Monday, June 30, 2014

I'm trying not to try to keep up with the Jones'

People who know me know that I like to buy stuff. I mean, even if you don't know me, the fact that I blog about fashion might be kind of a giveaway. Really, how many times can you talk about the same dress, or pair of shoes, or piece of jewelry? Acquisition is part and parcel of keeping a blog fresh and interesting.
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Speaking of fresh, Eddie Munster hair, do or don't?
I make decent money; not enough to go crazy with, but enough to be comfortable and afford some luxuries. I do have to prioritize what I want to spend my money on, though, and lately my priorities have leaned pretty hard towards new clothing. In the past few months I think I've bought three or four dresses, maybe the same number of skirts, a few tops, a new pair of shoes, some jewelry. None of the pieces that I've purchased have been very expensive by themselves, but it all adds up pretty quickly.
I've talked a little bit about blogging and body image, and the way that putting yourself out there on the internet can create pressure to look a certain way, and can also warp the way that you see yourself. Buying new things works in kind of the same way. When I buy stuff, particularly from brands that are popular with other pinup and vintage loving girls, I can write a review and tag the company in it, and the company will then usually promote the post, which gives my blog a boost. I'm always looking for more traffic, so I tend to repeat behaviors that get it for me, which means that I end up buying more new stuff. I'm like Pavlov's dogs, but with printed circle skirts instead of white lab coats.
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A skirt that I love and have never worn outside the house. It's not in the best shape, but with a little love it would be a stunner. This photo is one that I took when I was trying out my corset for the first time, which is why it looks so weird.
I wouldn't say that I'm a terribly ambitious person. My goals in life are pretty modest - make enough money to live comfortably and a travel a little bit; find a partner who makes me happy and whom I can make happy in return; do a little good in the world where I can. Of course, I also want to look good doing all of that. But the thing is, I'm kind of competitive, and if I'm doing something I want to do it really well. That means that now that I'm digging into the blogging thing, I'm always pushing myself to promote it in any way that I can, to write the most interesting posts that I can, to get the most eyes on it that I can.
Ideally, it would be nice to make a little money off of it, or maybe parlay it into some kind of paying writing gig. As I've mentioned before, though, it's hard to get paid to write. Lately I've been trying to remind myself that this should be fun, something that I do because I like it, and maybe to hone my writing skills and develop my voice, rather than something that I'm resting all of my hopes for the future on.
Daffny from A Vintage Nerd wrote a great post about not comparing yourself to other bloggers (or other people in general), and it was a good reminder for me to keep things in perspective. Although I would love to be able to spend whatever I want to new clothing, I'm just not one of those women who can afford to pick up the latest from Pinup Girl Clothing every month, and that's ok. It's great for them that they're able to do it, and I'm sure I'll always have a touch of wardrobe envy when I see them showing off their fabulous outfits. Sometimes I just need to give myself a mental slap in the face and tell myself to snap out of it, a la Cher in Moonstruck. I have a lot of nice things, more than most people, in fact. The only thing that I'm going to gain by trying to keep up with other people is a lot of dissatisfaction, with a side of deep-fried credit card debt.
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This domino print skirt is a leftover from my lolita days, and it's actually pretty cute! I'm always lusting over the novelty prints that I see other girls wearing, but I have the bad habit of ignoring the ones that I already have.
This weekend I did a boatload of laundry and reorganized my closet and dresser. I did a couple of repairs that I've been putting off, spent some time getting stains out of pieces, and even did a little ironing. Going through my wardrobe and seeing all of the stuff in there that I haven't worn in a while, or particular outfits that I had brainstormed about but had never gotten around to wearing, was surprisingly satisfying. With all of my clothes clean and put away, I also realized that I don't have a whole lot of room for anything else. At the very least, I need to buy more hangers before I buy more clothes.
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I also found the dress that I thought was lost for good! It was at the bottom of one of my boyfriend's boxes of clothing, which was only unpacked last week.
I'm also refocusing some of my mental energy on other priorities, like travel. My boyfriend and I have been talking about taking a trip to Europe for a few months now, but with our move a couple of months ago, him starting a business with his brother, and me expanding my vintage wardrobe, we haven't managed to put a whole lot of money aside. However, Google launched their Google Flights feature not too long ago, and one nifty thing about it is that you can view a bar graph showing the average cost of a flight to your destination throughout the year. That means that you can actually see when the cheapest time to fly is, rather than having to guess and check. Having a good idea about what I'm going to have to pay and how long I have to save is making it a lot easier not to order something new just because it happens to be on sale.
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Na na na na na na na na Iceland!
Does anyone else struggle with this? How do you keep your blogger envy at bay?

12 comments:

  1. Oh I definitely struggled with this, and still do to an extent sometimes. I've always been blogging/writing in some format but when I decided to start a blog specifically for the vintage aspect of my life, I was worried that I wouldn't have much interesting content, especially in the fashion department lol. I'm still in the process of building up my vintage wardrobe and at the moment I don't have much disposable income so it's slow moving. So like I wish I could do cool outfit posts and such but I don't really have anything I want to show yet. So I'm in a "work with what you've got" type mode. And it works for me. And when I read other blogs I let them inspire me to eventually get my blog to the point that I want it to be. And I'm totally digging the Eddie Munster hair do! :)

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    1. I'm trying to make "work with what I've got" my motto these days. And I love your blog, outfit posts or not - I will always be in your debt for introducing me to Clairy Browne.

