Many stray thoughts cross my mind everyday, seemingly random but coalescing into my world view, like the separate dots of a Pointillism painting shaping up to a landscape. One of these is how well-dressed people were in the past comparative to the current age.
I go this observation from watching a lot of Nazi-era documentaries on Netflix - binging on these on some weekends. For no reason other than I am somewhat interested in World War II history and that Netflix is so rife with material on this era. On film, non-dignitary citizens were dressed smartly by today's standards. They wore clothing which evince structure and design, there was attempt at embellishment even in the garments of ordinary folk.
I have seen a very short footage of street scenes in New York in the
1900s. People had carriage - they walked with straight backs and with
their shoulders back. They wore hats and suits on a normal day. Why has it all seemingly
gone downhill from there?
Fashion evolved at breakneck speed from the 1940s. The trend is towards slouchiness, which is synonymous with sloppiness. Slouchy clothes that serve as enabler of slouchy posture and slouchy attitudes.
I have a theory for this.
If you knew that you may die suddenly, abruptly and young, would you treasure each day more? And part of treasuring life is to look ones best. You would take the pains to dress well today if it is plausible for tomorrow not to come. It would make sense to put on your best dress frequently if you were aware that the average lifespan was a constraint on this frequency.
Of course, this is just one of many reasons why fashion has gone casual. Modernisation, mass production of clothing and participation of women in the workforce are forces that make casual clothing a staple in busy lives. No one can afford to dress fussily on a daily basis when there are no ready pairs of hands at home to prepare, launder and maintain these clothes. But I still believe that the sensitivity to death was a determinant of how people dressed and affected attitudes about clothes.
I visited Versailles Palace once. The museum guide described how Marie Antoinette fled through one of the passageways of the palace. In my mind, vivid images of a opulently dressed woman in incredibly exquisite, intricately crafted clothes escaping through the halls with absurdly decorative shoes on her feet. If you were a queen, all the more you would consciously choose to be fabulously appareled everyday, for who knows, you could be captured by your enemies and executed summarily any day. So adorn yourself in resplendence while the good times last.
There was a scene in the first Hunger Games, when Katniss put on what was apparently her best dress to attend the ceremony to pick the Hunger Games gladiator. When striking the gladiator lottery is akin to a death sentence, one should be dressed in ones coffin-best.
We live in a world where cheap clothes, fit and ready for the landfill, abound. Everything is made of depressing material like nylon, polyester, acylic and rayon. It is increasingly hard to find even a full cotton dress. Few consumers seek out natural fibres like wool and linen - the plasticky sheen and texture of man-made, petroleum-derived fabric is widely and unquestioningly accepted. Clothing made of silk have become a specialty item. Even if silk has never been common in mankind's history, our prosperity relative to our ancestors should rightfully make it more accessible for us. Yet, it remains a niche item that few modern consumers have a keen sense of appreciation for. For the average modern consumer, every piece of garment is meant to buy-and-throw-away, so fabric can be flimsy and the workmanship can be poor. Nothing needs to last because fashion changes rapidly and demands wardrobes to be renewed constantly.
***
My Frugal Philosophy
More than 15 years ago, as a young girl, I went to local fashion shop Bysi and bought a cute little top with a heart-shaped neckline and drawstring embellishment at the chest. It was cotton, and it lasted till today. About one or two years later, I bought another cute little top from Bysi that had a pinched-waist, which was similarly made of cotton. Both are cherished possessions and still-active serving members of my wardrobe.
Recently, I visited Bysi at Bugis Junction, inspected a few tags. The few tags that I examine all say 100% polyester.
It is better to have fewer pieces of clothings of higher quality, than to have more at lesser quality. No wonder it has been easy for me to stop buying clothing over the past 8 months - everything that I came across in the retail scene has been disappointing.
So no, I am not a fan of local darlings like Love, Bonito. I simply dislike the sensation of polyester against my skin, is it such a crime?
It seems like when we aim for quality, we will ultimately end up saving money. We buy less, and the fewer things we own last longer. This is interesting food for thought.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Friday, July 5, 2019
Missha versus SK-II
This blog is about frugality but I have dished out little to none about my practical action so far. Frugality is within the reach of anyone who is intentional enough and pulls out all the stops. Yet, frugality is in itself meaningless if it is not subsumed under the service of an overarching vision.
