I also had nothing when young, only one each pair of jeans and shoes, three tops and no coats or jackets, just a too-small school sweater from when I was much younger. I initially responded to earning money like your sister, just buying more and more of whatever quality, so long as I liked the item on me, i.e., it was “cute”. Now I’m purchasing a lot more selectively and carefully, but it took me decades. I still get that hollow, material-scarcity, feeling at times. The very real scarcity I experienced lasted a long time, almost 20 years, until I graduated from university and began my career, it’s takes time to feel that material things are now abundant for me. I snapped right back to buying tons of fast-fashion during the long lockdown because of the terrible isolation and depression I had, I still have to fight that feeling that a new outfit will make everything better! I also learned a few years ago that the misery I felt in many clothes was from allergies to synthetic fibers, so now I only buy the best natural fibers, just fewer items because of their higher cost. I feel that I have my dream wardrobe now, so I don’t need to keep buying except for the occasional replacement, upgrade or update.
Thanks for sharing your story Kimberly. Growing up without much can definitely keep us in the scarcity mindset. I've done a lot of work on myself to not get stuck in that, but it still comes up at times.
I’ve only just heard of the phrase ‘scarcity mindset’ and that’s me! When I was young, my fantasy was to have enough clothes so I could look good everyday. Even though I didn’t have much growing up, my mum was very particular with buying a few things per season as I grew. My mum used to hate not having fresh underwear everyday when she was growing up so she made sure I had plenty. Funnily enough, underwear is one area I’ve got not interest in and it’s probably because there was no scarcity as I grew up?
@@ybade.8924 Thank you for your comment. So many of us have grown up with a "scarcity" mindset and it can really affect a lot of how we continue to see life and our wardrobes. Good awareness for yourself.
Same, in all respects, except the allergies. One new dress for Xmas mass. Our happiest time was when mum volunteered at St. Vincent De Paul and brought home a bag of clothes. I still value designer finds from my local op-shop.
I took didn't have very many clothes! We didn't have much money so the clothes I did have were from rummage sales. I got one new outfit the start of each school year.
I use to and still do gravitate toward styles I love like striped shirts or white button down shirts without taking the time to assess if I already have one or more of that type of item in my wardrobe. Now when I see something in a style I love, I stop and think about whether I already have a similar item at home.
When I organized my closet and started only buying better quality items, i found that I only needed to shop twice a year (spring and fall). This really has cut down on spending time and money.
I find it particularly difficult to combine clothes with patterns / several colours on it and nothing of that fits to the rest of the wardrobe. Thus, I decided to avoid buying clothes that have patterns (some tiny flowers or dots on it are ok.) and have saved a lot of money this way. I didn't fall into the trap that I need to buy a thing that would be a good combination to a pattern, just for this single piece of clothing.
I agree Verena. Clothing with patterns are more "statement pieces" and harder to wear. They're not as versatile as more neutral, solid-color items. I also find I get tired of patterns faster, except for small florals. Thanks for your comment. 😊
This was all really great advice, Erica. Solid, practical and from there, we can start having fun with our clothes! More creativity with less shopping!
I have a big wardrobe, but only a small closet space in my bedroom, so I only have clothes for the current season hanging there at any time. Fortunately, I do have extra closet space elsewhere in the house, but not on the main floor where my bedroom is. So, I move everything out of season to those extra closets, every three months. It’s extra work, but at least I know everything in my bedroom closet is currently wearable and don’t have to look through to s of heavy woolies in the summer, for example. I do have some items that can be worn year-round, too, like cotton long-sleeved tops, so they stay in my bedroom closet. (I store cashmere sweaters in zippered fabric storage bags, making sure they’re clean first, of course). Great tips, Erica, as always🙂
Thanks Kimberly! That is more work to move your items for different seasons, but that could also be a great time to reassess what you have. I appreciate all of your comments 🙂
I used to do that when I lived in a country that had seasons. We don't have that in England.. we have.. days. Some days are sunny, some days are dry. It will freeze at night in July.
If you need a particular item shopping can be made easier by 1st choosing the color, 2nd decide on style/fit, and 3rd material. Going in this order really helps narrow the search.
I always choose the fabric first, because I have skin allergies to synthetics. Otherwise, I might fall in love with something with synthetics in it, convince myself that it will be ok “this time” then, of course, I won’t wear it more than once, if at all, because of the discomfort. (I’ve done this too many times in the past, wasting money and time, and creating excess environmental waste and pollution, too, natural-fiber clothes are much more likely to have a second wearer, even if I just donate them, but they sell better, too). These allergies rule out so many clothes for me, the vast majority nowadays are made from synthetic fiber, or blends, so I end up with really limited choices to select from.🙂
It's helpful to know things that are absolute no's when it comes to your wardrobe. There are certain fabrics I won't wear either. They just don't feel good on my skin so I avoid them.
