Please be sure to check out my follow up posts to this one: Finance & the Fashion Blogger: Blogging & Buying (for my reactions on this post) & Finance & the Fashion Blogger: Haul Videos to check out more thoughts and reactions to this post and its lovely, thought provoking comments!

I write this from a personal place, one that has been a big part of my life for nearly a decade and more thoughtfully impacts my daily life now.  I’d been a stupid teenager and a stupid 20-something, racking up thousands of dollars in debt– on eating out, shoes, books, movies– some of these were my own stupidity, some of these were compensation and the results of rebuilding my life after Hurricane Katrina.  At the end of the month, all I get is that bill saying that I owe this much.

We write about fashion– but we don’t often write or talk about the financial choices behind our sartorial choices.

Lately I’ve found myself recognizing how eliminating that temptation from my life has also had an impact on my ability to write as a fashion blogger.  It’s crossing my mind more and more how we, as fashion bloggers, need to demystify finances and realize that spending and shopping  go hand in hand– how do we do it, afford it, save for it?  Or do we?

Since moving back to New Orleans, my sartorial life has taken a backseat, as I’ve tried to focus on paying down my credit card debts and student loans.  As a result, my shopping has hopped in the backseat too– along with it, window shopping and temptation.

Moving back to New Orleans has taught me a bit about myself, including my habit of spiraling.  Spiraling–the act of doing something once, only to feel the need to keep doing it. It happened this past month– what started as using my credit card to buy Lady Gaga tickets and added up to 2 Tarina Tarantino necklaces, a new purse from Alice & Isa, 2 new tops from B&Lu, and a couple dinners out with friends.  Suddenly a month’s worth of progress on eliminating debt had been eliminated.

The only justification I have is that I bought things I really loved and have loved and wanted a long time.

In many ways, I think the rise of the fashion blogger has led to the rise of other things–increased need for consumption, a competitiveness to buy more and keep up with other bloggers. I remember reading about shopping addictions in magazines when I was younger, but I question if that’s on the rise too, with instant access to dozens of sale emails and posts popping up before our eyes every second.

Sometimes I can’t help but wonder, what’s the real cost of being a fashion blogger?

It’s something we keep quiet about publicly, but whisper about in g-chats and emails.   Is that blogger always buying new things? How does she afford it all?  And in an effort to keep up, we have two options: buy it ourselves or seek it out from companies in the form of payments/sponsorships/review products.

Birdiee said to me, “The act of buying is so integral to writing that sometimes I wonder how bloggers keep it up – there are a lot of bloggers who do editorials because they haven’t got the funds to keep up.”

Recently I went shopping with a girl friend in the French Quarter.  We were deliberating jewelry at Ragin’ Daisy, when I realized that I wanted this particular necklace and pair of earrings (totaling $57 before tax).  I also knew that I couldn’t afford them at the moment, so I’d have to pay by credit card.  So I didn’t buy them.

I’ve seen whispers from bloggers who’ve hidden from their debts and bad shopping habits, but never opened up that side with their readers.  The fact is, the need to buy, to remain stylish, to support our style, allow it to grow, change, evolve, has a price. Just how high do we let it get?

Jennine of the Coveted says of her own habits with shopping,

“When I first started blogging, I was well into a very destructive bad shopping habit, and when I started my blog, at first it fueled my already destructive spending. I remember reading somewhere on Style Bytes that she ran out of money, until the next credit card came in the mail, and at the time it seemed like..’oh, that’s how she does it!’ So, like an idiot, I did the same thing. I can’t give numbers, but I was in a lot of debt…but now, I have paid almost 2/3 of it off (after next month, I’ll have one more credit card to go, and I’m out of consumer debt). And I’ve learned my lesson. Bad spending habits aren’t worth it, not even for my blog.”

Michelle at Wicked Whimsy told me how real financial responsibility often holds her back as a blogger– she says,

One of the things that holds me back from doing more outfit posts, embarrassing as it may be, is that I just don’t have the cash to keep up with the constant influx of new clothes, shoes, and accessories that other fashion bloggers seem to have, even if I shopped on a serious budget. I feel like, because of this, most people don’t want to see outfits that are continual reworkings of my closet favorites (although I guess the Uniform Project could be an example to the contrary).

When bloggers are racking up thousands of dollars of debt or waiting for the next credit card bill to arrive, where do we draw a line? Form blogger support groups to keep each other from spending– and dressing– outside of our means?  Or do we destroy an illusion–of carefree living, style as art– by bringing finance in to the fashion mix?

Reader Responses!

I love them, so keep them coming!

• Reposted to IFB: Great comments from the community
• Betsey J: The Price of Fashion Blogging
• Anthropologie Girls: Affording a Fashion Blog
• The Curvy Coach: 5 Ways Not to go Broke as a Fashion Blogger
• Return to Sender: What I Don’t Care About (in Fatshion)
• Haute in the City: Is Sex & the City Socially Responsible?
• Simple in the Moonlight: The F Word
• Style Sample Magazine: Are you a shopping machine?
• OMG Haute: Can you afford to be a fashion blogger?