Today, in a moment of self-reflexivity, I looked on myself as a third party would, with objective eyes and a different perspective. It occurred to me during that nano-second that it is truly pathetic for a person to think about money all the time. There is something pitiful and lowly about such an individual. I think it was wisdom that brought about that flash of epiphany, rather than something ignoble like envy or defeatism. I reminded myself that aiming for frugality and planning for money is a means to an end and should always be regarded as such.
Coming from a person who works in an office, living in an air-conditioned nation, who is childless, this could seem trite, as if I am superficially parroting what I heard from someone else, somewhere else. It is easy to lapse into thoughtlessness when we live in an environment of abundance. Abundance can distance us from our humanity, but it does not have to be this way.
What is Frugality?
Frugality is to minimize wastage, eschew from unnecessary consumption, in an effort to optimize and maximize the usage of resources. Frugality is not to cut corners towards oneself, to be penny-wise but pound-foolish, or to gain some advantage at the expense of others.
To define what is unnecessary consumption, we have to first define what is necessary consumption. What is necessary is determined by ones value.
Welcome to Singapore, Land of the Slovenly
To me, being well-groomed is a basic in life. Yet, the typical Singaporean women is frumpy and disheveled. This is a country where it is acceptable to go to work bare-faced, without a stitch of make-up on the face. In most places, there is neither social nor professional expectation to put on make-up. In other countries, from time to time, reports surface of the public disapproval of women who apply make-up while on public transport. (That is a disgrace, it is inappropriate for personal grooming to be brought to the public, public transport should not be used as ones' dressing table or a toilet). In Singapore, there is no similar report because women generally don't care about make-up enough to begin with. It is ok to board public transport with hair still wet from the shower. On a normal day, most women do not style their hair using a blow-dryer and styling products. In terms of clothings, the average woman does not care about fabric - whether it is cotton or silk or some synthetic material. Most of us do not pay attention to the cut and the fit - you rarely hear of people rushing to the seamstress for alterations. Although knowledge of sun care is increasing, the woman who takes effort to avoid the sun is mocked at as a fussy freak by those around her. Oddly and ironically, even though living in the equator makes us most vulnerable to the sun, a woman here who uses a UV-parasol is viewed as an aberration. In summary, in Singapore it is justifiable to look a mess, as any shortfall can be conveniently attributed to the hot and humid weather. According to this popular line of thinking, not making any grooming effort makes the greatest sense in the tropics - meticulously arranged hair gets oily in no time, fine clothing makes easy victims for sweat, any make-up is readily melted off. Hot country populated by people who are 'too cool' to care.
Skincare, when no one cares
So, is skincare product necessary when one lives in an environment where no one cares?And in the first place, do skincare products even work?
To the first question, our environment is a projection of our mental state. If we consciously or subconsciously perceive ourselves as slovenly hags, then truly no one cares and no one deserves to be cared about. If we start to value our appearance and present ourselves befittingly, we make a positive addition to the environment, which in turns reflects onto us and creates a spiral of good.
In other words, no one cares when one does not, and when one starts to care, others would. Let's be the standard bearer, shan't we?
To the second question, skincare products work if they contain actives - Vitamin A (retinoids), B (niacinamide) and Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) all help skin cells to grow and replenish. Sunblocks, whether containing physical or chemical agents, prevent UV damage that ages skin directly. Some ingredients provide only temporary optical effects (moisturisers that blur lines and fill pores). Even though they yield no further benefit to the skin once washed off, the cosmetic enhancement that they produce do have intrinsic value.
Missha vs SK-II
Being frugal does not mean foregoing skincare products, it simply means to seek out quality replacements for the expensive. Hello Missha First Treatment Essence, goodbye SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. Both are fermented filtrates that are full of niacinamide, but Missha is less than half the price of SK-II at the same volume. 150ml of Missha First Treatment Essence costs less than SGD 70 (USD 52), while the 75ml of SK-II costs about SGD 100 (USD 73) (the 75ml bottle is sold in a box set with a couple of other sample-sized items. I usually buy the SK-II 75ml kit because given an option I prefer my skincare products in small bottles for maximum freshness).
