Because I work in the fashion industry, as a couture embroiderer for high-end fashion houses, I’m expected to look a certain way. I can’t walk into Chanel’s head office in a pair of H&M jeans and be taken seriously.
That means constantly updating my wardrobe – I have to keep up with the latest trends. Effectively, I have to sell myself and embody Chloe Savage Embroidery. Sometimes that means I wear my own work, but when I go for a job for a specific client, I always wear some key pieces that show I get that brand and understand where it is right now.
It’s horrifying to think about how much I spend on designer gear. It makes me slightly nauseous. I reckon I own about 250-300 pairs of £200 shoes, 30 £600 handbags, seven or eight £3,000 suits, nine £8,000 evening dresses, five £800 to £900 hats and 22 pairs of £400 sunglasses. The most expensive item I own is a custom-made Dior suit which cost £9,500 – it’s so expensive I hardly ever dare to wear it.
Luckily, I have a husband who works in finance and he helps with the cost of some of my clothes, because I wear them at his work events. But the amount I spend does cause us to scrap with each other. He will ask me why I have bought another pair of shoes, for example. The trouble is, the people I work for will know exactly when my shoes were made. Sometimes I meet people I’ve been idolising for 40 years. When I walk into a meeting, it can feel absolutely terrifying.
But I love my job and the variety of it – one day I might be working for Dior or embroidering a private commission like a wedding dress or a christening gown, and the next day I might be repairing a textile for the National Trust. I love seeing my work in a magazine or on a movie star on the red carpet.
I also love the beautiful items I get to wear. You carry yourself differently when you’re wearing a beautifully cut piece of clothing. It fits so well it gives you confidence.
I’m very aware I often spend a hell of a lot on something I might only wear four or five times. But I see many of the pieces I’ve bought as investments. Anything I haven’t worn in two seasons I know I’m probably not going to wear again and will sell to a private dealer.
I would much prefer to spend more of my money on my five kids. Two of my children are still at school, so I pay £300 a month for their tennis and swimming clubs and half of their private school fees, which works out at about £975 a month. We also have a high council tax bill – £1,200 a month, because we have several acres of land – and spend £150 on food for our three dogs. My gym membership costs me £250 a month.
I have a manicure every two or three weeks, which costs £90. I’ll spend £180 to £200 on a trip once a month, to visit exhibitions at the V&A or occasionally abroad.
Embroidering is such a historic skill. When I see a beautiful piece of embroidery, inspiration often just hits me and I feel an instant connection with all the couture embroiderers of the past. Like them, I rarely get to wear what I embroider.
I must easily be spending £2,000 to £3,000 a month on fashion – but in my studio, I wear jeans and a jumper from M&S.
We are keen to hear how you spend it: maybe you’re a “squeezed middle” just about coping financially; someone who has invested wisely; or a young adult saving furiously for a home. If you would like to appear in this column, contact spend.it@theguardian.com