Friday, September 4, 2009

What I Pass Up

The debut Kate Spade clothing line is out. It's beautiful. I got to research Kate Spade for my entrepreneurship class last semester. It's a pretty cool/interesting story. From an entrepreneur standpoint.


My life would be a little more sweet with this cardigan. I am infatuated with it, quite literally. I keep a window open in one of my tabs at work and sometimes click over to it just to look at it again.

The problem is that I will never own it. The price of ownership is the same as six months of internets, or 13 tanks of gas, or the cost of repairing my laptop keyboard, or about a million dinners, or the collective cost of all of the wedding presents we will buy till this time next year.

I don't think I could ever really feel right about owning/wearing something - just one little article of clothing - with such a high price. Actually I take that back. I've worn expensive gifts and not felt too bad. I don't think I could feel right about actually buying it. It's not just that I would feel guilty about spending so much on myself or one thing, I would feel less personal integrity. There are things to spend money on, and a wardrobe that makes me feel beautiful is one of those, but I know my Heavenly Father (and heck, my earthly father) is counting on me to find a way to use my resources to help my family and others around me, not just me. But with these ideas and feelings, why am I cursed with such expensive taste? It just makes it so I never buy anything.

And maybe I take this too far, or maybe we're just poor, but seriously, I bought some tan pants, a couple pair of jeans, and some tank tops for EFY last summer, and then the next time I bought any clothing, except for my wedding dress, was my graduation outfit (this past May). Is that sad? I'm getting better though, 'cause I bought a few things with my birthday dinero from mis padres a couple weeks ago.

To close this post up, I will tell of my solution to the cardigan problem. I'm sure I could find a good, adorable cardigan with the same bracelet sleeves for $30-50. Then it's all a matter of cutting up felt into those cute flowers, stitching them in with little beads, and probably replacing whatever buttons it has to be as cute as the ones in the picture. And if I ever get around to finding, cutting, and stitching, I could invite you over to make your own. Though it would obviously have to be in different colors.

4 comments:

Kyle and Katie Willman said...

Shirley, you are hilarious. It's funny, though, because whenever I see something really cute that I like (but don't want to pay for) all I can think is "I could totally MAKE that for a LOT cheaper, and it probably wouldn't be that hard!" But of course I never ACTUALLY get around to making anything... well, because that still costs money! :)

ConnieB said...

First of all... capital CUTE.
I can see why you want it. I could tell you a place to start... I got a cardigan at target on clearance for nine dollars yesterday.

I need to be better...spend a little less of my loot on clothes and be smart with it. I love clothes... probably too much, dagnabit.

the Provident Woman said...

I love that sweater.

http://theprovidentwoman.com

heidi said...

that cartigan sure is cute. and i truly dislike the guilt trips that are somehow wired in girls about buying things - clothes - for ourselves.