It’s 6 a.m. when your alarm clock blares, waking you for the morning. You begrudgingly force yourself out of bed for the work day ahead after silently praying for an unanswered ‘5 more minutes’. Barely conscious, you go about your morning routine. Brush teeth? Check. Shower? Check. Breakfast? Check. There’s only one part missing: your outfit. As you approach your closet and begin to sift through, you let out a sigh. ‘I wish I had more clothes’, you think. You mentally kick yourself for not taking the initiative to purchase any clothing items other than solid color tops and basic shade trousers for the workplace. Your eyes drift to the magazine rack hanging on your wall. The celebrity on the cover sports a feminine and fashionable look that you envy, yet leaves you feeling inadequate all at the same time. Your eyes dart back and forth from the model’s outfit to your own selection of attire. If only there was a way you could afford to dress like the fashion-forward models in the media without spending a fortune.
Jeannette Scott-Thwing, of Orlando, Florida, has managed to do just that. The local fashionista with a keen sense of style and budget-conscious mind has built the media empire that is Jseverydayfashion.com. The website is, in her own words, “a study of a girls’ closet.” Jeannette, who goes by the alias of J, has made it her mission to transform celebrity looks into every-girl wear. By taking fashion inspiration photographs from magazines or blogs, J studies the expensive outfits and sets out to re-create them with pieces from affordable clothing shops, like local boutiques or discount stores, such as TJ Maxx and Marshall’s.
J is the first to admit that she hasn’t always been a fashion expert. “Despite being a tomboy, I’ve always loved fashion magazines and clothes and in college I started experimenting with my personal style,” she writes on her blog. “I had more than my fair share of style disasters in those years, but I also studied the art of fashion and was enthralled with figuring out how to bridge the gap between what I was seeing in magazines, and real life.” Before she knew it, Jseverydayfashion.com was born. She refers to her blog as ‘an experiment’, and that it is. Each morning, J posts a new blog with a snapshot of an outfit she re-invented taking simple items and pairing them with higher-end looks. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don’t; and that’s the point. J operates on a method of trial-and-error. Perhaps a look didn’t turn out as well as she’d hoped, but she was brave enough to try, and that’s what she wants her readers to do.
According to J, there are 9 Fashion Commandments that every budding fashionista should be aware of:
Style and creativity can be learned. Exercise it like you would any other muscle.
You don’t need tons of money to be stylish.
You don’t need tons of time to be stylish. If you hate what you are wearing, it distracts you from enjoying the good stuff in life (your family, your job, etc.), so you certainly should spend some time thinking about it. But sometimes all you need is to spend a little more time up front (whether that be in your closet or at the mall), and that will save you hours of angst later! Hopefully my shortcuts will help you be more efficient.
Following outfit recipes is a great time-saver and creativity exerciser, it’s not “copying.”
There are two halves to being more stylish: your shopping strategy and your styling skills.
At the end of the day, it’s all about finding your own personal style. Dressing like someone else is not a great idea, but trying a look you saw on someone else can actually help you define your own style better.
It’s not about how much new stuff you can cram into one closet, it’s about how many ways can you wear the same item over and over again?
Fashion mistakes are half the fun. Don’t be afraid to make them! Finding your personal style takes plenty of trial and error.
At the end of the day, if you love it, then wear it! We are often too concerned with telling other women what they are wearing is not “right” (exceptions: church and work dress codes, and nudity) or worrying about what others might think. Confidence is everything. If you like it, go for it no matter what anybody says.
These tips were created by J to guide a woman in a search of her personal style. They say knowing is half the battle, so after mastering the fashion commandments, it’s time to put your newfound knowledge to work. To get started in the lifestyle change, J recommends first setting a clothing budget. Though most of the items will be purchased from affordable stores, it’s common for a shopping trip to become expensive if you don’t set a limit for yourself. J’s blog post on “How To Set a Clothing Budget” thoroughly explains the process of determining how much you will spend on clothes per month. It’s important to remember that this budget will be different for everyone. Taking a look at your financial situation and being realistic about how much you can commit to will ultimately decide your monthly budget.
Specific factors to take into consideration when setting a budget include, first and foremost, your income level. “Most financial planners recommend to set aside between 2-8% of your take-home income for clothing,” J points out. The next important factor is your family. “If you have children, then their clothing also needs to come out of this budget,” J writes. “If you are single, then the budget is just for you.” Your job also plays a big role in how much money goes into your clothing budget. J explains why. “Some jobs, such as working in a law office or a fashion magazine, are going to require clothing that is higher quality and of more variety, and therefore you should create a larger budget. A job with a uniform, however, should save you a considerable amount on clothing since you only need clothes for weekends and fun occasions.” Keep your financial goals in mind when planning how much you will spend a month. “If you have significant financial goals or stressors, then you will want to reduce your clothing budget as much as possible to make room for these other (more important) categories,” says J. Not everyone is the same. Some are truly fascinated with fashion and feel the need to embark on a shopping trip every month, while others don’t value the activity quite as much. “You may value other things in your life more than clothing – such as traveling, or donating to charity,” J notes. “These can be reasons to reduce your clothing budget and move those funds into other categories that mean the most to you.”
As for tips on how to maintain the budget, J advises to keep track by writing things down in a journal. She also emphasizes the importance of carrying over. “If you want to save up for something big, then carry over the budget you didn’t use from the previous months. Or do what I do and save some of your budget for the best times of year to score great deals – right after Christmas, and in late June/early July (when the clothing seasons change).” Lastly, J encourages returning overages. All items are not created equal, and sometimes, as eager shoppers, we get caught up in pieces that look great in the moment, but not so great later on. Don’t be afraid to return those items and get your money back for future purchases.
Aside from money management tips, Jseverydayfashion.com is equipped with an online shopping guide and full outfit gallery of J’s ensembles since the creation of her blog. A Table of Contents is accessible for an easy search of topics and styles fit for reader’s interests. You can also find a Question and Answer section where J answers frequently asked questions for readers.
J does her best to guide her readers in the path to becoming a successful fashionista, but she also understands that, sometimes, we all need a little help. If you think you can’t make the change on your own, or would like assistance in the process, J offers a unique service that she calls One-on-One Style Help. Orlando locals can take advantage of this opportunity by booking an appointment with J where she will go through your closet to create new outfits or, better yet, go shopping with you! Additionally, J offers group sessions for friends looking to go through the experience together. J encourages this option because it saves you money by splitting the cost with a friend.
Jeannette Scott-Thwing is available for One-on-One Style Help, Style Seminars and Marketing Consulting, among other projects. If interested in shopping with J, or hiring the expert for any of these services, visit http://www.Jseveryfashion.com.
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