One of my grandmothers was Greek, too, as is my Dad. She was so particular that she had special drying cloths for each type of item, i.e., china, glassware, silverware, etc. I’m Dutch on my Mom’s side, so I got a double dose of the cleaning and organizing bug - it shows in my wardrobe, too.🙂
I appreciate your comment because both of my parents did hard labor so the solution I came up with is to fix the storage systems in my closet. I just got done spackling holes a few minutes ago. I’m convinced building a whole new storage system will help me. It’s awesome to be able to remember where we got our instincts from.
So true! My mother told me my grandmother could only afford a few high quality pieces, so she bought a few very nice dresses from Neiman Marcus (this was in the 1950’s/60’s). However, she felt so good in those quality, elegant pieces, she did not mind wearing them over and over again, rather than have loads of less quality pieces of clothing.
This is what we all should be doing to save more money for buying good food and good make-up items. It also reduces the waste on the landfills in India, Africa, etc. It's mostly shopping-addicted women that contribute to damaging the environment. This goes for unhealthy ingredients in skincare, too, as they end up in drinking water / oceans. The pill also does.
I limit my clothing and accessories to modern classic styles and also have a limited color palette and fabric range (natural fibers plus rayon/lyocell/viscose). This helps a lot to keep my wardrobe from just becoming too full of random choices that don’t work together. I also don’t add “pops of color” in my accessories, I choose them from my color palette, too. If I added this season’s trendy lime green/yellow or tangerine colors, for example, they just wouldn’t work with my cool color-palette wardrobe. The more extremely trendy, unusual or specific an item is, the less likely it is to work well and have longevity. For example, I have wasted so much time and money trying to find tops to work with a skirt I bought in two off-palette colors (rust and dark teal) only to find that they’re now much too big for me anyway! I might take them in, I love the style and the 100% organic cotton knit fabric. I could always wear them with white or ivory, I suppose, but they look really bland that way.
Finding the quality base is often the major problem. Like looking for a good pair of linen or something like that, navy trousers for summer, and a ditto skirt. A lot of stuff are black, has silly details, the fitting is wrong, my size is sold out, or the price is too high.
Life is short. We are all different. Not carbon copies. You have great ideas. We will take away from what you suggest that we are ready to do.I enjoy your videos. As your sister gets older she may change. In the meantime she’s enjoying her fashion .😍
Thanks for your thoughts Vickie! My sister (who I love dearly and have tried to help with her style since she asked me years ago) is actually older. My concern for her is that she doesn't enjoy her fashion and continues to repeat the same patterns and then gets frustrated with her clothes. She struggles to love her outfits but has a hard time investing in quality pieces for herself. I find this with many women.
I get bored . I like the turn over. I'm not a brand girl. I'd never pay high price for anything. I feel it's a rip off. I live a simple retired life. It's just clothes.
I don't think it's important to buy high price clothes. I have both categories in my closet, but the main point is to buy ONLY AS MUCH AS YOU REALLY NEED to be dressed appropiately for work, exercise, events. I travel a lot so I don't want to spend much time on thinking what to pack in my carry-on only suitcase. I need tops that fit my bottoms, that are durable and not too expensive if they get lost in a hotel or laundry service. I also live in a small apartment and don't like to give too much room to storing my clothes. My priorities are traveling and really good food!
May I suggest you put in more visuals so we don’t just see you talking for 13.30 minutes? How about some bullet points? RUclips as a visual medium you should use more visuals then your video will be more interesting.
Ready to love your style? Book a free 15-minute call with me to see how I can help 👉ericaballstyle.com/personal-styling-services/
I also had nothing when young, only one each pair of jeans and shoes, three tops and no coats or jackets, just a too-small school sweater from when I was much younger. I initially responded to earning money like your sister, just buying more and more of whatever quality, so long as I liked the item on me, i.e., it was “cute”. Now I’m purchasing a lot more selectively and carefully, but it took me decades. I still get that hollow, material-scarcity, feeling at times. The very real scarcity I experienced lasted a long time, almost 20 years, until I graduated from university and began my career, it’s takes time to feel that material things are now abundant for me. I snapped right back to buying tons of fast-fashion during the long lockdown because of the terrible isolation and depression I had, I still have to fight that feeling that a new outfit will make everything better! I also learned a few years ago that the misery I felt in many clothes was from allergies to synthetic fibers, so now I only buy the best natural fibers, just fewer items because of their higher cost. I feel that I have my dream wardrobe now, so I don’t need to keep buying except for the occasional replacement, upgrade or update.