Thank you all for the kind reposts, links, discussions, and more!

© dramatis personae. If you enjoyed Finance & the Fashion Blogger: Ignore-ance, please subscribe at dramatis personae. Company links may be affiliate links; see a full list of affiliates here. Be assured that all products have received that Ashe seal of love, lust, & approval.

Via We Heart It

Chances are, if you’re online shopping, you’re looking for something in particular: great deals, a wide variety, and–(hopefully!) most importantly–security in your shopping process.

In these harder economic times, people are more cautious about how they’re spending their money, particularly if they’re doing it online.  Most of us aren’t rolling in extra income, so the customer service side of shopping has become even more important.

I believe that retailers should value their customers above all: they should recognize that the exchange of my money for their products is a sacred act (*cue porn music*), and they should respect my choice to support their establishment.

When it comes to online shopping, I hold particular values near and dear to me. Few retailers are 100% perfect, and I accept that.

Via We Heart It

• Thou Shalt Offer Exchanges: I think for any retailer NOT to have an exchange policy in place is ridiculous, particularly for online retailers where you can’t try one & fondle the products. If I’m only given the option of returning, or returning and rebuying? You can guess which one I’m going to pick (especially if it incurs extra shipping costs!).
  I’ve had instances with Wet Seal and Steve Madden where I’ve taken advantage of a Buy One Get One Half Off–only to need to exchange for a size.  Their reponse? Return the old, and reorder it for the full price.  You can guess where I don’t shop with anymore.
• Thou Shalt Offer Price Adjustments: Amazon notoriously doesn’t do price adjustments–to their own detriment. When I want something, and I want it BAD? I will repeatedly order it over and over again, AND use your free shipping option, until I get it for the lowest price.  If you would just offer a 2-week or 1-month price adjustment policy, you’d save more money in the long run.
• Thou Shalt Have a Kick-Ass Return Policy: Many e-retailers stick us with a 2 week return period. Which is ludicrous when it comes to trying to get something, try it on, and get it shipped back (especially since post offices aren’t open 7 days a week!).  It makes me resentful to get stuck with products I don’t want because I have a super short time frame to get it returned.
• Thou Shalt Abolish Re-stocking Fees: For smaller, more independent businesses, I can understand a re-stocking fee.  Sorry to pick on you again Steve Madden, but when you charge me spendy shipping both ways, PLUS a $7 restocking fee? I’ll only buy your shoes at in-person retailers now, thanks…
• Your Customer Service Representatives Shalt Be Quick & Responsive. There’s little more I hate than emailing or calling for some customer service, only to have my inquiry go unreplied.  This has happened on multiple occasions for me, unfortunately.
• When Possible, Thou Shalt Offer Free/Cheap Shipping & Returns. This is my ultimate wish/desire. I hate to get smacked with $12 shipping 3 ways to pay for shipping, a return, and then re-shipping (John Fluevog, I’m looking at you!).  $36 is an awful lot to pay for shipment on a reasonable item–especially if it’s impossible to get the item locally.

Anything you’d like to add–what makes and breaks your shopping experience? Or any customer service triumphs or failures that have completely changed the way you interact with a company?

© dramatis personae. If you enjoyed Ashe Mischief’s Shopping Bill of Rights, please subscribe at dramatis personae. Company links may be affiliate links; see a full list of affiliates here. Be assured that all products have received that Ashe seal of love, lust, & approval.

Via We Heart It

I own a lot of shoes. (No more than any average woman, I’d argue, but still quite a few.)

But I’m really bad about actually wearing them.

I love my shoes– I love owning these beautiful pieces of art in my closet. I love looking down at them and thinking, “Those are mine!” in happiness.  But there are many pairs that sit, unworn, in my closet.

In many ways, it has to do with laziness (as with most things I do or don’t do). High heels are my Achille’s heel, but they don’t always feel practical for my daily life.  A 4″ heel makes me feel wonderful, powerful, and Amazonian… but that 4″ heel may not be comfortable for doing an hour of filing.

Then, with my laziness… for me, heels just require dressing up more. They require more thought … it’s easy to throw on a pair of slacks, a colorful shirt & necklace, and a pair of comfortable flats when I’m half awake… but add in a day when I think I should be wearing heels? Then suddenly coordination’s and style are so much more important.

In general, it’s probably harder to find a great heel that is comparable in comfort to a flat or lower heel. So while my Fluevogs are amazing and comfortable… the heels just aren’t as much so as a wedge or as my flats.

Then there’s protection…when I buy a pair of heels, I buy them with the intent of having them for a long time.  When I buy a pair of flats, it is with the hope that they will last as long as possible.  As such, I’m more inclined to be particular about the weather & occasion when I wear my heels.  Is it raining? Best not to wear the suede & velvet ones.  Or worse, is there snow on the ground? Maybe it’s time to break out the Ugg boots that don’t look like Ugg boots.

There you have it.  I have an amazing shoe collection… and I can think of several excuses as to why I don’t wear them on a daily basis. I can refute myself (if you wear them more often, they’ll be more comfortable… you can wear a 3″ wedge easily and comfortably, but you don’t…), but somehow the comfy/lazy factor wins out.