For the fun of it, I have been experimenting by using SK-II on the left side of my face and Missha on the right. The effects on the skin are very similar but the SK-II side of the face ends up oilier at the end of the day. As such, I will not renew the SK-II purchase once the current bottle is depleted.
How interesting to know what are the new possibilities when we increase our demand on every dollar spent!
Today, in a moment of self-reflexivity, I looked on myself as a third party would, with objective eyes and a different perspective. It occurred to me during that nano-second that it is truly pathetic for a person to think about money all the time. There is something pitiful and lowly about such an individual. I think it was wisdom that brought about that flash of epiphany, rather than something ignoble like envy or defeatism. I reminded myself that aiming for frugality and planning for money is a means to an end and should always be regarded as such.
Coming from a person who works in an office, living in an air-conditioned nation, who is childless, this could seem trite, as if I am superficially parroting what I heard from someone else, somewhere else. It is easy to lapse into thoughtlessness when we live in an environment of abundance. Abundance can distance us from our humanity, but it does not have to be this way.
What is Frugality?
Frugality is to minimize wastage, eschew from unnecessary consumption, in an effort to optimize and maximize the usage of resources. Frugality is not to cut corners towards oneself, to be penny-wise but pound-foolish, or to gain some advantage at the expense of others.
To define what is unnecessary consumption, we have to first define what is necessary consumption. What is necessary is determined by ones value.
Welcome to Singapore, Land of the Slovenly
To me, being well-groomed is a basic in life. Yet, the typical Singaporean women is frumpy and disheveled. This is a country where it is acceptable to go to work bare-faced, without a stitch of make-up on the face. In most places, there is neither social nor professional expectation to put on make-up. In other countries, from time to time, reports surface of the public disapproval of women who apply make-up while on public transport. (That is a disgrace, it is inappropriate for personal grooming to be brought to the public, public transport should not be used as ones' dressing table or a toilet). In Singapore, there is no similar report because women generally don't care about make-up enough to begin with. It is ok to board public transport with hair still wet from the shower. On a normal day, most women do not style their hair using a blow-dryer and styling products. In terms of clothings, the average woman does not care about fabric - whether it is cotton or silk or some synthetic material. Most of us do not pay attention to the cut and the fit - you rarely hear of people rushing to the seamstress for alterations. Although knowledge of sun care is increasing, the woman who takes effort to avoid the sun is mocked at as a fussy freak by those around her. Oddly and ironically, even though living in the equator makes us most vulnerable to the sun, a woman here who uses a UV-parasol is viewed as an aberration. In summary, in Singapore it is justifiable to look a mess, as any shortfall can be conveniently attributed to the hot and humid weather. According to this popular line of thinking, not making any grooming effort makes the greatest sense in the tropics - meticulously arranged hair gets oily in no time, fine clothing makes easy victims for sweat, any make-up is readily melted off. Hot country populated by people who are 'too cool' to care.
Skincare, when no one cares
So, is skincare product necessary when one lives in an environment where no one cares?And in the first place, do skincare products even work?
To the first question, our environment is a projection of our mental state. If we consciously or subconsciously perceive ourselves as slovenly hags, then truly no one cares and no one deserves to be cared about. If we start to value our appearance and present ourselves befittingly, we make a positive addition to the environment, which in turns reflects onto us and creates a spiral of good.
In other words, no one cares when one does not, and when one starts to care, others would. Let's be the standard bearer, shan't we?
To the second question, skincare products work if they contain actives - Vitamin A (retinoids), B (niacinamide) and Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) all help skin cells to grow and replenish. Sunblocks, whether containing physical or chemical agents, prevent UV damage that ages skin directly. Some ingredients provide only temporary optical effects (moisturisers that blur lines and fill pores). Even though they yield no further benefit to the skin once washed off, the cosmetic enhancement that they produce do have intrinsic value.
Missha vs SK-II
Being frugal does not mean foregoing skincare products, it simply means to seek out quality replacements for the expensive. Hello Missha First Treatment Essence, goodbye SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. Both are fermented filtrates that are full of niacinamide, but Missha is less than half the price of SK-II at the same volume. 150ml of Missha First Treatment Essence costs less than SGD 70 (USD 52), while the 75ml of SK-II costs about SGD 100 (USD 73) (the 75ml bottle is sold in a box set with a couple of other sample-sized items. I usually buy the SK-II 75ml kit because given an option I prefer my skincare products in small bottles for maximum freshness).
