🇬🇧 Birthday

Yesterday (February 3rd, as I’m in Brazil right now) was my birthday. For me this is a day more important than New Years Eve or Christmas. It’s a day to observe how much I advanced in the previous year and to strengthen my decision on how much I want to advance during this year that starts today.

I often avoid parties. I prefer to receive gifts from people and businesses who cares enough to celebrate with me independent on where they are.

I think February 3th is the most beautiful day of any year. Even if it’s an unusual summer day without sun, with the sky full of grey clouds as it was when I was writing these lines. This year, to celebrate birthday on Monday, with January having outstanding professional results, is meaningful. I love Mondays as I love my job. I love the power of communication.

I sometimes felt so full of doubts about my career, because I have so many talents and the will to use them all professionally is so big... but this year I decided my path is this. I’m doing a great job. Maybe some goals must be redesigned, but it’s not time to think about this. Each step will happen in the right moment.

I hope to correspond the interest of all my readers and followers creating great content day after day. I love to receive your feedback too. 🤗

Ah! What’s the best thing about birthdays? To receive gifts! I love it. Don’t you? As I’m a bit eccentric sometimes people give me money. I like it, as I’m free to buy what I prefer. But I accept gifts everyday. I love this way to show appreciation for who I am and what I do. Follow my social media channels and you’ll see some of the gifts I’m receiving.

Nycka, the nomad

🇬🇧 You can do it better

Some time ago someone asked me if I had already proved some client was wrong. I do this often, as it’s part of my job to show the best options for each client. All my clients know they’re doing something wrong or not as good as they could do, regarding personal style. In this matter, there are not rules useful for everybody. But there are rules about what is the best for you individually. And I know these rules.

One example of someone doing things wrong was a beautiful client I had, a young woman, married with one little child. She used to think she was fat. And used to dress like magazines and blogs recommend fat people to do: covering her body with large clothes. The truth is she have big breasts but she wasn’t really fat.

After to get acquainted with her and her closet, I told her the new clothing would be more fitted, not large. She hated the idea. Obviously! She had created an idea she was fat. She wasn’t but she didn’t see herself as I saw. And probably as her husband saw. So, my job from that moment on was to prove she could wear other kind of clothing. And I did so. I chose clothes, underwear and accessories to make her look sexy and powerful. To take advantage of the qualities of her appearance. Hey, girl, you’re hot and you must treasure this!

I searched the options alone and went with her to shop most of the clothing. Her profession needed formal clothes, and this was great, as we could explore tailored clothes, perfect for curvy women like herself. She was shocked with the prices of underwear as the ones she had were very cheap. As it was everything planned based on the budget we agreed previously, this part was easy to convince her to be calm. There were one dress she didn’t want to try. I insisted telling her to try first and complain later, because it was fabulous to look more professional and it designed her curves perfectly. Then she tried and decided to include it among the ones we shopped.

After this I traveled for some courses and jobs in other states and found one more dress perfect for her. I called her talking about it and she trusted me enough to buy it. Sent me the money and I did it.

Some weeks later she sent me an email thanking me for having insisted in that first dress she didn’t want to try. She had worn it at work and everybody was enchanted. She didn’t buy everything I suggested, but the final result was awesome.

As this woman, many other men and women are limited, seeing themselves in a way far distant from the beauties they really are. Do you need to be abandoned by your beloved one before to convince yourself you can look better? Are you in the comfort zone as you wear as all yours friends? You can have style. Style put you on advantage in life and career. I can do this for you. If you believe you deserve it.

To rebuild your personal style is the greatest thing you can do to strengthen your self-esteem and achieve bigger goals.

Nycka, the nomad

Stylist

🇬🇧 My piercings

When I was an adolescent I bought Madonna’s “Bedtime stories” CD and she had a golden piercing in her nose on the cover. I was fascinated. And I started wanting one like that, but the town I was born didn’t have a professional offering this service that time.

