“Now you can tell from my everyday fits I aint rich”

My idea of ‘fake it till you make it’ may actually not be the same as yous guyses, because I’m not talkin about “miss high profile caught you shoppin on canal I guess it makes sense it seems phony as your style” – J. Cole

Nah ah.

I’m not sayin go out and buy shit u can’t afford.  I know you’ve seen the girls walkin around with that name brand bag that costs more than what they got in it. And you’ve seen them dudes driving around in cars they can’t afford a damn oil-change on. I’m not talkin about knock-offs either. I don’t know about you, but if I can’t fool myself then I’m not gonna try and fool others. We keep it real around here, you guys know that.

I’m juss sayin that I know what it’s like not to be able to afford name brands, because my parents couldn’t buy them for me and I’m still on my hustle, BUT I like to look good… So I pride myself in making inexpensive old ish look good. Like, I like making Forever21 look like some Guess by Marciano. And I like making Shiekh Shoes look like some Loubitans. NOT because I’m taking a red sharpie to the bottom of them either!, but because I’m simply workin them like they are.

By the way: I swear if I ever see any of yous taking a red sharpie to the bottom of your shoes Imma have to slap u with some sense.

I have to share a quick story about me and my friend. We both have some fashion business backgrounds and education. But basically we have extreme different views when it comes to shopping. I personally think it’s absolutely retarded to buy a plain white cropped shirt for $40 when you can buy one for $14 easy, without a label. She obviously finds nothing wrong with that and furthermore, thinks she’s getting a deal.

One time I was out and about and she mentioned she loved the outfit she saw me in that night. I was completely amused, because finally I could stick it to her and show her first hand what I had been preaching to her about: that you don’t have to spend a grip of money to look good. I proceeded to explain my outfit to her:

I was wearing simple black leggings that my roommate didn’t want anymore: $0

Some gray and black heels from random store online: $18

a black, pleather, studded jacket I got while in Berlin, but the store is equivalent to H&M: $50

an eclectic necklace I got while in Paris, but that you can find in LA Fashion District aka ‘The Alleys’: $20

and a plain white tank top with a minor coffee stain on the boob now valued at: $0

……..And that outfit to her was worth a mention.

The “I told you so” laugh I had: $priceless

It’s not hard to do this. It’s all about confidence and attitude. Because by no means am I impressed or self conscious of the fact that someone might be wearing some Loubitans next to me. Because when all is said and done, they are in fact next to me. That means I’m sippin on whatever they’re sippin on and I’m talkin to whoever they’re talkin to. And my dress may be from the opposite side of Melrose Ave. as hers is, but other than that simple fact, a physical difference isn’t so apparent between that person and myself.

I just don’t feel you need to spend all your rent money to look good. And I feel the people that do, are the ones that depend on those labels for confidence and style. The people that already have that can rock a paper bag better.

To have everyone tell me they’re lovin my $10 dress, because of how I’m sportin it gets me so juiced, because no one even mentioned your Hermes threads.

So when I say fake it. I mean dress with what you have, but act like you’ve ‘made it’ already. In other words, people will most likely react to, not so much what is on the outside, but more so what comes out from the inside. It’s all a matter of how you carry yourself.

Like always: Don’t be shy to be fly.

Mucho Love,

Juelzy G.

Ps.

I wrote this post super months ago and then this song came out. I guess my philosophy stems from growing up in The Bay like Kreayshawn. We’re just not fooled by basic bitches. Yee!.. Sorry Bay thing.. won’t happen again.