beauty Essentials) is helping devoted fashionistas stay stylish and on a budget.
Given the peculiarities of our environment, there is a trick to this and going forward I would show you how to steal very fashionable looks for the most minimal cost implication. It is my hope that in time this segment would be able to turn you into the most stylish girl woman in any room without you having to spend a fortune.
To get started, I would show you some of my previous looks and how much each item cost. As much as is possible I’d provide details on individual items as well as well as links to purchase.
See ehn, forget what you think you know. It is very possible to look all dapper and not go broke in the process. :D
I hope you have enjoyed this piece and please leave your thoughts and opinions, whatever they might be, in the comment section or email me at jennifermelah@gmail.com.
I would really like this segment to be interactive and collaborative; so ladies, let’s get talking!
#BudgetStyling
#BudgetFashionista
#FashionBudgetista
#MoreForLess
#StylishWomen
#FashionFriday
Article by: Jennifer Melah
Photo Credits: Google Images, Jennifer Melah
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