Some years later, living in another city, studying advertising at the university, we had a work in group to do with a real business and my group decided to do this with a tattoo studio. I went there several times before we conclude the project and in the meantime I got some information about piercings. And I discovered that nostril piercings used to hurt a lot. So I decided I would try one at my belly button first. And I did it.

One year later everybody had some piercing like mine and I stopped using it.

Some years ahead I was living in Porto Alegre and decided it was time to make that dream come true. Then I went to another studio and had the nostril pierced. Not with a golden ring. Before the first year using it was concluded I had to find a job and was fool enough to take it off for every job interview I had. And I had to come back to the studio to close the ring every time. One day I had no time to do this for a few days and the hole closed.

Then, finally, ten years ago, I went to São Paulo to the studio of the best piercer in Brazil that time to have the golden nostril piercing. And this is the one I have currently. Nothing makes me take it off.

And I cannot use earrings currently. I’m considering to include one piercing on each ear, so, in two years I can start using earrings made of gold (I’m allergic to bijou).

Some people have prejudices against people with piercings but I only faced real prejudice once, still in Porto Alegre. And I know why. That’s the reason since I have this “new” piercing I never take it off.

Nycka, the nomad

🇧🇷 Verdades sobre custo x benefício

Quando eu era adolescente e comecei a ser remunerada pelo meu trabalho eu recebia um salário mínimo. Setenta reais, na época. Como as roupas e calçados que minha família me dava nunca tinham a ver com minha personalidade, sem contar os sapatos sempre um número menor que meu tamanho porque eu os “herdava” da minha tia, meu primeiro interesse foi reconstruir meu guarda-roupas. Não o armário, mas o conteúdo dele. Eu queria algo que eu pudesse usar e me sentir eu mesma e não aquele personagem que minha família imaginava. E passei a pesquisar nas boas lojas da cidade. Comprava roupas e acessórios de boas marcas.

Uma vez, pouco antes de mudar de Montes Claros, onde nasci, para Uberlândia, comprei uma calça linda, de uma marca que não existe mais e me vestia com perfeição. A calça me custou quarenta reais. Mais da metade do meu salário. Mudei, e pouco depois, na nova cidade, uma vizinha veio até meu apartamento mostrar a calça jeans que ela tinha comprado. Achei muito bonita e quis uma igual, combinando que eu bordaria a minha pra não ficarmos idênticas. Também me custou quarenta reais, de uma marca que eu não conhecia. A primeira calça durou mais de 20 anos. Se eu não a tivesse descartado porque fiquei tempo demais enrolando pra trocar o zíper, ela estaria em perfeito uso ainda hoje. A segunda durou dois anos. Ou seja, a segunda me custou vinte reais por ano de uso. A primeira me custou 2 reais por ano de uso. Uma diferença significativa de preço por tempo de uso e de qualidade.

Nem tudo que é caro tem qualidade, mas normalmente as coisas muito baratas têm algum problema por trás, seja baixa qualidade do material, mão de obra com salários desleais ou, como já vi por aí no caso de moda, empresas que não empregam todas as funções que uma indústria do ramo normalmente deve utilizar.

Empresas que só pensam no lucro não se preocupam em oferecer alta qualidade ou design original. E pagam apenas o necessário aos seus funcionários.

A indústria de moda em Portugal tem grandes talentos e a brasileira tem melhorado bastante, o que mostra que as pessoas de ambos os países estão buscando design, qualidade e ética quando compram roupas, acessórios e jóias.

Tem muita gente que acha que comprar barato é comprar por custo benefício. Não é. Comprar por custo x benefício é colocar os benefícios como prioridade. E para avaliar o benefício avaliamos a ética de cada empresa, a qualidade de seus produtos, seu comprometimento com a originalidade, com bom acabamento, com a satisfação de sua equipe e de seus clientes. E isso vale não só na moda, mas em tudo. É um modo de dizer ao mundo “eu me valorizo, valorizo meu trabalho e também valorizo o trabalho de quem se empenha para buscar a excelência”. Ninguém tem de dar valor a quem não se esforça pra oferecer valor.