Thanks for sharing your story Kimberly. Growing up without much can definitely keep us in the scarcity mindset. I've done a lot of work on myself to not get stuck in that, but it still comes up at times.
I’ve only just heard of the phrase ‘scarcity mindset’ and that’s me! When I was young, my fantasy was to have enough clothes so I could look good everyday. Even though I didn’t have much growing up, my mum was very particular with buying a few things per season as I grew. My mum used to hate not having fresh underwear everyday when she was growing up so she made sure I had plenty. Funnily enough, underwear is one area I’ve got not interest in and it’s probably because there was no scarcity as I grew up?
@@ybade.8924 Thank you for your comment. So many of us have grown up with a "scarcity" mindset and it can really affect a lot of how we continue to see life and our wardrobes. Good awareness for yourself.
Same, in all respects, except the allergies. One new dress for Xmas mass. Our happiest time was when mum volunteered at St. Vincent De Paul and brought home a bag of clothes. I still value designer finds from my local op-shop.
I took didn't have very many clothes! We didn't have much money so the clothes I did have were from rummage sales. I got one new outfit the start of each school year.
I use to and still do gravitate toward styles I love like striped shirts or white button down shirts without taking the time to assess if I already have one or more of that type of item in my wardrobe. Now when I see something in a style I love, I stop and think about whether I already have a similar item at home.
That's a great practice to do Susan. I bet it saves you time and money. Thanks for sharing!🙂
When I organized my closet and started only buying better quality items, i found that I only needed to shop twice a year (spring and fall). This really has cut down on spending time and money.
That is such a great point Heidi! Thank you for your comment. 😊
I find it particularly difficult to combine clothes with patterns / several colours on it and nothing of that fits to the rest of the wardrobe. Thus, I decided to avoid buying clothes that have patterns (some tiny flowers or dots on it are ok.) and have saved a lot of money this way. I didn't fall into the trap that I need to buy a thing that would be a good combination to a pattern, just for this single piece of clothing.
I agree Verena. Clothing with patterns are more "statement pieces" and harder to wear. They're not as versatile as more neutral, solid-color items. I also find I get tired of patterns faster, except for small florals. Thanks for your comment. 😊
This was all really great advice, Erica. Solid, practical and from there, we can start having fun with our clothes! More creativity with less shopping!
Yes Violet! Love that 😊
I have a big wardrobe, but only a small closet space in my bedroom, so I only have clothes for the current season hanging there at any time. Fortunately, I do have extra closet space elsewhere in the house, but not on the main floor where my bedroom is. So, I move everything out of season to those extra closets, every three months. It’s extra work, but at least I know everything in my bedroom closet is currently wearable and don’t have to look through to s of heavy woolies in the summer, for example. I do have some items that can be worn year-round, too, like cotton long-sleeved tops, so they stay in my bedroom closet. (I store cashmere sweaters in zippered fabric storage bags, making sure they’re clean first, of course). Great tips, Erica, as always🙂
Thanks Kimberly! That is more work to move your items for different seasons, but that could also be a great time to reassess what you have. I appreciate all of your comments 🙂
I used to do that when I lived in a country that had seasons. We don't have that in England.. we have.. days. Some days are sunny, some days are dry. It will freeze at night in July.
I always move out-of-season clothes away too twice a year. For me it's the basement though. 😉
If you need a particular item shopping can be made easier by 1st choosing the color, 2nd decide on style/fit, and 3rd material. Going in this order really helps narrow the search.
Great tips Felicia!
I always choose the fabric first, because I have skin allergies to synthetics. Otherwise, I might fall in love with something with synthetics in it, convince myself that it will be ok “this time” then, of course, I won’t wear it more than once, if at all, because of the discomfort. (I’ve done this too many times in the past, wasting money and time, and creating excess environmental waste and pollution, too, natural-fiber clothes are much more likely to have a second wearer, even if I just donate them, but they sell better, too). These allergies rule out so many clothes for me, the vast majority nowadays are made from synthetic fiber, or blends, so I end up with really limited choices to select from.🙂
It's helpful to know things that are absolute no's when it comes to your wardrobe. There are certain fabrics I won't wear either. They just don't feel good on my skin so I avoid them.
Totally agree. I do this every time I shop / search for something new.
