One of my long-standing resolutions has been to work on my image. I’m a jeans and t-shirt, hair in a high bun, no make up kind of girl. I’ve simply never been into fashion, and that’s ok with me.
But if we’re being honest here, it’s getting a little less ok with me. While I will never be a fashionista, I do want to look nice. Right now, that’s not the case. Most of my clothes don’t fit me quite right, since they come from thrift stores or clothing swaps with friends. I don’t own any jewelry or accessories for men. My nicest shoes are a pair of black booties that are scuffed, and I don’t have a men’s bracelet collection, like a lot of other people. I look, at any given moment, a little shabby.
Not exactly the image of a professional. So while I have long said that I want to be more pulled together, I’ve actually begun the process.
A few weeks ago, a cool watch company reached out to me. JORD makes watches from wood found around the world. The crafters work with both machines and their own hands to create each watch. And y’all, the watches are beautiful.
Full disclosure here: the last time I owned a watch was high school, and I bought it for $25 at Target. It was blue and plastic and I lost it after about two months.
My JORD watch is, you’ll notice, neither blue, nor plastic, and hopefully not something that I lose in two months. This is the kind of look that I am going for: stylish, classic, and pulled together.
I know everyone lives and dies by their phones, but I love wearing a watch. It makes me feel fancy since it’s a new experience. And I really like the wood! I don’t wear leather, so traditional watch bands are out for me. The wood is flexible and comfortable and can survive minor splashes when I’m washing my dishes.
Now, ya girl here went with the Frankie 35 in Zebra and Champagne. I like the coloring and felt it would go with a lot of different styles. (Remember, fashion noob over here.) If you’re interested in a watch for yourself, or for a holiday gift, you can score a gift card right this way.
I’ve worn my new watch out three times, and I’ve already gotten a bunch of compliments on it. Now normally, I don’t get compliments on my attire. People don’t usually have much to say about yoga pants and tank tops. So I’m taking the compliments as a sign that I’ve already stepped my fashion game up with this watch!
Kara Perez is the original founder of From Frugal To Free. She is a money expert, speaker and founder of Bravely Go, a feminist financial education company. Her work has been featured on NPR, Business Insider, Forbes, and Elite Daily.
Oh, man. I was in the same boat when I took the full-time gig. Suddenly, I had to look nice regularly. I spent about $300, but I have a handful of work clothes now that should last a long time. Plus, it’s almost like a capsule wardrobe. It’s just stuff I can rotate through for different outfits. I have one pair of black slacks from a thrift store (that I LOVE) and four Land’s End dresses that are suitable for almost any occasion. I bought cardigans to go with the dresses. Some of the cardigans I found on ThredUP.
It does feel nice to “unfrump.” It changes how you feel about yourself and what you do. And I love how this post, while sponsored, captures the magic of what one nice addition to your wardrobe can do.
I’m about to go shopping with a fashion blogger to continue the ‘un-frumping’. I’m really bad! I don’t have a sense of style so shopping overwhelms me easily. I’m hoping for a few basics and then I’ll be done for awhile!
I love the watch. I’ve gotten used to having something on my wrist this year because of my FitBit, but it hardly looks professional.
Thanks! Fitbits might not look professional, but they definitely are pretty common!