Here’s what happened.

The feedback.

Customers kept telling us the same thing in different words. They loved the dress. They’d already worn it multiple ways. But with a wedding or some other “we’re getting properly dressed up” occasion coming up, it felt slightly too casual. Not wrong, just not quite dressy enough for the moment.

It wasn’t the end of the world - the dress already checked the box for almost every occasion. But we built the Ducote so that those moments, when you wanted to look your best even if it was just this once, didn’t call for a one-occasion purchase. So instead of waiting until the next run, we did what modular clothing does best: built on the style to create even more possibilities.

Our response.

Enter the beaded bodice. It snaps onto the dress you already own using the same hidden snap system that makes the rest of the SAUV system work. No new dress required.

Getting here in two weeks wasn’t nothing. We’re a small brand, which means we’re working with MOQs that don’t bend, manufacturing timelines that don’t rush, and approximately zero margin for error. Most of the fashion industry plans embellishment additions a season out. We didn’t have a season. We had customer feedback and a deadline we set for ourselves.

The thing that made it possible is the same thing that makes the dress work at all: because the bodice only had to solve for “add dressy,” not “redesign a garment,” we could move fast.

Modularity isn’t just a fun feature for people wearing the clothes. It’s what lets us actually respond to customers, instead of just wishing we’d thought of it sooner.

Why this matters more than one new product.

The math on modular pieces gets better the more of them you own. One dress alone gives you seven outfits. Add the bodice and you’re not just adding one more look, you’re multiplying the combinations you already had. That’s the case for investing in a piece that snaps into a system instead of a piece that only ever does one thing.

And to be clear: the dress didn’t need fixing. We’ve had exactly one return since launch, and it was a sizing issue, not a design one. People love it as it is. The bodice isn’t a correction, it’s a bonus for people who wanted one more option, and a proof point that when you build this way, you can keep adding to what someone already owns instead of asking them to start over.

So that’s pretty much it: customers said something felt almost-but-not-quite right, and two weeks later there was a solution that didn’t require anyone to buy a new dress. This is what we mean when we say modularity isn’t a gimmick - not only does it multiple your wardrobe options, but it also multiplies our ability to respond to what our customer needs.

Check it out online and enter our giveaway here.

The piece that came out turned out to be more skeptical than we expected - a personal, funny essay about a writer wrestling with a set of detachable sleeves (not SAUV's - ours snap in, no wrestling required).

While not the framing we hoped for, some of it was fair. So instead of getting defensive, I wanted to actually engage with it - publicly, the same way I did privately with the journalist who wrote it.

We don’t call ourselves a “sustainable brand.” On purpose.

The piece groups SAUV in with “self-proclaimed slow and sustainable brands.” We’d push back gently on that one - we don’t market ourselves that way, and it’s intentional. While finding a way to lower our own impact is one of our guiding principles, we know making and selling anything new has an impact. Full stop.

What we do believe is narrower and - we think - more honest: replacing several single-use pieces of clothing with one modular one measurably lowers the materials and emissions that go into getting dressed. That’s a smaller claim than “sustainable brand.” But one we can stand by.

For us, it’s less about being sustainable and more about being intentional - in the fabrics (durable, produced in the best way possible), manufacturing (ethical, high-quality), and designs (modular, timeless).

The perfection trap

One line stuck with us: the fear that a two-in-one top won’t curb a “rabid appetite for new clothes,” that it’ll just become another trend to be devoured and discarded.

We get the instinct. But we’d argue that’s the wrong bar. Almost no sustainability standard survives being held to “does this stop you from ever buying anything else.” The people who love to shop - myself included - are going to keep shopping. But we’re not aiming for perfect - we’re focusing on better. And the research supports this:

Broad participation in imperfect changes moves the needle further than a small number of people trying to be flawless. Guilt-tripping people into all-or-nothing purity doesn’t build sustainable habits. It builds burnout.

So we’re not asking anyone to swear off new clothes - I certainly couldn’t (hence, why we started SAUV).