Nycka, the nomad

🇬🇧 Choosing a new home

When we want a new home some planning is needed, independent on if we will rent or buy it.

Some of the points I observed along life moving from one place to another were:

• Where the house (or apartment, or room, etc) is. I prefer the ones close to supermarkets, veterinarians, drugstores and other useful commercial options, with lots of options of transportation around. Some people prefer some quiet place instead. 
• Space. Do you need a garden? Garage? How many rooms are enough? Do you need a spacious kitchen or is ok with a tiny one? Should the bathroom have a bathtub 🛁 or a shower alone is perfect?
• Ambient lighting. Specially in cold or rainy places (even those cold only during the winter), to find a place where sunlight invades the space all the day is good to save energy. If you have solar energy, a place darker inside but where the solar equipment works perfectly is ok.
• Safety. Some people feel comfortable in a house plenty of security systems tools, like cameras and alarms. Other ones prefer a neighbourhood where they can feel safe.
• Finishing. This is not easy to notice if we’re not engineers or something like this, but the quality of the equipment and structure must be observed.
• For people like me who have cats or dogs, it’s important to think in their safety. If we use nylon webs on the windows to protect the cats, we must consider they must open laterally or pulling to the inside, never pushing to the outside as, with the webs, this would be almost impossible.
• Sockets. It seems not important, but the quantity and location of the sockets is very important. In my current apartment there is one right behind the bed and the bed (queen size) is too heavy to move. As the apartment was furnished when I came, I should have had observed this before. Lesson learned.
• For some people and places other points must be observed. In Brazil most showers are electric. In the south, where the winter is cold, some houses have the water for the showers heated by gas. In some other regions solar heating is an option too. If you’re from a hot place and come to live in the south I suggest you to choose gas.
• Weather. In Europe they have a heating system different from Brazil, where we use air conditioners, and some have the option to keep the place warm, not only to cool it. We must observe the weather we’re used to live and the one in our new destination to know our needs regarding how to keep the temperature inside the house comfortable.
• For furnished places I recommend to check the quality of furniture and machines and to observe the validity of the gas devices.
• To verify the documents is useful too, also paying attention to the local laws.

Do you have some extra tip? Share it with me.

Nycka, the nomad

🇧🇷 Cozinhar ou comprar comida pronta?

Para muitos nômades e não nômades, comer bem é uma necessidade. Neste texto vou compartilhar algumas vantagens e desvantagens de diferentes opções para ter este resultado.

Aqui vou considerar como cozinhar qualquer escolha de preparar alimentos em casa, focando na ideia de buscar uma alimentação balanceada. Como comida pronta vou considerar tanto pedir a comida em casa como ir a um restaurante, à casa de amigos onde você não tenha de preparar nada nem lavar a louça, etc. Não vou considerar, neste texto, alimentos comprados congelados nem instantâneos. A maior parte das vantagens de comprar comida pronta serve para os congelados. Para os instantâneos a única vantagem que vejo é que são instantâneos. Perdem muito em sabor e tudo mais comparados a outras opções.

Vantagens de cozinhar:

• O custo financeiro é menor.
• Você tem a oportunidade de selecionar os produtos que irá utilizar para preparar suas refeições. Eu gosto de ir ao supermercado e fazer as compras para selecionar eu mesma os produtos frescos que prefiro e aproveitar as degustações de produtos para conhecer marcas diferentes.
• Desenvolve a criatividade.
• É um gesto de amor para si mesmo e para as pessoas que vão compartilhar a refeição.
• Se você não sabe cozinhar, é uma boa oportunidade de aprender.
• Desperta o interesse por eventos gastronômicos, visando aprender mais sobre vinhos, bebidas alcoólicas, cafés, queijos, receitas, e outros.
• Você tem de pensar no cardápio (o que é vantagem e desvantagem).
• Caso você trabalhe com cozinha, é uma ótima oportunidade para testar receitas.

