Fashion, Style, and a Side-gig

I should preface this blog by stating that I have no style or fashion-sense. I recently told a friend that my outfit made me look like a homeless person. What I didn’t tell her is that my statement would have been an insult to homeless people. The reality is: I spent most of last year in workout clothes or lounge-wear; every now and again, I would end up in one of my “homeless-people-ensembles”, and if something was actually happening in my life (which didn’t happen often), I would try to wear a cute outfit. Since, I have no style, anything cute in my closet comes from my guy, my mom, my mother-in-law, and most recently my sister.

I had a lot of time to think last year. (I think we all had a little extra time on our hands). One of the things that I thought about was my style, and one of the realizations that I made was that style and fashion take time and effort. Now, some people have innate style, which means that they spend less time and effort looking cute. Other people have figured out what styles work for their bodies, so they may spend less time as well. Then, there are people like me, who have never wanted to spend time, energy, or effort on clothing and accessories; yet, I would still would wonder, “why does she always look so effortlessly cute?” The truth is that it is not effortless. Now, someone else might have more interest, or think that it is more fun, but it still took some effort. Shopping for clothes takes time. Spending the extra 30 seconds putting on the accessory takes time, and buying those clothes and accessories takes time, energy, effort, and money. Money and I have a strange relationship; that relationship could be its very own blog, so to keep it short…I don’t like to spend money, and I don’t like to spend it on clothes and accessories. So this brings up the big question: How is a woman who 1) doesn’t like to spend money and 2) isn’t super interested in shopping and clothing supposed to look cute? If I was a go-gillion-aire (that’s a word, right?), I would have a personal shopper and stylist who would tell me what to wear, and what looks cute on me, but I am not a go-gillion-aire, (and now I am doubting now the use of my made up word,) so I don’t have a stylist and personal shopper, but do you want to know what I DO HAVE…I HAVE A SUPER-COOL SISTER, who also happens to be fashionable, and who has inadvertently become my personal shopper and stylist, AND she does it on a BUDGET!!!

Let me introduce you to my sister, Sophia. Sophia is 10 years my junior. She is beautiful, spunky, and fun. She also has great style, and she loves to shop. She spends time, energy, and effort on her clothing, and she has figured out styles that work for her body type. She thinks shopping is actually fun, and she makes looking great – look effortless. In 2017, she realized that she could turn her love for shopping and style into a side-gig. Whether she would wear something a couple of times, and then turn around and sell it, or specifically buy something on the cheap and turn around to sell it, she began buying and selling clothing. She started her side-gig by selling on ebay, and she began to make some money. Over the years, she has expanded her clothing business by selling over multiple platforms to include sites like Poshmark and Trading Up, but the platform that changed my fashion-life was when she brought her business, Sophie’s Sweet Seams Shop to Facebook. I don’t know if it was the platform that I liked; she posts weekly “sales”, and the way she shares the clothes makes sense to me, or if it is now that I actually want to look cute; yet, there aren’t a lot of places for me to shop on the island of Okinawa, or if supporting her business makes me feel good. I believe that it is probably a combination. All I know is that I am not a go-gillion-aire, and I have FOUND A PERSONAL SHOPPER. Thank you Sophia!!!

Sophia, who has great style, only sells cute clothes, so she basically vets any clothing that isn’t cute. She also gives me recommendations on pieces that would fit or that may run big or small. When I send her a picture, of me wearing something that I bought from her, she will tell me that I styled it well. I would also bet that she would tell me to quit dressing like a homeless person. I now have more clothes in my closet that are cute. I think one of my favorite things about buying from Sophia is that the clothes are priced perfectly. Since most of her buying comes from thrifting, she is selling clothes for 85% of what you would pay retail, which means that I am picking up $125 blouses for less than $20. If I get something and don’t love it, I didn’t spend $125 on it, so I don’t feel obligated to keep it forever. I simply wear it a few times, and turn around and donate it. Over time, I find pieces that I really do love, and I bet I end up wearing them for years. Buying from her has also given me permission to start donating more of my own older clothes.

Just some of the things I have purchased from Sophie’s Sweet Seams Shop.

Out with the old, to create space for the new!

As consumers, we all have choices. We can shop from the big guys – like Amazon, Nordstrom’s, or Target, and I like all of those retailers. We can also shop from the small businesses – like Sophia’s Sweet Seams Shop, and know that we are REALLY making an impact on someone’s life. I will choose the small business EVERY SINGLE TIME. I am so grateful to have Sophia in my life, not just as my fashionista personal shopper, but also as my sounding board and friend. If you are reading this and aren’t in her private Facebook group, I encourage you to check it out. It’s a great page with lots of cute clothes. I’ll see you there!