I'd personally go for style/fit first and then colour.
One of my grandmothers was Greek, too, as is my Dad. She was so particular that she had special drying cloths for each type of item, i.e., china, glassware, silverware, etc. I’m Dutch on my Mom’s side, so I got a double dose of the cleaning and organizing bug - it shows in my wardrobe, too.🙂
You did get a double dose lol😂
I appreciate your comment because both of my parents did hard labor so the solution I came up with is to fix the storage systems in my closet. I just got done spackling holes a few minutes ago. I’m convinced building a whole new storage system will help me. It’s awesome to be able to remember where we got our instincts from.
So true!
My mother told me my grandmother could only afford a few high quality pieces, so she bought a few very nice dresses from Neiman Marcus (this was in the 1950’s/60’s).
However, she felt so good in those quality, elegant pieces, she did not mind wearing them over and over again, rather than have loads of less quality pieces of clothing.
I love this story Ruth! Thank you for sharing it.
This is what we all should be doing to save more money for buying good food and good make-up items. It also reduces the waste on the landfills in India, Africa, etc. It's mostly shopping-addicted women that contribute to damaging the environment. This goes for unhealthy ingredients in skincare, too, as they end up in drinking water / oceans. The pill also does.
@@1eurolatefee The more intention we have with what we are bringing into our closets, the better for everyone.
I limit my clothing and accessories to modern classic styles and also have a limited color palette and fabric range (natural fibers plus rayon/lyocell/viscose). This helps a lot to keep my wardrobe from just becoming too full of random choices that don’t work together. I also don’t add “pops of color” in my accessories, I choose them from my color palette, too. If I added this season’s trendy lime green/yellow or tangerine colors, for example, they just wouldn’t work with my cool color-palette wardrobe. The more extremely trendy, unusual or specific an item is, the less likely it is to work well and have longevity. For example, I have wasted so much time and money trying to find tops to work with a skirt I bought in two off-palette colors (rust and dark teal) only to find that they’re now much too big for me anyway! I might take them in, I love the style and the 100% organic cotton knit fabric. I could always wear them with white or ivory, I suppose, but they look really bland that way.
Your approach is very close to what I do with my "collection".
Finding the quality base is often the major problem.
Like looking for a good pair of linen or something like that, navy trousers for summer, and a ditto skirt.
A lot of stuff are black, has silly details, the fitting is wrong, my size is sold out, or the price is too high.
Great tips as always Erica! I can't believe you don't have more subscribers. I will 👍every video!
Thank you so much for saying that Sylvia! I really appreciate it. 🙂
I always do🙂
@Kimberly Perrotis Thank you! I appreciate your support.
As important, is learning your body-type and colours that compliment your colouring, so you don't waste $ on clothes that don't suit you.
Yes,😊 Bernita!!!
Good suggestions !
But I am still enjoying exploration about my fashion, to be a truly happy person.
😂
Life is short. We are all different. Not carbon copies. You have great ideas. We will take away from what you suggest that we are ready to do.I enjoy your videos. As your sister gets older she may change. In the meantime she’s enjoying her fashion .😍
Thanks for your thoughts Vickie! My sister (who I love dearly and have tried to help with her style since she asked me years ago) is actually older. My concern for her is that she doesn't enjoy her fashion and continues to repeat the same patterns and then gets frustrated with her clothes. She struggles to love her outfits but has a hard time investing in quality pieces for herself. I find this with many women.
Great video with sound ideas. HOWEVER, I hope your sister is comfortable being commented on like this.
Thanks Deborah. My sister doesn't mind. I am very open with her, but I appreciate your empathy 🙂
I get bored . I like the turn over. I'm not a brand girl. I'd never pay high price for anything. I feel it's a rip off. I live a simple retired life. It's just clothes.
I don't think it's important to buy high price clothes. I have both categories in my closet, but the main point is to buy ONLY AS MUCH AS YOU REALLY NEED to be dressed appropiately for work, exercise, events. I travel a lot so I don't want to spend much time on thinking what to pack in my carry-on only suitcase. I need tops that fit my bottoms, that are durable and not too expensive if they get lost in a hotel or laundry service. I also live in a small apartment and don't like to give too much room to storing my clothes. My priorities are traveling and really good food!
At this age I need less and just better quality. I totally agree
Yes Maura!!
May I suggest you put in more visuals so we don’t just see you talking for 13.30 minutes? How about some bullet points? RUclips as a visual medium you should use more visuals then your video will be more interesting.
Thanks for your feedback. My newer videos share a lot more visuals as I'm still fairly new and learning.