Desvantagens de cozinhar:

• Nem todo supermercado aceita compras online, portanto você talvez tenha de ir às compras. Quando não temos tempo isso se torna uma desvantagem.
• Você tem panelas e outros utensílios para lavar após as refeições. Lavar pratos, copos e talheres é fácil. Lavar panelas às vezes é uma chatice.
• Requer tempo.
• Se você erra o tempero, é terrível. Por algum tempo eu mantive no estoque esses temperos industrializados em pó que dá pra polvilhar sobre o prato pronto pra salvar dessas situações! 😁 Hoje é muito raro eu comprar temperos industrializados de qualquer tipo. Compro alho, cebola, sal, pimentas variadas, canela e outros temperos e vou criando minhas receitas.
• Você tem de pensar no cardápio.
• Caso você trabalhe com cozinha, pode ser aborrecido passar tanto tempo neste ambiente entre casa e trabalho.

Vantagens de comprar comida pronta:

• Existem bons restaurantes que valem o preço em qualquer cidade de médio e grande porte. Em algumas cidades pequenas também.
• Não tem de “perder tempo” na cozinha (às vezes a gente não tem o tempo necessário pra fazer compras de supermercado e cozinhar!)
• Indo a restaurantes, você tem zero louça para lavar.
• Descobrir bons restaurantes é uma delícia!
• Oportunidade de conhecer restaurantes de perfis variados e, conforme as opções disponíveis onde você viver, culinárias de diferentes regiões do mundo.

Desvantagens de comprar comida pronta:

• Também tem o risco de você não gostar do resultado, mesmo em restaurantes considerados bons.
• No caso de ir a restaurantes, existe o tempo de espera na fila ou o tempo para ser atendido, embora nós nômades possamos trabalhar na fila com o celular e, à mesa, também com o notebook.
• O risco de serviços de entrega demorarem demais também existe.
• É preciso estar atento às condições de higiene do local, da qualidade dos alimentos e tudo mais. Fugir de restaurantes baratos evita o risco de encontrar um morango meio estragado no recheio da sobremesa, mas o preço sozinho não determina nada.
• Em algumas cidades a variedade de opções é muito limitada.

Entre prós e contras acho que ambas as opções têm seu valor. Ter uma cozinha bem equipada em casa estimula o desejo de utilizá-la. E descobrir restaurantes onde estamos, seja durante viagens ou na cidade onde vivemos, principalmente naqueles dias que o tempo ou a inspiração para cozinhar estão escassos, também é de grande valor.

Nycka, the nomad

🇬🇧 Being classy

Let’s think a bit about what a classy person is or what qualities we need to be really classy. Some people think about classy as being kind to everyone, even if there’s the need to pretend or lie to achieve this goal. I think this is a rude way to think about what a classy person is.

Classy is more about being authentic without being rude. It’s about cultivate the critical sense and be passionated by art and culture. Once I read a quote said to be from Chanel that said some people are so miserable the only thing they have is money. I agree with that. Really rich (and classy) people are constantly desiring the best of everything, are open minded, passionate about art and culture and available to discuss different points of view. Classy people don’t need to pretend as their personal style helps them to attract more people who respect their choice of questioning the status quo as a way to discover more about themselves and about the world. 

Classy people are proud of who they are. They cultivate their dreams changing them into goals, and changing their goals into results. Classy people are comfortable in their own skin but never tired of improving, professionally, personally and spiritually.

Why did I say to pretend is rude? Because only rude people are not prepared face the truth(s). Classy people are aware most of the facts of life can be seen by different points of view and, so, are prepared to listen the truths of others. Rude people believe there is only one right and one wrong for anything, so, they believe others must be wrong for them to be right.

Classy people are not perfect, but they are closer to be so than anyone else.

Nycka, the nomad

🇧🇷 O investimento mais importante

Todo mundo sabe a importância de investir. Mas nem todos observam o valor de um investimento muito importante, que contribui para que sua renda aumente e seus demais investimentos possam render muito mais. Qual é nosso maior ativo, aquele que mais devemos valorizar? Nós mesmos.

