#df-characterstudy

[duchess-fox]

Lessons from the Screen: Jasmine (Blue Jasmine)

Played by Cate Blanchett, Jasmine is the titular character to Woody Allen's film, Blue Jasmine. It's one of my favourite films not because Jasmine is a character to aspire to, but rather one to take lessons from.

Who is Jasmine?

Born Jeanette, she was adopted along with her sister Ginger. She changes her name to Jasmine, likely when she was 18 since she had met her husband Hal as Jasmine and he is said to have fallen in love with the name Jasmine. (Jasmine does lie about the origins of her name afterwards, saying that her parents named her after their favourite flower - night blooming jasmine). She drops out of school to marry him and thereafter lives the life of a Manhattan socialite.

We don't know much of her past but it can be inferred that Jasmine likely came from the lower middle to middle class.

Her Husband's Arrest and Death

Jasmine's husband Hal, was arrested on charges of embezzlement and fraud. As a result, all of their assets were frozen and seized. Hal had committed suicide while arrested, likely knowing that he couldn't do the jail time and couldn't bear the humiliation. Jasmine was able to hide a few things to sell but has to take a job - a retail position at a shoe store and had to wait upon women with whom she had hosted previously at luncheons.

Moving to San Francisco

Jasmine moves in with her sister, after not being able to afford her Brooklyn rent and finding herself in a mountain of debt. Ginger lives a strictly lower-middle class life with her two children.

Jasmine decides she wants to become an interior decorator and knows she can get a qualification online. However as she knows nothing about using a computer, she takes a class on how to use them.

Lessons we can learn

Do not drop out of school to get married.

In the first scene of the film, Jasmine mentions that she was in school studying anthropology but drops out of school after marrying Hal. So now that her husband is dead, she has to support herself now (since their assets were seized).

Lesson: Do not give up your education for anyone. You are the one living your life so do what's best for you. Knowledge is something that no one can take from you! If someone wants to marry you but wants you to drop out of school for it, don't bother with them as they may be trying to make you completely dependent on them.

Keep employable hobbies.

"But what if they're so wealthy I don't actually have to work? Isn't that the whole point?"

Jasmine thought that too. Until she her husband was arrested and committed suicide. She notes that she had always been interested in interior decorating, citing her 'great taste' and experience in decorating her homes. However now that she has to provide for herself, she can't work as an interior decorator since she doesn't have a licence.

Lesson: Even if you marry wealthy, you should cultivate some kind of hobby that can be turned into a career. Event hosting/planning, interior decoration, designing, matchmaking even - things that can be considered hobbies and yet can turn into business ideas. This is made even better by the fact you may be socialising with a different cohort of potential clients if you do decide to turn it into a business.

Have an exit plan and money of your own.

Jasmine is forced to move from New York City to San Francisco because she can't afford to live there and was forced to take a low paying retail job. She had no money of her own - rather her husband provided her the money to live the lavish lifestyle she once did.

Lesson: Be sure to have a 'worst case scenario' plan just in case. You should also have a bank account that is completely separate from your partner's - an emergency fund. Make sure it covers at least 6 months of expenses but keep adding to it when you can since money can mean freedom. Hell even keeping a packed Louis Vuitton suitcase in the event you need to get out of the house quickly may not be a bad idea either.

Understand what you're signing

Normally a spouse is not likely to get into trouble if her husband is arrested for embezzlement and fraud. However since Jasmine's signature is on a lot of the business documents, she is almost indicted along with her husband.

Lesson: Read what you're signing! Understand what you're signing. If you have trouble understanding what you're signing, consult someone in the legal profession.

Have classic pieces that never go out of style

Jasmine manages to keep a few things when she moves to San Francisco, which captures the attention of a potential suitor at a party. She manages to keep a Chanel jacket, one of her Hermes Birkins (B35, Gold with gold hardware), Roger Vivier shoes, Chanel belt and her full set of monogrammed Louis Vuitton luggage. In fact, her religiously wears her Chanel jacket and Birkin everwhere although it's seen more as Jasmine trying desperately to hold onto her previous life.

Lesson: While you don't have to have a Chanel jacket or an Hermes Birkin, you can still have classic pieces without the price tag. Nowadays there are more affordable coats and jackets that are timeless - wrap coats, trench coats, pea coats. If you can't afford a designer bag, choose one that has a timeless silhouette, minimal decorative details and minimal hardware.