For the fun of it, I have been experimenting by using SK-II on the left side of my face and Missha on the right. The effects on the skin are very similar but the SK-II side of the face ends up oilier at the end of the day. As such, I will not renew the SK-II purchase once the current bottle is depleted.
How interesting to know what are the new possibilities when we increase our demand on every dollar spent!
Monday, July 1, 2019
What Character are You?
In the News:
Trump ended the G20 meeting by visiting North Korea and becoming the only sitting US President to visit the DMZ. I am no political scientist, but why, why, why? Is this some deranged desire for yet another high-profile, history-making photo op, or is there some method beneath the madness? Jokes abound online about Trump's ill-fitting trousers - neither being a billionaire nor being a president nor having an ex-model for a wife serves as any assurance against fashion disaster.
In my Life:
What would you do with yourself if you were guaranteed basic income?
Ideas are emerging about paying universal basic income to all citizens as compensation for loss of employment arising from Robots and Artificial Intelligence. In a similar but much more pragmatic vein, the recent conversation of billionaires and civic-minded heiresses have taken a slant towards socialism.
If the Gini Coefficient were to be lowered drastically, guaranteeing each human being subsistence, what would we all do with the spare time? Or to frame the question differently, what would we do with our time and talent if we can survive even if we do not take on paid work?
My dream job would be to work in a plastic surgeon's office as a marketing executive. I would spend my days introducing all types of treatments to clients and explaining the pros and cons of each. Or I would work as a professional counselor and hear people's problems as part of my work. I like to be a witness to drama, especially more when it is real and riveting.
What if I swing the question to the other end of the spectrum?
What if, instead of being guaranteed a universal basic income, we are given access to an awe-inspiring amount of money? That kind of money that can enable us to jet-set and play all day long?
I do not know how mindsets change when we come into money; I have never been there before. It is said that money does not change us; it merely reveals our true colors. Lottery winners often end up broke again, because the act of lottery buying signals a flightiness of character that goes hand in hand with easy-come-easy-go windfall. The introspective and methodical character of giants like Warren Buffet is how they create their fortunes and most importantly, keep them.
Ten years ago, I would have wished to live like her. This is indeed one way to live if you are rich. How would you conduct your life if you had serious money?
How we make and spend our money reveals almost all there is to know about us
Let me describe using true characters that have come (and some have gone) from my life:
1) Miss A - was forced by family's economic circumstance to shorten her studies by going the Polytechnic route instead of University, despite doing well enough to qualify for A-levels studies. As she took on a typical job in an institution that paid salaries capped at educational levels instead of a job with a pay structure that correlates more closely to personal contribution (eg sales), her lifelong earning capability is permanently impacted. She spends the rest of her life taking on external tertiary studies, earning one degree/ masters after another. Her obsession with higher education took a toll on her finances but she justified it by saying that she is retrench-proofing herself. Is she trying to make up for her lost dreams; isn't there an element of overcompensation in her behavior?
2) Miss B - married a husband with unstable income and ended up in a predicament where she is subsidizing her household more than she should. She deflects the pain by focusing on her child, consoling herself that without this husband she would not have this lovely addition to her life. Isn't she the classic case of the overly virtuous wife/mother who gives more than she should out of tender love, ignoring how she would be financially disadvantaged later in life if she continues to hold up more than her fair share?
3) Miss C - holds a relatively well-regarded degree from a local big-3 university, yet shunned the typical career path. Waking up in the morning like everyone else and being strapped to the office distressed her, hence she took on a high-risk sales job. After burn-out, she left that industry and chose to spend her days in low-end assignments such as part-time retail shop assistants. Was not above gambling in casinos or punting on the stock market during her sales job heyday. Does not care about the socio-economic perception of either her prior job or her current jobs. Indifferent to what people think or say. Does not spend any time imagining what others may think or say about her.