Se você concorda comigo, reserva parte de sua renda para esta finalidade. E o que devemos considerar ao investir em nós mesmos? Eu considero basicamente três pontos:

• Estilo: produtos e serviços de moda e beleza. Este é um ponto onde nunca devemos economizar. Alta qualidade e design são essenciais para qualquer pessoa que realmente se valoriza. Desenvolver um estilo próprio coerente com sua personalidade agrega valor à sua marca pessoal.
• Saúde: Aqui podemos utilizar serviços públicos para economizar e ter mais recursos para outros investimentos, se a qualidade de atendimento compensar;
• Conteúdo: arte, cultura, qualificação profissional, autoconhecimento e outros recursos para melhorar nosso conteúdo e exercitar o senso crítico. Às vezes podemos encontrar boas fontes de conteúdo de graça, como o www.dominiopublico.gov.br, museus que são gratuitos ou têm algumas datas gratuitas ou a preços promocionais, entre outros.

Talvez você pense que eu esqueci o lazer. Não esqueci. Se arte e cultura não fazem parte do seu lazer, você está gastando recursos preciosos em coisas sem valor.

Outros investimentos são obviamente importantes, mas ao investir em si mesmo suas chances de multiplicar seus rendimentos aumentam muito. Por isso, esta é minha prioridade. Você pode gerenciar isso estabelecendo uma percentagem de sua renda atual para este investimento e outra para investir no seu negócio e investimentos financeiros. Mas não pode negligenciar o investimento em si mesmo.

Nycka, the nomad

🇬🇧 The most important investment

What’s our biggest active, the most important investment we must have? Ourselves. 

If you agree with me you already have a part of your money saved to invest in yourself. And what should we consider to invest in ourselves? I consider basically three points: 

• Style: fashion and beauty products and services. This is a point we should never try the cheap path;
• Health. Sometimes we can use public services to save more for the other points if the quality of public services are tolerable;
• Content: art, culture, professional courses and other resources to improve our content and exercise the critical sense. Sometimes we find good resources for this investment for free.

You maybe believe I forgot leisure. I didn’t. If culture and art are not included in your leisure, you’re spending precious resources on worthless things.

Other investments are obviously important, but to invest in yourself is very important. For me, this is my biggest priority. You can manage this setting a percentage of your income to invest, and deciding how much of this percentage is for these investments and how much is to invest in your business and financial investments. But you cannot neglect the wise investment in yourself.

As we’re talking about investment it is to save money to spend in the right moment. Not to spend buying clothes every month.

Nycka, the nomad

🇬🇧 Advantages of being short

Someone asked me, so, I answer it. I’m 175cm tall, and I consider myself a tall woman but I think to be short has some advantages, as well as to be tall. As usually those who ask this kind of question imagine life would be much better if they had a different condition (in this case, being tall), and feel they live in disadvantage I believe my point of view is relevant.

• For short women: almost any man you know is taller than you. I remember once I wrote about tall women wearing high heels. I love high heels although I don’t wear them often in Curitiba. But most tall women I know avoid them all the time, anywhere. Many tall women commented this blog post about high heels telling it was hard to find a boyfriend taller than themselves and this helped them to avoid heels. I had only one relationship with a man much taller than myself, but it was amazing. For tall women this is rare. For short women this is easily possible!
• For short men: although usually women prefer taller men, there are lots of short women and some can be as tall as you are or a bit smaller. And, thinking about the comments women did in that post about tall women wearing heels and my own personal experience, there are women who accept smaller men as boyfriends.
• Still thinking about relationships, for sex, your height makes no difference.
• Professionally, the only career I know short people are refused is as catwalk model. But commercial models can have any height, weight or age. Various catwalk models are famous, but, at least in brazilian advertising, many commercial models are famous too.
• Socially, I see no problems related to height. I have various friends who are short.
• And... to travel, short people have a big advantage. They can travel comfortably long distances on the back seat of a car or using the economic class of buses or airplanes. For tall people these options for long distances are horribly uncomfortable.