We’re asking: when you’re about to buy the black top you’ll wear one way, or the dress for a wedding, what if that piece could become three or four or…seven?

Yes, we’re expensive. That’s the point.

The piece is right that we’re not cheap. We’ve made peace with that as two women who had to learn the value of investing in quality.

Something built to last - instead of something built to be replaced - costs more to make. We’d rather be upfront about that trade-off than pretend a $12 tee and a $135 modular top are playing the same game. One of them is designed to end up in a landfill…the other, a true wardrobe staple.

See our SAUV Guarantee —>

This is a different way of getting dressed - so friction is expected.

Fashion, at scale, is built on a simple mechanism: sell more clothes.

Modular clothing works against that mechanism by design - fewer pieces doing more work is a genuinely different sales model, not just a marketing wrapper on the same one. So when something challenges how an entire industry makes money, skepticism isn’t a bug. It’s a pretty predictable response to something trying to work differently.

We’d rather be met with real scrutiny than a puff piece - it means people are actually taking the idea seriously enough to stress-test it.

Where this started

One thing the article touched on, without knowing it was talking about us:

That’s basically our origin story. My sister Margaux has been altering, deconstructing, and rebuilding her own clothes since she was a teenager - long before SAUV existed - because she thought clothes could be made to do more.

We started this brand so people without her design training (or a sewing machine) could have access to that same idea.

In the end, this was the perfect piece for SAUV’s first feature: it validated the decisions we’ve made so far…

• to focus on versatility, not chase the “sustainability” label;

• to build something that lasts, instead of something easy to throw-away;

• and to widen access to clothing that offers options, especially if you, like me, can't sew to save your life.

Excited to see what SAUV’s next feature holds. And appreciative of the journalist who wrote the article - she’s asking the right questions. We just believe SAUV is the right answer.

— Euxie

“Fashion Is Art.”

Last night was the Met Gala, and its theme was a reminder that fashion is, at its root, an art form. Celebrities arrived in looks that referenced paintings, sculptures, iconic works - fashion as a medium, not just a uniform. And yet, even on the one night a year where that idea is taken seriously, it still felt like a competition: who understood the assignment, who didn’t. That tension, between expression and performance, isn’t unique to celebrities, it’s how most of us get dressed every morning:

“What is appropriate? What will draw attention? Or help me blend in?”

Which makes you wonder: if fashion is art - subjective, provocative, and personal - why does it so rarely feel that way?

The Irony

The evening’s biggest donor was Jeff Bezos, a man who more than anyone else industrialized the act of buying things. Amazon has become synonymous - and maybe even the architect - of fast consumerism. But billionaires funding art while their businesses quietly contradict it isn’t new. It’s just interesting given the current state of affairs:

• Fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world, after oil and gas.

• Nearly a third of all garments produced are never even sold.

• And yet we’re buying more than ever - faster, cheaper, with less intention. In fact, Americans are buying clothes faster than the economy is growing: 53 new pieces per year, four times more than in 2000.

The Met celebrated fashion as art on the same night it was bankrolled by one of the engines that made it disposable.

When Did Getting Dressed Become a Chore?

Somewhere along the way, fashion stopped feeling like self-expression and started feeling like a problem to solve. Why? A few hypotheses:

• Social media raised the stakes. Instead of developing your own style - one that might draw criticism - it’s easier to copy the mainstream. And fast fashion makes that effortless.

• Women, specifically, are expected to look polished across more settings than ever: work, weekends, events, travel. Building a wardrobe that works across all of it is expensive and exhausting.

• And then there’s the paradox of choice. So many options that developing a point of view feels harder than just borrowing someone else’s.

The answer is probably some combination of all three. The pressure to keep up, the complexity of modern life, the sheer volume of stuff. Regardless of the reason, we’ve lost the plot - fashion is art, but art is subjective. The goal is never to win, it’s to say something.

