Do You Think My Outfit Looks Cute?

The cost of a cute outfit. 

My love of the outfit first arrived when I was 23. I not only had a salary but also had a place in the professional 9-5 working world. I was beyond excited to meal prep, “be organized”, pay an exorbitant rate for the Bar Method, and most excitingly, have a reason to have consistently cute outfits. 

Between growing up in Southern California with a high school uniform & attending college in Boston, I never had the lifestyle (or funds) to focus on my wardrobe. My outfits were a mix of athletic gear before practice, “going out” tops borrowed from my roommates, and black Northface fleece jackets as I learned to dress for New England winters.

Enter age 23. With my proud $48k pre-tax salary, I was excited and felt justified to discover my style through clothing purchases (I didn’t know any other way). A few months in, I also started working part-time at J.Crew to avoid evening traffic and get discounts to help in the journey of style. 

The double whammy of a salary + endless 50% off J.Crew discounts created the storm of consumerism my first year out of college. I bought blouses, loafers, pixie pants, scarves, and more blouses. My apartment room had a large closet that began to feel small…