So, to be short have various advantages, only different from some that tall people have. Relax and enjoy your height.

Nycka, the Nomad

🇧🇷 Existe alguma vantagem de ter baixa estatura?

Perguntaram. Eu respondo. Eu tenho 1,75m, me considero alta, mas penso que ser baixo tem algumas vantagens, assim como ser alto. Como normalmente quem faz esse tipo de pergunta pensa numa vida hipotética de como seria se tivesse outra condição (no caso, ser alto) e por isso se sente em desvantagem, acho que meu ponto de vista é relevante.

• Para mulheres, é quase impossível ficar sem achar um homem mais alto. Lembro que uma vez escrevi sobre mulheres altas de salto no blog… eu amo usar salto, embora não use muito em Curitiba, mas a maioria das mulheres altas que conheço não usa….. e muuuuuuitas mulheres (altas) comentaram o post dizendo que era super difícil encontrar um namorado mais alto por isso acabavam abandonando os saltos. Eu já tive um “relacionamento de balada” (um ficante fixo) com um boy muito mais alto que eu, que mesmo eu na ponta dos pés ele abaixava pra me beijar, mas pra mulheres altas essa experiência é bem rara de se ter. E… é bom!!!! 😇 Não deve ser lá muito confortável pro cara, mas é bom, e ninguém precisa beijar em pé o tempo todo. Nem nós. Quase todos os meus relacionamentos foram com homens mais altos, mas apenas um muito mais alto (e um mais baixo).
• Para homens, embora normalmente mulheres prefiram homens mais altos, sempre existem mulheres baixas mesmo de salto ficam num tamanho confortável perto de vocês. Tenho um amigo baixinho que conheço há muitos anos que ficou um tempão solteiro, mas achou uma namorada muito bonita e nesse perfil de menor que ele. Agora os dois já estão juntos há uns dois ou três anos. Além disso, pela minha experiência pessoal e pelos comentários do texto sobre saltos que mencionei no tópico anterior, sei que tem mulheres que, se gostam, saem com baixinhos, sem problemas.
• Ainda do ponto de vista de relacionamentos… um outro amigo meu, um pouco mais baixo, dizia que na horizontal tudo é igual. Traduzindo: altura não é impedimento pro sexo.
• Para questões profissionais me parece que ser baixo só impede as pessoas de serem modelos de passarela. Porque modelos comerciais podem ser baixos. E outras profissões normalmente não têm restrições de altura. A Gisele Bundchen é famosa, mas o “baixinho da Kaiser” também era. 😉
• No campo social, não vejo problemas ligados à altura. Você deve ter percebido que tenho amigos e amigas mais baixos.
• Ao viajar, baixinhos ficam confortáveis de qualquer jeito. Altos sofrem em viagens longas de carro (no banco de trás) ou na classe econômica de ônibus e aviões!

Então, ser baixo tem pontos positivos e negativos, assim como ser alto. Relaxa e seja feliz com sua altura.

Nycka, the nomad

🇬🇧 Love, respect and choices

Many people feel as if fashion is a cage. I grew up with low self esteem and fashion helped me to defeat this problem. Fashion can set us free if we want to be free. Currently I’m able to see my beauty and I see the beauty in other people in a way any person I see I imagine how he or she would look better according to ones personality and, if I know, social status and other details. Obviously I don’t share these thoughts. This is my job.

There was a time I was very sad for the people who refused the opportunity to discover this best self. Currently I’m aware each person has a time to discover he or she can be deserves something better. As I mentioned in the previous text, about the cost-benefits ratio, some people are able to buy things in that base. Many are still buying following other paths. And this is part of the path to self-improvement. Everyone, independent on social, cultural or financial status, lives to practice self-improvement. Some don’t see this and carry their chains all life long.

