Wrapped Beautifully

Appreciating the finer things in life is a good trait.  Like anything else, though, striking a balance is important. 

If you want to buy a gorgeous scarf,  are you going to automatically buy one that is the most expensive?

Why don't you try to find the "next" Hermes instead?  It could be a fun adventure and you'd save you a boatload of cash!

Have you ever watched ‘The Voice"? An interesting aspect of this program is the idea that as an expert (here, in vocal music), you could potentially identify a real, unknown musical talent and even be a part of their evolving story. That can be very rewarding. "America's Got Talent" has done something incredible here. Did you watch when they had Jackie Evancho on last year in August and September? She was just 10 years old. Without question, she is a gifted prodigy who sings opera essentially flawlessly.

Would you have any interest in finding the next generation of this or that? If yes, what topics do you think you are qualified to do this? Singers, actors, automobiles, food, clothing? And then, what do you have access, time and/or funding to do? With clothing, especially accessories, access shouldn't be too difficult and you might be able to find the next best ones without spending that much money. For example, have you ever heard of Franco Sarto shoes? They are made in Italy and have beautiful, timeless design lines, the best materials and are incredibly well made. I fell in love with a pair of Franco Sarto pumps several years ago that had a 3" heel and a strap that would cross at the ankle. For as long as this style was available (about 3 years), I would buy three pair at a time (I was in consulting and on my feet all the time). Believe me, when you consider the shoe, these were incredibly reasonably priced ($65/pair).

Let's talk about scarves. It's true, the top of the line is Hermes. And you pay for them, for sure. I've seen them run from $300 to $800. The price can drop quite a bit just switching to another well known designer. I have a wonderful Ralph Lauren chiffon silk scarf with a delicate paisley design that I paid $75 for. Some seasons Echo may have a couple scarves that have good material, colors and designs. I've paid around $40 for them. But, lately, I've seen that a lot of their scarf products are very faddish and not as high quality as they've been other years.

I think its fun to try to find scarves that approach or are equal to Hermes in terms of quality of silk material, design and color, but are significantly less in cost. You feel like you've accomplished something when you've been successful, not to mention the fact that you have saved a lot of money! In some ways, you might be able to compare this to the stock market. You want to catch a good stock on its way up in price, not when it has peaked, if you can help it, because you'll be paying top dollar for it then.

In your search for the next Hermes, you will surely encounter the fakes. They are out there. Whether their manufacturers are blatant and copy famous existing scarf designs or they just stamp out junk, I am stunned at the proliferation of pieces of material these companies are calling scarves. I wouldn't even want to use any of them for house cleaning rags. Really! The truth is, plan to see very low quality silk, colors, designs and processes during this endeavor.

I encourage you to become an educated shopper in whatever area you decide to try to find the next one for tomorrow. That will allow the process to be fun instead of frustrating. In the case of silk scarves for example, there are very specific qualities you should be aware of and looking for. Have fun!