Let me exhort you to buy truly beautiful things. When you find them, get them. Not cheap flash, but items that satisfy the woman deep within.
Where, you ask, would I find these things?
Most of the time, you’ll find them sold by craftspeople and artists. Sometimes in boutiques, occasionally in high-end stores, but most often at street fairs, and on online retailers like Etsy.
I find the pursuit of status symbols boring. Do you know that people stop me to compliment me on my carved-leather purse? That wearing a bright-colored dress with feminine detail earns me a delighted response more often than not? We *say* that we want to support American made goods, that we’re pro-small business, and that we love our artists and craftspeople… but do we support them by purchasing their products?
No. We lack courage to do something a little different from the mainstream. Or we just don’t think indie when we think about our basics.
Let me do my part to shake you out of this mindset.
I took a minute and looked on the Target site to get an idea of what pleather mass-market purses go for. ($30) Then I took a few minutes and searched etsy, setting the “American made only” filter on… oh, and I want real leather, not faux.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/181200778/handmade-smaller-genuine-leather-purse?ref=shop_home_listings ($30)
https://www.etsy.com/listing/165033967/lyn-brown-tooled-leather-crossbody-bag?ref=shop_home_listings ($40)
Let’s go a bit higher-end, shall we? The Coach outlet sells the handbags for 50% off, according to a brief internet search. If a slouchy handbag sells for $300, that leaves us $150 for our own purse search.
Not made in America, but sold from a small boutique in my area… less than $150.
Do I even need to speak about what you can find from independent jewelers? Or my obsession with hand-painted silk scarves? Oh. Nordies is selling those here…http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/st-john-collection-brigitte-floral-print-silkgeorgette-scarf/4148842?origin=category-personalizedsort&fashioncolor=CREAM%2F%20CERISE%20MULTI
Or etsy https://www.etsy.com/listing/290821271/hand-painted-silk-scarf-butterfly-silk?ref=shop_home_listings
If you’re going to spend the money, spend it well.
Let’s have a beauty revolution!