As my understanding of human beings increased, as my understanding of myself increased, I noticed I’m here to help those who are ready to receive what I offer. I don’t need to feel pity for the others. Maybe they never grow enough to deserve me. And it’s OK. It was my own choice to put my attention on the top and the top is not for everyone. I’m not perfect. Nobody is. But regarding my professional activities I know my abilities and what kind of people they can satisfy. It was a long path to arrive at this point, to be comfortable with who I am, to accept my choices and the limits of others. But I’m happy as the one who walk the path is able to teach others how to find their paths.

Nycka, the nomad

🇬🇧 Style and the cost-benefits ratio

The cost-benefits ratio is not simple to calculate. Many people use price alone to choose what to buy. This is a mistake because price alone is not a standard to calculate the ratio cost-benefit and to choose price alone is often to choose the products with most inferior quality and the least benefits of all.

If you compare 1 kg of rice from a brand X in two different supermarkets you’re comparing price alone. If you compare the prices of the packs with 1kg of rice from different brands you’re comparing price alone. If you want a pair of five pockets jeans, no matter the brand, and you choose the cheapest, you’re comparing price alone.

So, how would it be the choice based on the ratio cost-benefits for these things? For the rice you should consider other standards as the flavour (yes, there are different flavours for different brands), the nutritional value, the social impact each brand causes, the environmental impact, and so on. For the trousers, I gave an example of a personal experience here once. Now I tell it again for you to understand.

In the distant year of 1998, some weeks before to move from Montes Claros to Uberlândia, I bought fabulous trousers from a brand that was my favourite and unfortunately doesn’t exist anymore. It was the sexiest trousers I ever bought (I’m talking about one piece of clothes, one item only... that’s why I used “it” referring to trousers. Sorry if it’s grammatically wrong). It costed R$40,00 that time (minimum salary was R$70,00 per month). Then, a few weeks after I’m living in Uberlândia, my neighbour entered the apartment wearing beautiful trousers with that bell cut I used to love. I didn’t know the brand but the trousers were charming, and it costed the same R$40,00 I paid in the other some weeks before. I bought one equal to hers and embroidered it to be different, because I appreciate exclusivity and she was my companion to go out, so, it was better to do this. Both trousers were beautiful and fitted perfectly. The difference to calculate cost-benefit ratio? The time they were useful. The first I had up to last year and could have for more time, but I needed to change the zipper and I didn’t, so, I threw it away. The second one lasted two years before I need to throw it away because the fabric was horrible and opened in some places. So, one costed me R$40,00 to be worn often (while I was at the university I used to wear it three times a week) during 20 years, and the other costed a bit more (considering I spent to embroider it) to last two years only. The second was ten times more expensive considering the cost-benefit ratio, although comparing price alone both had the same price.

Quality alone is not enough to calculate that ratio, but it’s one that most people don’t understand as their references are too limited. As in the example of the rice, there are other aspects to consider to enrich the analysis. People who refuse to analyse the quality, the lifetime of their clothing, as one of the standards are making a poor choice. But we must go further and analyse other standards as the social and environmental impact of each brand.

How is the fitting of those clothing to your body? Does those clothing treasure your personal colours? Does that brand offer fair salaries to their employees? Does it offer encouragement for them to study to occupy a higher position in the future in that company? Does it segregate people, paying less for women? Do they usually fire their employees after a maternity leave? Are its employees working in a healthy environment? What’s the impact of that brand in the environment? Are its designs original or the brand is imitating some designs created by other brands? Are its salespeople natural and helpful? Do that brand deliver quickly when we shop online? For fashion industries, if their products are made by third parties, are these suppliers honest with their employees, considering the previous questions? These are some questions we must keep in mind. If you’re vegan or vegetarian there are some extra questions. According to your goals other questions can be included. But in any situation the benefits come first, and the price is almost unimportant if we think we can save money to have the best option if we want.

I believe any person should ask the questions about social impact, including everything regarding the employees of that brand or their manufacturers, even when looking for a job, in any industry. A person doing this is showing social responsibility and self-respect, and this is good for one personal brand.