[duchess-fox]

Lessons from the Screen: Juliet Sharp (Gossip Girl)

Juliet was a controversial character - you either loved her or hated her. I personally liked her character and feel the writers did her dirty with the drugging of Serena storyline (because in the GG world, underdogs and social climbers must be squashed). I think there's a lot to learn from this character, more so than any of the others especially in the journey to levelling up.

Who is Juliet?

Juliet is strictly middle class. Her family lives in a nicer part of the United States - Cornwall, Conneticut - but she herself did not attend the private school in the area. Her half brother was a teacher at that private school.

Juliet is both streetsmart and booksmart. She has the booksmarts to get into Columbia and she has the streetsmarts to put an elaborate plan to take down Serena into action.

Columbia and Keeping Up

She attends Columbia, an ivy league school, but not without her cousin's help. We see that Juliet relies on him for her tuition and living expenses. Most college students would work to supplement their meager income - however Juliet does not.

Juliet joins Hamilton House and eventually becomes their key master. This pursuit was probably almost full time work in itself.

Juliet was able to successfully plant herself among the children of members of high society and would have likely have successfully found herself married into their ranks if not for her involvement with Serena & Co.

Juliet's Downfall

Juliet is forced to bow out of the scene (a possibly withdraw from university) after forcing Serena into an institution.

Her single-mindedness and desperation to exact justice for her brother leads to her cousin cutting off her financial support and possibly being forced to withdraw from Columbia.

Lessons we can learn

The right place, at the right time

We, and Nate, are first introduced to Juliet when Nate takes his one-night stand date to brunch at Norma's - an upscale restaurant. She's there reading The House of Mirth and drinking a coffee. She's a refreshing change to the girls that Nate has been seeing lately who seems to only have a handful of phrases in her pretty head.

Lesson: Being at the right place, at the right time can help you meet potential friends and even partners. Like Juliet, you don't have to be there for breakfast, just there reading a book and drinking coffee. So even though you might not want to spend too much money on eating out, buying a coffee is relatively inexpensive. Treat it as if you're taking yourself out on a date - maybe even get yourself a slice of cake and enjoy it slowly along with your book. Make sure the place is upscale, make sure your book is physical (no e-readers - it's hard to have conversation about a book when people can't see what you're reading).

Learn to DIY beauty treatments

In order to keep up with fellow Hamilton House club members, she had to be resourceful. She learned to blowdry her own hair and likely did other beauty treatments herself.

Lesson: If you can't afford to have your nails and hair done, learn how to do them yourself! I do my own gel manicures and I use Korean products, the exact same ones as the salon I used to go to. While you might not be able to source the exact products a salon will use (since a lot of products are professional only), you can still get some quality products. There are also heaps of tutorials online on how to do your nails and your hair.

Stretch your resources when it comes to your wardrobe

We primarily see Juliet in a lot of neutrals - namely grey. She probably also has the only wardrobe that remains somewhat relevant today. She also needs to dress for the kind of crowd she wants to be a part of.

She goes to an outlet to buy designer clothes and if she does buy from the department stores in the city, she returns them after she wears them. She even has a tagging gun to put the tags back on. She also subscribes to Rent the Runway to supplement her wardrobe.

Lesson: While I don't condone the returning of worn clothing, if you have to have some designer clothes, Rent the Runway is great for that - it allows you to rotate clothing at a fee which is good if you have special occasions to dress for.

In saying that, designer clothing is very hit or miss (as evidenced by the other character wardrobes from Gossip Girl). You're much better off having some classic, timeless pieces - sheath dresses, blazers, button downs, simple sweaters, jeans that look amazing on you (regardless of what silhouette is currently in fashion). You can always accessorize with jewelry, bags, belts and shoes.

Men don't give a shit about what designer bag/shoes you're wearing as long as it looks expensive. So you don't have to get an expensive bag - just one that looks high quality and therefore expensive (I should probably do a post on what to look out for).

Put your best interests first

Juliet loses everything because she's too busy trying to get revenge for her brother who doesn't seem the least bit remorseful that he cost his sister her education and possibly her future. Her cousin stops funding her tuition when she gets involved in his relationship with Serena.

Lesson: So, think of your own best interests first. Don't set yourself on fire to keep someone else warm!