Am I alone in this habit?

© dramatis personae. If you enjoyed Confessional: Why I don’t wear my shoes., please subscribe at dramatis personae. Company links may be affiliate links; see a full list of affiliates here. Be assured that all products have received that Ashe seal of love, lust, & approval.

This weekend I’ve been catching up & re-watching HBO’s Carnivále, which I think is probably one of the most intelligent & thoughtful shows I’ve ever seen. I’m still disappointed to this day it was cancelled after Season 2.

What I love most though, is how it really reminds you that beauty and sexiness come at any size, age, gender, orientation, or absurdity.

For myself, I find that youthfulness and a svelte figure don’t equate in to who is sexy– rather, the two women whose sexual energy keeps me fixated on the screen are two women whose jobs are centered around arousal, exoticism, sexuality, and sensuality– Ruthie, the aged and wise Snake Charmer (also mother to the Strong Man, Gabe), and Rita Sue, the leader of the exotic dancers, a family of 2-3 women who perform “titty shows” and other erotic performances (including “turning johns”).

I also love that the show acknowledges a change in beauty standards and demystifies our female bodies. One of Rita Sue’s daughters talks candidly & teasingly about how one breast is bigger than the other & how men like it; two curvaceous and vivacious women share the stage with the slimmer sister, acknowledging that size has nothing to do with sex appeal. For women who deal in sex– it’s no big deal. It can make men balk, fluster, or aroused, but at the end of the day, a job is a job for them.

Sadly, there aren’t more clips or images from the show online!  It just goes to show how undervalued this show really was.

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Not all of us are ready to be burlesque superstars… maybe you’re shy, have a bit of body-consciousness, or have a moral or religious reason not to bare your flesh in public. But that’s okay!

Because we can still have fun and incorporate a bit of Boom-Cha-Cha in to our daily lives!

♥ Look Underneath…
Who says adding a bit of sass and spice to your wardrobe has to be visible to the world? (And who says it doesn’t have to be?)

Image by Kmlz

Plus sized gals can enjoy this pleated skirt panty or these red leopard print rumba panties underneath their work wear, and for the slimmer gals, I do know that my favorite, Trashy Diva can sell you similar rumba panties!

If you’re feeling a bit more bold, why not incorporate some pasties in place of your bra for the next rock show you go to? If you’re really extroverted, try a pair of patterned pasties underneath a white tank top. Evocative, sure. Borderline trashy, maybe a bit. Totally sexy? Absolutely.

A subtle look that can be incorporated in to nearly any outfit is through textured tights. One of my favorite accessories are nude colored fishnets. I love that they add texture up close and are a bit of a surprise when you see them. They’re a bit less in your face than black fishnets are, but can illicit the same response.

♥ All That Glitters Is (Not) Gold
I loved Sydni Deveraux’s suggestions to make your shoes standout by adding sequins and rhinestones. What better way to add a bit of nightlife glam to your day-to-day life than through sequin and rhinestone additions? Or, how about some tassels (that *aren’t* attached to pasties)?

I love these Oh Deer! sequined t-straps in gold and also in silver.

You can enjoy the fringe benefits with great shoes like these Irregular Choice Bird of Paradise shoes or these (slightly insane) Boudoir shoes (a nice interpretation of marabou feather heels!) No need to dazzle up these pretty babies, they’ve got all the flash and flair you could need on a dance floor!

For more tassle and fringe fun, Jennine at the Coveted has some great DIY tutorials that can easily be converted for burlesque fun: The Fringy Tank and Put Your Head on My Shoulder (Pad).

Topsy Turvy Designs makes great burlesque inspired pieces to complete your look head to toe like this
feather & rhinestone headband or this peacock and feather brooch/fascinator or these rhinestone bobby pins.

♥You Can Fake It
Fake eyelashes don’t have to be so dramatic as Shu Uemura, and you can certainly play with them during the day! A subtle pair of false eyelashes can enhance the natural look of your face (much like shading and shaping your eyebrows can).

Envision yourself a blond, but not ready to break out the bleach? Fancy yourself with copper locks for a Gilda impersonation but just for one night? Maybe you’re practicing a Marie Antionette solo? Change is easy-peasy with a wig.

Image by Obo-Bobolina

Maybe in real life you’re as sweet as pie, but on the stage you’re naughty by nature… how about some fake tattoos for a fun play on gender and deviancy?

And lastly, the best and easiest way to incorporate a bit of burlesque on to your body… with your brassiere! There’s no better way to fake it– whether padded, with silicon baubles, or extra push-up power!

Any other ideas for adding some oomph and ooh-la-la to your daily dressings? How about a bit of naughty hidden beyond your nice? Better yet, how about some Polyvore action– show me your best ways to add some burlesque inspiration to your wardrobe!

Also check out Birdiee’s more recent post on how to dress for a night out at burlesque!

© dramatis personae. If you enjoyed Bringing Back Burlesque…., please subscribe at dramatis personae. Company links may be affiliate links; see a full list of affiliates here. Be assured that all products have received that Ashe seal of love, lust, & approval.