Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve had a fascination with fashion. You could definitely say it’s become more of a passion with age, but there was always that spark there. My mom has shown me a lot of pictures of me when I was a baby and toddler, and she always picked out the cutest outfits for me, so maybe that’s what instilled in me a love for it. Either way, I’m sometimes surprised I do care about fashion so much, especially the more materialistic side of fashion in designer names. There’s not really anyone in my family who places a lot of value on that…except for me. Ha. I can’t really tell you why I have this interest, but I just know it’s stuck with me, from my sporty phase with Under Armour and the like in middle school to now, where I’m finally finding my own personal style and brands I like.

I’ve often wondered why I have this interest or why this has become such a hobby for me. As I got to be thinking about it, though, I realized my pursuit of designer fashion has actually taught me a couple things about dreaming big. I know, you’re probably like, just the idea of designer fashion would make anyone dream big because duh, it’s designer. It goes beyond that, though.

Designer fashion has taught me that you never know what might happen or work out.

How in the heck do you get something deep like that from designer fashion? Well, I’m always talking about getting deals on this blog, and let me tell you all something right now: if you actually think all of my clothes are designer, unfortunately that’s a big no, BUT I have been able to get more designer items than I ever dreamed. Why, because I’m rich? Um, no, try the opposite of. Because I use credit cards? Well, despite me joking all the time about that, I don’t even have a bank account yet, so that’s another big no. My secret, then, is actually simple.

Sales and patience. Ha, if there’s one thing I’m willing to be patient for, it’s fashion. I have been blown away by the things I’ve bookmarked, thinking to myself, yeah, this is so expensive and beyond reality that I don’t even know why I’m considering it, but it’s gorgeous, so we’ll just bookmark it anyway—only for me to check back later and see a major discount or sale going on.

Okay, I know you might also be thinking congratulations on discovering the world of retail and sales, Ashlee, but to me, this has actually offered so many surprises. There have been multiple things I saved that I knew I would never afford at my age, only to see the price drop beyond what I could have imagined possible for such a product. Had I never bookmarked that or checked back, I would never have known that it could actually be attainable.

Let God surprise you in life. There may be things you think are extremely unrealistic, but if God wills for you to have that, He will make a way. Also, by God blessing me with nice stuff that has gone on sale like that, it reminds me how He does care even about the more “shallow” desires of my heart. Obviously, wisdom plays a huge role in this because to just expect material things from God like that is not good at all, and life is obviously about so much more than what money can buy, but with that being said, if you do enjoy fashion, if you are responsible with your spending and know your budget, you don’t have to rule things like that out, either. That could go with any dream you have for your life. Trust God with your life, submit them to Him, and you never know what He may bring about for you.

In addition to that, designer fashion has taught me that the very idea of not ruling anything out leads to more positivity and a better perspective.

There are items I have bookmarked right now on my laptop that are excessively expensive and I doubt I will get at this point in my life while they’re available, but I save them anyway because they are things I like, and I think it’s important to have that positive outlook that anything is possible. It’s not even so much for me about obtaining that specific item as it is just having dreams for myself and what inspires me, setting goals, etc. I don’t want to be negative and just assume no way that could ever be mine. Again, you have to be realistic, but there is definitely a healthy balance because sometimes you can get caught in that trap of practicality where you never take risks in life, don’t push yourself to attain more, etc. You don’t want to be extremely the other way, either, or you will in fact break your bank, and that’s not a way to live, either. It’s all about balance, but to be honest, that’s the main thing my fashion hobby has taught me: balance.

I never thought fashion and buying clothes would ever teach me anything meaningful about life, but I feel that it’s giving me valuable experience with comparing products, defining what I need and what is relevant to my style, how to save my money and how to prioritize things to buy, etc. I’m no expert with money yet mainly because I don’t have a lot of it yet, but when I do have money, I’m always trying to be mindful of it, such as what I’m spending it on, what I need, and of course, when I can spend it, too, and what would be the best sort of purchase for the long haul, both in functionality and happiness it brings me. You don’t have to necessarily sacrifice either, and I’m getting a taste of how to use money like that with this hobby of mine. I know if I can do it now and start collecting these items now, then where can I get when I’m older and do have a career of my own? When I’m putting God first and seeking to be responsible for His glory?

Seek Him, trust Him, and then allow yourself to dream big. Keep your hobbies centered around Him, knowing He does care about all of that, but also ask for wisdom to find that healthy balance between your dreams and the life He wills for you. He will make it clear, even if it takes some trial and error.