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  2. It's really difficult - there's a lot of bloggers that look like they're very successful and are always showcasing new outfits every week from expensive brands... and I don't know if it's just me but I feel like expensive clothes just look better and hang better and make for lovelier pictures... I think all you can do is make sure you're getting some sort of enjoyment and/or satisfaction from your own blog and if that doesn't happen, it's probably not right for you. And it doesn't all have to be about new things, there's lots of other things to write about out there of course! But I definitely get it. It's hard not to compare yourself... you just have to feel proud you're doing it your way, I think... and by whatever means you have! CC

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    1. Expensive stuff does always seem to look better, doesn't it? I think it's the thick, luxurious fabrics - they always lay and hang so nicely, it's hard to resist.
      I definitely get a lot of satisfaction out of the blog, but sometimes it feels good to work out my insecurities here too. ;)

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  3. Oh I feel like I can relate to you on so many levels. Im in the point in my life where I am trying to find a good job also while prioritizing my school, being in school doesn't leave a lot of funds in my life to get too extravagant. I love blogging because I feel like I can vicariously live through other people or see what some other awesome gals are up to/wearing but of course it leads to envy. Since I just started blogging what is it 4 months ago now…. I don't have a lack of clothes yet for outfit photos which I do enjoy doing because I love putting together outfits as well as having a reason to get all dolled up. So for now luckily I have so many dresses that aren't new to me but I haven't taken photos in, but I do get a little envious when I see other bloggers always getting new things as well as really expensive clothing. Honestly I thrift soooo much of my closet, which I love its like treasure hunting and I can find my own vintage pieces without spending a fortune. I can't always afford vintage repros, sometimes even when on sale. I would love to own a Bernie Dexter, oh how I swoon over other bloggers outfit of the days in her dresses! But Im so in tune with you that I love love love to travel and I have other priorities in my life. My boyfriend and I moved into together about 8 months ago and while the apartment is pretty much a collaboration of both of us now and well put together (I moved in with him so most of the basics were already bought) theres still other things Id like to get to make our place feel even more like home and house ware/ furniture isn't cheap. I also have always traveled because I have friends and family in Europe. I have been itching to either do a road trip or try to save for a trip to somewhere in Europe in a years time, which I think is doable but doesn't allow me to go crazy with clothes shopping! I don't know the blogging world has its pros and cons, pros meeting lovely ladies like you and speaking your mind and being able to just talk about whatever you want! Cons…. it can have this almost competitive have to be always getting things and have the newest and the best which is so hard for most people. P.s. thank you for the google flight information, I didnt even know that existed!

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    1. Isn't the google flights thing awesome? I've been trolling it for a couple of days now, and I'm thinking we might fly into Copenhagen. $650 round trip.

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  4. You know I think I get more hung up on the vintage fashion magazines. This can be frustrating looking at all these glorious dresses and outfits and the way they are put together and knowing it is of times past and recreating this look does take time and effort but very rewarding. I think also with vintage there is a market and you can sell what you get bored with somethings you win at and others you don't. I think overall I'd call myself break even on selling vintage things. Great blog post and good luck with all your reorganization.

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    1. Ugh, I know what you mean about the vintage magazines. Sometimes I think about how if I had a time machine, the first thing I would do is probably go shopping. *lol*

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  5. ugh...yeah....I think I've bought one new thing in the past 8 months. We've had to live on a serious budget this year and I have felt sometimes like I've fallen by the wayside in bloggerland, but I think one thing that's nice is 50's and 60's style fashion will always look up to date/ dressy/ fashionable no matter what is 'trending' and it's fairly easy to find stuff in thrift stores, and then it can always be reworn and remixed.

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    1. My issue is that I have way more time to sit on the computer than I do to actually go to a thrift store and comb the racks for vintage or vintage appropriate pieces. You're right though, those classic styles routinely cycle back into popularity; I just need to make the time to look for them sometime soon.

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  6. I truly love that you and Daffny have raised this subject lately (I've talked about it in various posts before myself, too), as it's one that seems to be typically whispered about in hushed voices or not spoken of at all. Generally speaking, I'm neither a competitive nor envious person, but I do find it draining sometimes to constantly see other people (seemingly) parade their unending shopping spree in my (and other peoples') face(s).

    I'm very fortunate, and never take it for granted, to work with some relevant blog sponsors who help bolster my wardrobe through our collaborations, and I do spend a bit of my modest personal budget on my wardrobe every year, but I don't have big bucks to splash out on clothing 24/7 by any stretch of the imagination and that's totally okay. I've amassed a lot of lovely (if I may say so myself) pieces over the years and find that there's always new outfits that can be made with what's to hand, especially if you have recently introduced one or more new items (accessories at times, can do more - or at least as much - on that front as garment themselves and are one of top tips for giving the illusion of having a larger wardrobe than one really does).

    One point that often helps me if I am feeling like "gee, I wish I could even remotely afford to buy item x" is to remember that monetary wealth and the acquisition of material goods in not the only kind of wealth there is. I may not have hundreds to spend on PUG (et al) each month, but I am millionaire a million times over in some other areas of my life, such as the fantastic relationship I have with my husband and the fact that I live in a safe, wonderful country. These things, at the end of the day, matter infinitely more to me than whether of not I grow my wardrobe every month.

    ♥ Jessica

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    1. You are absolutely right about taking account of the different kinds of wealth you have in your life. As much as I fashion, finding new clothes, creating new outfits, sometimes I do have to remind myself that they are, in fact, just clothes. My life will be no different just because I picked up a new skirt or pair of shoes, but if I put my money towards some good books or a ticket somewhere I've been wanting to go, I'll have the memories for the rest of my life.

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