The Access Paradox

Making fashion cheap and accessible was supposed to democratize self-expression, but it may have done the opposite by flooding us with options that mean nothing. Just look at the dupe economy - is buying a duplicate smart or selling out?

Again, I don’t know the answer, and as with any art form, it’s not black and white. Accessibility matters, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good without spending a fortune. But there’s a tension worth naming: when self-expression is available at scale, is it still self-expression?

Art isn’t meant to be replicated - that’s what makes it art. We’ve built an entire industry around identifying what’s resonant, mass-producing it, and delivering it to your door before the trend even peaks. If everyone is wearing the same thing, nobody is saying anything. Rather than becoming a dynamic conversation, fashion has become an echo chamber.

There is this same tension with building a brand: how can we build something that is accessible without being generic? With SAUV, Margaux and I have our own POV on style, but the whole premise is a wardrobe that moves with you - mix, match, more looks from fewer pieces - without sacrificing the part that feels like you. You’re not limited, but you’re also not forced into someone else’s aesthetic.

POV over Perception

Once a year, we’ll happily share our POV on Met Gala looks but still struggle to do the same when it comes to getting dressed in the morning. Maybe the Met Gala - and the people who attend - just feels inaccessible: out of reach, just like the outfits. But in reality, getting dressed is the most democratic art form there is: you practice it every single day.

You have a point of view - you just need a wardrobe that lets you live in it.

Everyone is obsessed. And I get it, but I’ve also seen the backlash: “just develop your own style,” they say. Well, that’s easier said than done.

Here’s what both camps are missing:

The obsession with CBK isn’t really about CBK. It’s about the fact that women are exhausted, and her aesthetic offers an exit ramp.

Minimalism spikes when money gets tight.

There’s a documented pattern: interest in capsule wardrobes and minimalist dressing rises sharply during economic uncertainty.

Google searches for “capsule wardrobe” hit an all-time high during the 2020 pandemic and have climbed again through 2023–2024 as inflation squeezed discretionary spending.

CBK’s look - a handful of high-quality pieces, worn in rotation, never trend-chasing - is aspirational and achievable. That’s the perfect combination right now.

Getting dressed has become a job.

The average woman makes roughly 35,000 decisions a day, and getting dressed has become one of the more anxiety-laden ones.

A 2023 survey by OnePoll found that women spend an average of 17 minutes deciding what to wear each morning - and nearly half report regularly feeling like they “have nothing to wear” despite owning full closets.

Gen Z women in particular report high levels of appearance-related stress tied directly to social media, where the pressure to be visually consistent, aesthetically intentional, and never repeat an outfit is constant and unspoken.

You are trying to do it all - work hard, stay healthy, see your friends…have hobbies?! - and also look put together and polished every step of the way. Getting dressed shouldn’t require the bandwidth it currently takes.

Why CBK works as a shortcut.

Her wardrobe is essentially a decision tree with four nodes. The appeal isn’t that she looked amazing (she did). It’s that her system was legible. You could reverse-engineer it. Start here, add this, done. That’s the real thing women are craving - not her specific slip dress, but the clarity of a framework.

Which is exactly why my sister and I built SAUV.

Margaux (my sister & co-founder) and I feel this acutely. Margaux is a trained designer who still stands in front of her closet some mornings unable to make a call. I’ve done the capsule wardrobe experiment, the buy-less-buy-better experiment, the “outfit repeater and proud” experiment. None of them fully worked, because they all asked you to sacrifice something - either your flexibility, your self-expression, or your sanity.

SAUV is a different proposition. The base piece is your anchor: timeless, high-quality, fits well, never a regret purchase. The snap-on attachments are where your personality lives: sleeves, layers, and details that you mix and match across that same base. The framework is simple. The range of outcomes is not.

You don’t have to dress like CBK to want what she represented: a system that made her look like herself, every single time, without appearing to try very hard. That’s not a 1990s thing. That’s not a celebrity thing. That’s just what getting dressed should feel like.

We built SAUV because the tradeoff was annoying us. Capsule wardrobes ask you to edit yourself down. Fast fashion asks you to keep up. Neither is actually the answer.

