Keeping up with the Joneses in a Social Media Driven World

The other day I bought myself my very first Gucci purse. In fact — let’s call it my very first super expensive designer bag ever. As an almost 30 year old, it had me thinking how hard I had worked to get it and how I had never treated myself to anything like this before. Well, except for purchasing my home! See to me, these things are more material and something like a home is what I grew up believing you should work & save for. Although my career is blogging in the beauty and fashion field, I never thought I would ever be blogging about designer ANYTHING. I’ve just never been the girl to have an excess of money laying around and I always had to work extremely hard to get what I wanted in life. I’ve always been one to be relatable because I was always the girl that looked to others who would share affordable finds as well.

I’ve always wanted to be the “every” girl. 

I have to admit, these days it BOGGLES my mind how many Gucci this and Chanel that, that I see. It almost makes me feel as though people think they have to compete with one another by having the latest and greatest and it is just so silly to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a lover of a designer bag as much as any but I feel it’s kind of gotten to an extreme, don’t you? I see these young girls on Instagram who wear more in handbags and shoes than I have in my whole wardrobe combined. Like, how is this possible? And why?!

Somehow we’ve gained our self worth on social media by photographing ourselves with these material items and showing off. It’s slightly disturbing, wouldn’t you say? Let’s be honest, social media can be slightly dangerous and depressing. Every time you open your computer, it’s in your face. Every day you can see just how much better everyone else’s life is than yours. You think, “Damn, that girl is 10 years younger than me and has this insane house, Prada bag, and Gucci shoes. Where did I go wrong?!”

So why am I writing this?

Because it’s a reminder to myself and to all of you that blogging never ever has to be about anything designer or non attainable. You can make it without all those things. I started with nothing. I didn’t even have enough money at the beginning to go buy new clothes to post on the blog so I would just rotate any and all items in my closet that I already had. And TRUST ME, most of them were from Forever 21 and little boutiques. I never let this fancy material instagram world get to me. And even when I thought wow all these “big” bloggers have this handbag or that shoe, I never had to myself.

Lately I’ve seen a lot of negativity online which is why I wanted to write something a bit more positive. Don’t ever let yourself get disheartened looking through your social media feed. I know the feeling of waking up feeling content and excited in the morning and then by the time you get through you Facebook or IG feed you feel drained, unworthy and two steps behind everyone else.

Remember this — no life is perfect. Never think you have to keep up with what you see on instagram because trust me, I sure didn’t and to be honest it helped shape me into the person I am today. Be passionate about what you do and be true to yourself in every form.

Shop the Look:

Top: Free People // Skirt: Free People // Bag: Henri Bendel // Sunglasses: Similar