It was the Winter of 2004. I was an intern at New York Magazine, and a fan of Sex & The City. While we all loved all of Carrie Bradshaw’s outfits, it was this one little Gucci Fanny Pack that made my heart pause.
I needed it. I wanted it. I had to have it. But as an intern making $5.15 an hour, I definitely couldn’t afford it! The prices back then were probably way less than what they are now. But let’s say it was $500. It would have taken me 100 hours to buy that. Dern near impossible. Though I had savings (!). So I searched to try to find a way to get it.
I hit up the only black fashion editor at the Magazine, and I’m pretty sure she was the only other black person who worked there. I asked if she had a discount, and she did! 35%. She asked what I wanted and I showed her the prize. She was like, “You don’t want that,” and went on her way, leaving me fanny pack less.
Fast forward decades later, and this is what I wore for a casual Sunday brunch:
Pretty much every item I have on was on my vision board or shopping wish list at some point. I literally just kept working, kept perfecting my craft, kept saving…and I was eventually able to get this one from the Gucci store. And while I don’t wear it often, it’s one of those pieces in my closet that has a special meaning.
Someone told me “NO,” but I told myself, “YES!”
This might seem frivolous, but we all love fashion, right? You guys found me through my website, FashionBombDaily.com, so we can talk frankly, right? Here’s a secret: Everything you want materially, you can have. Maybe it’s not when you want it. But if you focus on it, and save a little here and there (and be super disciplined), it can be yours. Don’t overextend yourself as an intern making $5 an hour to buy luxury goods. But when the time is right, strike! And treat yourself.
Love & Light,
