Fashion School...Was It Worth It?

So you're thinking about fashion school? I mean, I'm just assuming since you're reading this post. Or maybe you are a loyal subscriber, and for that I thank you. Either way I want to talk a little about my experience as a fashion major and if i personally think it was worth it. So stick around and read on for more details on what I think.

For as long as I can remember, I've been interested in fashion. I didn't always know I wanted it as a career, but I later figured it out. As a little girl I remember making fun and unique sketches of girls and their clothes. I'd make crazy stuff, that almost seems normal today. I loved it. I lived for it. But with some discouraging family members, I didn't think I'd have any future in it. That was up until High School. I really started to consider fashion as a career, but in the back of my mind I kept telling myself it wasn't realistic and that I needed to think of a more practical career choice. I was stuck and I didn't know what to do. I knew I had to go to school for something, I just wasn't sure what I really wanted to do, so I went to Cosmetology school. It was fun and I met some awesome people, but I didn't love it, despite being fairly good at it.

After a few years of cutting and coloring hair, I decided that I wanted to be in the fashion industry, this time for real. I applied to FIDM and actually got accepted, so my mom, brother, and I all flew out to LA to tour the school and see if it was a good fit for me and for what I wanted to do. Mind you, I just got into a relationship (with my now husband) and I was really into him. After seeing all that the school had to offer, I was obsessed, I wanted to go here, it was so cool and had some awesome classes and opportunities. Then I looked at the price. The price of the school, out of state costs, room and board, food, gas, literally everything that I would have to pay for. On top of all of the hours that I needed for class and homework time, I'd still have to have some type of job. It was so overwhelming that I just decided that I would figure it out a different way. But I'd still be in fashion.

Being that my home, family, and pretty much whole life was back home in good 'ol STL, I had to figure out a way to stay home, and get into the field of fashion. Possibly move after school to NYC, but for now I had to stay close to home. After looking into every school around me, they either had no fashion programs what so ever, or it was an insane amount of money for tuition and I just couldn't afford it. So I decided to go to a community college, until I could figure out a different school to transfer too.

At the time, there were no fashion majors in the community college. So I had to find my "IN", and for me that was Journalism. I had this dream of being able to write for Seventeen or Cosmo Magazine in the Fashion department. I was excited and ready to take on the world. A little while later The Art Institute opened up a location near STL and I decided to transfer into the Fashion Marketing program. Suddenly I could see myself as more than just a journalist. I wanted to be a big fashion designer, my name all over Nordstrom, celebs wearing my designs. Ha, well little did I know that I was in over my head. That's literally what 90% of every other classmate dreamed of also. The more classes I took, the more I realized that I didn't want to be a designer. I started falling in love with Fashion Advertising, Marketing, and all of the Social Media aspects. In all honestly I really wish I would have figured all of this out BEFORE I started school.

In all reality, it comes down to the cost of what I actually learned in my education experience. I honestly don't think that I got my tuition's worth of knowledge. So much stuff I could have learned from YouTube, Google, and even by doing jobs or internships. I'm now in debt almost $50,000 and I don't have much to show for it. And if I had to do it all over again, I honestly wouldn't. I feel like when it comes to being in the Fashion industry, It's more about who you know and what you can do instead of what degree you have or what college you graduated from. I'm so happy now just doing my videos on YouTube, and creating this blog for you guys.

Social media is so huge now, that literally any field you want to get into, you can start there. I love fashion and I feel like my passion just keeps growing as the years go on. I wouldn't trade the experiences I've had for the world, but In my own opinion If you want to get into the Fashion industry, do it on your own. Start with some small job at the mall, start a blog or YouTube channel, do an internship for a fashion company. The possibilities are absolutely endless, and most of them are free, if not cheaper than $50k. LOL. Good luck out there guys, and always remember, In a world that is sheer, stay classy and be demure.