A wardrobe should work as hard as you do - for the Tuesday morning meeting and the Friday night thing and the trip you’re packing for in twenty minutes. Not by having more, but by having pieces that can actually move with you.

For more, check out @sauvbrand for CBK-inspired styling tips for your SAUV Set. And sign up on our website to be notified when we restock.

You’d think this would be a deterrent for new brands. Instead, my TikTok feed is filled with more and more people starting their own company in the CPG (consumer packaged goods) space - especially women.

Why?

In a world where customer acquisition is increasingly expensive and unreliable, community isn’t a nice-to-have - it’s the most scalable acquisition and retention strategy. And for female founders, this shift is a huge opportunity: the skills that build trust, belonging, and authentic brand relationships are now the skills that drive growth.

But this isn’t just a shift in how brands grow - it’s also a story about how we buy. As paid acquisition gets harder, the value of a brand shifts from reach to resonance. And as consumers, we’re not just buying products, we’re buying into identities and the worlds brands create.

I’m not just writing this as a founder, but ultimately as a consumer who, like the rest of Gen Z, wants to find meaning in how I shop - to feel like what I buy reflects who I am, not just what I was targeted with. So, if the algorithm isn’t working, what is?

Community is the new growth engine…

As a brand owner focused on marketing in 2026, I keep seeing the same signal everywhere: Gen Z (SAUV’s target demographic) doesn’t just buy products, they buy proximity. They want to feel close to the brands they support.

That’s why brands are building third spaces on purpose. Just look at Coach’s new coffee shop and the Oddli Club. Even TikTok, arguably the most powerful customer acquisition channel right now, rewards this exact behavior. The brands that win aren’t the ones with the prettiest ads. They’re the ones that show up like humans with authenticity and transparency. It goes to show that Gen Z is craving more personal, authentic touch points to connect with a brand, AND they’re willing to invest in the brands that deliver.

None of this is new, and I won’t write an article about it because so many great ones already exist (a few favorites below):

• Link in Bio: “the future of social looks like intimacy at scale”

• Gen Z Broke the Marketing Funnel

“What distinguishes Gen Z marketing from strategies targeting previous generations isn’t just their digital nativity—it’s their fundamental desire for connection, community, and authentic brand relationships.” (link)

The gist: community isn’t a vibe, it’s a business model.

When customers feel part of the community, they are loyal. For those of you who don’t own a brand, let me explain why customer loyalty is possibly the #1 most important thing to cultivate:

• At the end of the day, a brand’s job is to sell.

• In order to sell, you need customers (duh, but stick with me).

• But you don’t want a new customer every time. Acquiring a customer is expensive ($100 - $150 per customer for emerging brands), and not fool-proof: often you can throw thousands at paid marketing and have nothing to show for it.

  Note: This all became more expensive after iOS 14. Previously, a brand could access granular tracking data that allowed them to pinpoint exactly which customer fit their target demographic. Apple’s ios 14 update and the introduction of App Tracking Transparency (ATT) limited the ability to track this data. What was once done with surgical precision is now closer to throwing spaghetti at the wall.

• You know what’s not expensive (instead: free)? An existing customer. That’s why brands obsess over repeat purchase rates and customer lifetime value (LTV) - the higher, the better.

• And loyal customers don’t just buy. They become your best marketing channel: word of mouth, content, referrals, community hype.

• Hence, building a very loyal customer base is critical to a strong brand. The more loyal your customers, the more reliable your sales - even customers becoming sales engines themselves by raving about your brand!

So, anyway, now you get it: customer loyalty is paramount. But this isn’t the age of mom & pop shops that become local institutions; brands need to cultivate loyalty at scale across multiple platforms and spaces. This, paired with Gen Z’s craving for third spaces and interpersonal connection (pandemic + social media = lonely), makes community-building a foundational pillar of any brand’s marketing strategy.

…and women are built for it.