To check the cost-benefits we must consider first all the benefits we can imagine, for ourselves, the environment and to society. We analyse the benefits each brand can offer and then we analyse the prices of the brands offering more benefits to see if our budget is enough.

For example, consider you are looking for new shirts and the ones you tried have the following benefits and prices (I’ll include only a few benefits for this example). When I am analysing data, I’m more specific, but the example below is enough for you to understand the idea.

Brand	Fitting	Quality	Social responsibility	Colours	Services	Environmental responsibility	Rate
A	Perfect	Excellent	Unknown	Good	Excellent	Unknown	7
B	Perfect	Good	Unknown	Good	Good	Only sustainable products	6
C	Good	Good	Ok	Not fitted	Ok	Unknown	4
D	Horrible	Poor	Shame	Good	Ok	Unknown	2

The best choice would be the brand A in normal circumstances. I recommend to balance the rates in a way each benefit has the same importance than the others. It’s the most honest way to calculate the ratio.

Sometimes our budgets are not enough to buy the best choice. It’s an option to save some extra money to buy the best choice. I always consider this possibility when I’m shopping for myself. I prefer to postpone some acquisition to have the best choice than to buy a second option immediately. For clients I negotiate the best deals, as they usually buy various items at once and often I’m able to buy some products that alone couldn’t fit the budget.

When I started having opportunities in traditional media channels like TV channels and magazines to talk about style, many people used to hire me wanting to be more stylish. Currently, as people are gaining this sense of responsibility for having a world more honest, they’re asking me to find the best ratio cost-benefits for their new purchases in fashion. And I’m pleased to do the best I can with the information I have acquired in these more than 30 years in this industry, to offer something interesting for them, as I do for myself. Of course new brands appear e every day and I’m observing them too, and sometimes I can made mistakes in some aspects, but I consider important to consider the choices for my clients as important as mine, and I love to receive feedback on the results to improve my services more and more.

Do you consider some benefit I didn’t mention? Share it with me. Maybe I already consider it and forgot to write it down. Maybe I didn’t pay attention to that point and your comment can enrich my future analysis.

Visit the page “Services available” for professional advice on style.

Nycka, the nomad 

🇬🇧 Work-life balance

Work life balance is a way to manage our lives that allows us to have balance among various spheres of life, like family, friends, work and leisure. I separate in four because sometimes we can enjoy some time alone, to listen to our own inner voice, so, it’s not all time to be shared with others.

Sometimes we make a lot of effort to achieve a certain position in life or, more often, in career, and then instead of enjoying we work much more because we have new responsibilities and new challenges.

Society helps us to think we must struggle all the time. Should we? Don’t we deserve a pair of dinners with our beloved ones along the week? Don’t we deserve to enjoy the results of our efforts? Don’t we deserve some time for ourselves? I only can answer for myself. Yes, I do. And I deserve outstanding services.

Since I started exercising this balance life is funnier, there’s much more to enjoy and simpler than I used to imagine.

Do you exercise this or prefer to struggle being a workaholic?

Nycka, the nomad 

🇬🇧 Gifted hands: the Ben Carson Story

Another biography I watched during the weekend was “Gifted Hands: the Ben Carson Story”. I really appreciate biographies. This one was special because it shows something I treasure. Part of the transformation in Ben’s life was performed through the interest in art and culture. Books and museums were there to guide him to a completely different world. Like in the famous movie “To sir, with love”, where a teacher (Sidnei Poitier) guides a class of poor students to a new world including a visit to a museum. Ben’s mother also emphasise the importance to wear clothing with quality, another thing I value. Unfortunately, many brands nowadays are going in another direction, decreasing quality.

I won’t say racism doesn’t exist, but I’m sure the life of any person is much better if the individual chooses to enlarge ones universe through art, culture, travels and investing on quality.

Ben Carson is an example that reality can change.

Although I don’t like images of surgeries, this movie is tolerable regarding this kind of scene. Watch and enjoy the inspiration, then share your thoughts with me.

Nycka, the nomad