Style Buzz: The Finances of Style + Styling a Green Leather Vest

Eugene Stylist
Sep 25
3 min read

Three Ideas to Inspire Your Style This Week

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"I have never spent so much on clothes in one day.

But it is worth every penny!"

*A rack of clothes I pulled for a client at Miss Meers*

It's shopping season! I've had a couple of clients recently who booked personal shopping trips to build an entirely new wardrobe for various reasons: new business, new attitude, new responsibilities. What they all had in common was realizing that by buying a collection all at once allows for a cohesion to their wardrobe and a chance to bring their vision of who they're becoming to life, simply through style.

xxx rachel

THE FINANCES OF STYLE

Let’s talk about the elephant in the fitting room: sticker shock. A personal shopping trip might feel like a splurge, especially if you’re used to scooping up random sale items and hoping they magically “go” with something you own (spoiler: they usually don’t). But here’s the twist—shopping with intention isn’t an expense, it’s an investment.

Your wardrobe is essentially the brand of you. If you’re a solopreneur or a professional or just a human who interacts with others, people often gauge your outfit before you’ve even said hello. It doesn’t have to scream “designer” or “fashion week.” It just needs to whisper—confident, approachable, capable. The right clothes do that better than any networking pitch.

And let’s not forget: style is self-care in disguise. We’ll happily invest in facials, gym memberships, or that expensive serum promising eternal youth, yet somehow clothing gets treated like an afterthought. But every morning, your wardrobe either sets you up for a day of “I’ve got this” or a day of “I hope no one notices my trousers are doing something odd.”

Yes, shopping with a stylist may cost more upfront, but have you ever added up how much you've spent over the years on things you never wore, even if it was only $25 here, $50 there? . The payoff to shopping deliberately and with a stylist is huge: fewer closet orphans (those poor impulse buys still wearing their tags), fewer “nothing to wear” meltdowns, and more outfits that make you feel like the main character in your own story. Style isn’t frivolous—it’s fuel.

And honestly, isn’t it nice when your clothes work harder than you do?

*****

6 tips on how to be mindful of your budget when shopping

Know your numbers – Set a realistic budget before you hit the shops so you don’t end up in a love affair with a jacket that costs more than your car payment.
Prioritize gaps, not duplicates – Buy what your wardrobe needs, not yet another black top because “this one’s slightly different.”
Think cost per wear – If you’ll wear it weekly, it’s basically free. If it’ll only see daylight once before heading to the back of your closet, that’s an expensive night out.
Quality over quantity – One well-made handbag that lasts five years is worth more than five cheap ones that shed pleather everywhere by Spring.
Mix high and low – Splurge where it counts (coats, shoes, tailoring) and save on trendier or seasonal pieces.
Avoid “bargain blindness” – A sale tag doesn’t mean it’s a good buy. If it doesn’t fit your life, style, or budget, it’s still expensive clutter.

*****

One of my not-so-secret weapons that I give all my clients to help keep them on track is a digital wardrobe app. By populating it with pictures of your entire wardrobe - clothes, shoes, accessories - It will help you see the clothes you already have in your inventory so you don't forget you already have four white button front shirts when you're out shopping, plus you can see at a glance if something you're considering buying will go with at least 5 other pieces you already own. The lookbooks show you a piece's versatility, inspiring you to build new outfits from what you already have.

3 WAYS TO WEAR IT: Green Leather Vest

I pulled this adorable piece for a client and I loved her reaction: "I never would have picked that out for myself but I absolutely love it!" As she added more pieces to her wardrobe, we made sure it could be worn in multiple ways across seasons and not be just a one trick pony.