Here’s what’s most interesting: If community is the new growth engine, then the brands that win won’t necessarily be the ones with the biggest budgets; they’ll be the ones who can build trust the fastest, and keep it the longest.

And that creates a huge opportunity for female founders.

Not because women are “better” at business. But because this era rewards a set of skills that women have historically been encouraged - and expected - to practice:

• relationship-building

• emotional intelligence

• social maintenance

• storytelling

• creating spaces where people feel seen

We can even go way back to the cave (wo)man days, when women were gathering - not just berries, etc. but gathering: people, information, building social networks, maintaining alliances, and spilling tea (it’s evolutionary, I don’t make the rules).

But you don’t even need to go that far back to see it. Women have always been the backbone of community infrastructure: organizing social movements, leading religious and charitable groups, building neighborhoods, planning gatherings, keeping friendships alive. Even today, the “your husband’s friends are just your friend’s husbands” is funny because it’s true: women tend to make and rely on larger, more intimate social networks (i.e. friends) more than men.

What was once just a personality trait is, in 2026, a competitive advantage.

And we’re already watching it happen.

Look at the creator economy: women dominate it. Depending on the platform and category, estimates often put women at 70–80% of influencers. That’s not a coincidence; it reflects who’s historically been more comfortable building relationships in public.

And then look at modern breakout brands, especially in CPG and beauty: Poppi, Rhode, Hero Cosmetics (to name a few).

Gen Z is craving authenticity - the one thing you can’t fake. Community-building has to come naturally or at least feel like a genuine effort.

And even I struggle to put myself out there. Posting on TikTok is not intuitive. It can feel cringey, even performative. But it’s like a muscle: the more you do it, the better you get. And the returns are real. Customers want to see what, how and why you’re building.

73% of TikTok users say they discovered new products on TikTok that they hadn’t seen elsewhere.

Why this matters even more in an unequal funding landscape.

The funding landscape still isn’t equal, which is exactly why community-led growth is especially powerful for women founders.

While 71% of women now own stock market investments, they still control a smaller share of investable assets and begin investing later. At a high level, less than 5% of VC partners are women while VCs control a significant capital in the startup ecosystem.

Women start brands at record rates, but still receive a disproportionately small share of venture capital. And CPG is already hard to fund because margins, inventory, and paid acquisition can be brutal, especially post-iOS14.

So community is not only marketing, but leverage. If you can build a loyal customer base, you can:

• drive repeat purchases without paying for every conversion

• launch new products with built-in demand

• turn customers into distribution

• grow with less capital than your competitors

In a world where money can’t buy trust and targeting isn’t guaranteed, community is the advantage. It’s how female founders beat the odds, and it’s a signal investors should take seriously. Because as growth shifts from spend to connection, women founders have a real opportunity to lead.

My Biggest Takeaway

If you weren’t already sold on posting TikToks, maybe you’re rethinking it - I certainly needed the convincing. But the more I “build in public,” the more I realize that it has less to do with marketing, and more about what we reward, as consumers, with our attention and dollars.

When I started SAUV with Margaux, I knew it was her dream: go to fashion school, become a designer, start a clothing line. At first, I worried it wasn’t mine. Sure, the sustainability piece mattered to me, but did I actually care about building a brand?

The more I learn about fashion and CPG, the more conviction I have that building a brand can mean something - especially right now. In 2026, brands don’t win by being everywhere. They win by meaning something.

And community is what gives a brand meaning. It turns a purchase into a signal - not just a transaction. Not “I bought this,” but “this feels like me.” It gives people a way to express taste, values, identity.

Not everyone travels. Not everyone drinks coffee. But everyone gets dressed. And what we choose to wear says more than we think.

In April, I quit my full-time job to work on SAUV - an exciting move that unfortunately did nothing to lower my New York rent.

So while I bought back time for SAUV, I also took on a part-time role at Hampton. While working there, we developed something called 5% moments: reflecting on the top and bottom 5% experiences of your life - the highs and lows that explain how you ended up where you are.

