Finding Beauty in the Breakdown

It's no secret that our Economy has been anything but rocksteady since circa 2007; back then I was oblivious to say the least. I was one year away from graduating college, I spent my weekends at fancy downtown restaurants and handbag shopping at the newest boutiques on 1st & Pine. I thought nothing of taking expensive weekend trips with my then-fiance "just because", and then suddenly, one day while at the Chanel counter in Macy's the woman ringing me up looked at me and quietly whispered "I'm sorry...you're card didn't go through".
My heart sank. My stomach churned and I could feel my face get red hot with confusion and embarrassment. My first thoughts were to call my mom and have her send another credit card or fix this problem for me so I could happily continue on my way with my several bags full of Chanel. It didn't turn out that way - that was the day I realized that our economy's debt was no joke.

(For those anxiously on the edge of your seats wondering "So what happened to all of that Chanel?!?!?" it turned out I was only $49 over my limit, so I put back 2 lip glosses much to my dismay.).

Fashion and beauty trends are anything but trite, they are part of history. They define us as a people and tell long tales about who we were and what we lived like. History incrusted in fine silks of the ages, bejeweled with sanctity of what it meant to be human many, many years ago. It is just as much a part of history as anything else. It's how we know what Martha Washington sewed our nation's flag out of; its how we knew the differences of class statuses in ancient cultures, it's how we knew what great Queens and First Ladies alike wore to dinners.
Or best yet, how to improve upon anything and everything - how to get beautiful ideas from the charcoal makeup of the Vaudeville Era, how to lead a movement as women wearing pants (pants!), how to keep our skin looking young so that we may feel beautiful for as long as we can (with all that we as women have to do, go through, and take on in life).

It's not surprising that in a time of great economic downfall women all over are still steadily purchasing clothes and beauty supplies with the same burning fever - if not hotter - than ever before. It's not "silly spending", but rather a way to see the beauty through the breakdown. While we have enough to bear upon our shoulders (that which cannot simple be "brushed off"), is it really too much to ask that those shoulders are moisturized daily? Or that smile that we have to keep strong in front of our kids so that THEY do not have fear of a future - can our lips not be nicely glossed?

And what is even greater is that so many women & designers have used this time to shine through - be it via vintage shops from Brooklyn to Seattle or on the sexy and sleek catwalks of Paris - women everywhere are boasting beauty, glam, and all that glitters. They are finding new ways to reinvent old shirts, skirts, blouses, and more - finally designers are saying FUCK MINIMALISM! SHINE! SHINE! SHINE! If not now, when? What are we to do? Wear beige everyday of our baby burping, career obtaining, man pleasing lives?
Heck no.

Take the longest walk of your life in a pair of shoes that make you feel like a goddess. Sweat out the stress at Yoga in your cutest yoga pants. Invest in a very fine Michael Kors watch as part of your uniform as a Nurse, LVT, MD, or DVM. Don't splurge unnecessarily, take care of that which is key first...but in that equation, don't forget YOU. Don't ever, ever forget YOU.

I think it's a beautiful thing, ladies. So after you read this promise me that you will look through YOUR closet, YOUR makeup and find ONE item that ScReAmS Glam! And that you WILL wear it...proudly. And not just on New Year's Eve.

We are in a time of economic crisis. Times are hard. How many times are we going to say it before we begin to get up, slap on some gloss, comb our hair, and stop making excuses to feel amazing?

Kisses, hugs, and sticking it to the deficit,
CrystalSeattleTv