I find traces of my old self in Miss A - that love of "face", that strong desire for others to acknowledge my credentials and validate my talents. Miss C's attitude is what I wish to model myself on - that presence of mind and preternatural self-confidence that is revealed on the outside from the inside. (In fact, some people achieve the degree of Miss C's defiance/deviance only after they imbibe alcohol, but that is a story for another day.) As I grow older, I find myself evolving in Miss C's direction. I guess most of us do.
Daily Spending
- $0 - brought food from home
Trump ended the G20 meeting by visiting North Korea and becoming the only sitting US President to visit the DMZ. I am no political scientist, but why, why, why? Is this some deranged desire for yet another high-profile, history-making photo op, or is there some method beneath the madness? Jokes abound online about Trump's ill-fitting trousers - neither being a billionaire nor being a president nor having an ex-model for a wife serves as any assurance against fashion disaster.
In my Life:
What would you do with yourself if you were guaranteed basic income?
Ideas are emerging about paying universal basic income to all citizens as compensation for loss of employment arising from Robots and Artificial Intelligence. In a similar but much more pragmatic vein, the recent conversation of billionaires and civic-minded heiresses have taken a slant towards socialism.
If the Gini Coefficient were to be lowered drastically, guaranteeing each human being subsistence, what would we all do with the spare time? Or to frame the question differently, what would we do with our time and talent if we can survive even if we do not take on paid work?
My dream job would be to work in a plastic surgeon's office as a marketing executive. I would spend my days introducing all types of treatments to clients and explaining the pros and cons of each. Or I would work as a professional counselor and hear people's problems as part of my work. I like to be a witness to drama, especially more when it is real and riveting.
What if I swing the question to the other end of the spectrum?
What if, instead of being guaranteed a universal basic income, we are given access to an awe-inspiring amount of money? That kind of money that can enable us to jet-set and play all day long?
I do not know how mindsets change when we come into money; I have never been there before. It is said that money does not change us; it merely reveals our true colors. Lottery winners often end up broke again, because the act of lottery buying signals a flightiness of character that goes hand in hand with easy-come-easy-go windfall. The introspective and methodical character of giants like Warren Buffet is how they create their fortunes and most importantly, keep them.
Ten years ago, I would have wished to live like her. This is indeed one way to live if you are rich. How would you conduct your life if you had serious money?
How we make and spend our money reveals almost all there is to know about us
Let me describe using true characters that have come (and some have gone) from my life:
1) Miss A - was forced by family's economic circumstance to shorten her studies by going the Polytechnic route instead of University, despite doing well enough to qualify for A-levels studies. As she took on a typical job in an institution that paid salaries capped at educational levels instead of a job with a pay structure that correlates more closely to personal contribution (eg sales), her lifelong earning capability is permanently impacted. She spends the rest of her life taking on external tertiary studies, earning one degree/ masters after another. Her obsession with higher education took a toll on her finances but she justified it by saying that she is retrench-proofing herself. Is she trying to make up for her lost dreams; isn't there an element of overcompensation in her behavior?
2) Miss B - married a husband with unstable income and ended up in a predicament where she is subsidizing her household more than she should. She deflects the pain by focusing on her child, consoling herself that without this husband she would not have this lovely addition to her life. Isn't she the classic case of the overly virtuous wife/mother who gives more than she should out of tender love, ignoring how she would be financially disadvantaged later in life if she continues to hold up more than her fair share?
3) Miss C - holds a relatively well-regarded degree from a local big-3 university, yet shunned the typical career path. Waking up in the morning like everyone else and being strapped to the office distressed her, hence she took on a high-risk sales job. After burn-out, she left that industry and chose to spend her days in low-end assignments such as part-time retail shop assistants. Was not above gambling in casinos or punting on the stock market during her sales job heyday. Does not care about the socio-economic perception of either her prior job or her current jobs. Indifferent to what people think or say. Does not spend any time imagining what others may think or say about her.
I find traces of my old self in Miss A - that love of "face", that strong desire for others to acknowledge my credentials and validate my talents. Miss C's attitude is what I wish to model myself on - that presence of mind and preternatural self-confidence that is revealed on the outside from the inside. (In fact, some people achieve the degree of Miss C's defiance/deviance only after they imbibe alcohol, but that is a story for another day.) As I grow older, I find myself evolving in Miss C's direction. I guess most of us do.
Daily Spending
- $0 - brought food from home
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