People are starved for beauty in every aspect of life. Since I decided to express my creative side in my outfits, I get stopped by strangers daily, telling me how much they love the look. Women roll down the windows of their vehicles to yell, “Beautiful!” Support workers plant themselves by the entrance every morning. “Seeing you puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day!” they say. Men are less effusive (unless they are in creative fields) because there’s fear of offending but I can see that people are experiencing aesthetic enjoyment. (Men in creative fields are the best because they give detailed analysis along the lines of, “I like how the eye shadow plays onto the detailing on the blouse. Have you considered adding a bit of green to the ensemble?”)
I go for the ultra-feminine look with flouncy skirts, frills, sparklies, and soft velvet dresses with bows. I have this one skirt, it cost me $22, and it looks like a flower with many soft petals that swirl when I move. We are truly fortunate to have access to cheap yet beautiful clothes. I’ll wear that skirt for at least 10 years which is $2 per year. Totally worth it in positive emotions alone.
I’m an extremely messy person in a constant state of expansion and with piles of books everywhere. My only two investments into beauty are the outfits and the dining room table decor that I change monthly.
Clarissa's Blog 
your skirt sounds gorgeous!
Amanda
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Being well-dressed is such an easy way to make a good impression. I always get treated well wherever I go. And it just makes you feel good. They are the first things we see when we see people. They frame someone and their overall vibe more than almost anything else.
I’ve been into clothes since I was a kid, but I didn’t really get to explore that interest until I moved to the U.S.
One day I went to Goodwill to donate some stuff and, for the first time ever, actually walked around the store. I found this really nice jacket. At that time I knew nothing about how clothes are constructed, or what does it mean for a garment to be handmade, or fabrics. It just felt special. I paid $12.99 and brought it home. Later I looked it up and realized it was from Kiton and what I bought sells for $8k retail. From that incident, a life-long love affair was born.
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I’m nodding vigorously to every line of this comment.
This does look like a wonderful piece. And the fabric! None of that plastic stuff.
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Nice! Finding something like that, in your size, is like winning the lottery 😀
-ethyl (thrift-store enthusiast)
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What’s wild is I’ll find stuff from like 50 years ago, basic pieces that were sold at places like Sears or JCPenney, and the quality is better than most menswear brands today. And these were just normal mall brands. B
The clothes basically tell the whole story of the decline of american manufacturing. And also how people used to care more about how they dressed. Even everyday stuff had standards back then.
Brooks Brothers, the quintessential american brand, has now almost entirely shifted its factories to china and only their very high end lines are made in the USA. Their 50+ year old vintage OCBD (oxford cloth button down) shirts sometimes sell for more than brand new ones. That’s how good the quality was.
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I appreciate pretty clothes as an observer, but avoid them as a user 😉 My hierarchy for clothes is, it must be comfortable first, full-coverage next, not draw attention, and then waaay down at the end of the chain, bonus points if it looks nice.
If two or more people compliment me on an item of clothing in the same day… I usually get rid of it. That means they noticed, and I don’t like the attention.
-ethyl
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At least with classic menswear, a “successful” outfit is precisely one that doesn’t attract attention. People notice that you look put together but they can’t quite put their finger on why.
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so hard finding beauty in everyday life. I’m glad the area I live has a town 40 minutes north of me with beautiful limestone cliffs and interesting history/architecture. Being without beauty is like being without love
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Tucker Carlson once bought a used tie off me on ebay. Old school WASP thrift in action. excellence!
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