After using the exercise everywhere from leadership sessions to a wedding toast (a bold choice, in hindsight), it felt like the right way to look back on the last two years of building SAUV.

Looking back, the highs and lows were almost always intertwined. Building SAUV has meant learning on the fly, breaking into a notoriously insular industry, and long-distance co-working. It’s every bit exhausting as it is a privilege.

Margaux and I have cried, laughed, pushed our bodies too far, and taken advantage of all the luxuries of working with your sister, including turning “work trips” into vacations.

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. And it was exactly what we needed to get here: sold out, 75% of the way to our fundraising goal, and set up for a year full of more 5% moments.

What these pictures don’t show are all of the moments in between with the people who have supported us non-stop. We’re going into 2026 feeling immensely grateful, energized and excited to show off what the past two years have been leading up to…

…And did we do this to ourselves?

It turns out that the answer is complicated. Younger generations are struggling to save, but rather than being self-inflicted (one-too-many iced lattes), structural forces are at play. At the same time, our financial stress is amplified by cultural factors unique to Gen Z.

Informed by my journey from student (with loans), to teacher, to consultant, to founder, let’s explore why we’re feeling this way.

The Myth: We’re Just “Bad” with Money

We’ve all seen a headline along these^ lines. More recently, it was the New York Magazine article about NY adults being subsidized by their parents (full transparency, I didn’t get behind the paywall - my parents wouldn’t pay for it). Either way, there’s been ongoing discussion about how younger generations spend their money. And the general consensus is: we’re not spending it right.

But is that true?

The Evidence: It’s Not You, It’s (the Econo)Me

To put it simply: no. Yes, younger generations are financially stressed, with little in savings or emergency funds, BUT most of that pressure is structural - not the result of reckless spending. Two quick indicators demonstrate the nuance:

• Credit where it’s due - Gen Z carries the highest personal debt but the lowest credit card debt. If overspending were the issue, we’d expect the opposite. Instead, their debt is driven by one of those pesky structural pressures: education - investment-oriented, not consumption-driven.

  • Note: the highest credit card debt is among Gen X, likely because they’re sandwiched between supporting their children and their aging parents. So maybe your Gen X parents are paying your rent…but is that your problem?

• Failure to launch - More young adults are living with their parents today than a decade ago - not because they’re overspending but because housing has become less affordable. This trend suggests younger generations are scaling back their lifestyles in response to economic pressures, not living above their means.

I won’t dwell on the “structural forces” - they’re pretty obvious by now. Student loans, flat wages + high grocery prices, and a shaky job market (especially for young people)…I’ll stop myself before I conjure a politician. But the bottom line is that Gen Z isn’t recklessly spending; our money just isn’t taking us as far.

The Cultural Forces: Why We Feel Especially Broke

And yet, if my peers are under the same structural pressures, why are we all wondering how to keep up with one another? The economy may make it an uphill battle, but is financial stability really at the top? There are cultural forces that shape how we experience money - how we spend it, think about it, and stress over it - which are impacting how we interpret our bank accounts:

• Experiences over life events. The biggest purchase on your credit card is probably a plane ticket, not a down payment - driven by a shift in values, not recklessness. With housing and living costs outpacing wages, we invest in memories we can actually afford rather than milestones that feel impossible. But when fulfillment depends on how much we experience, not just what we own, every weekend, trip, or social plan can feel like a referendum on how well we’re living. Even if we’re not overspending, the constant reminder of what’s out of reach keeps financial stress alive in new forms.

• Social media & FOMO. It wouldn’t be a true Gen Z autopsy without mentioning social media. Constant marketing and influencer culture feed the idea that we’re always one purchase away from happiness and the visibility of “success” makes us feel behind. And this felt obvious, but I hadn’t seen it rooted in evidence - until now. We may not be living above our means, but we’re certainly scrolling above them.

• Lack of financial literacy. Most of us never learned how to manage money - not in school, not at home. I felt especially behind, as I went from student to teacher to consultant, and without that foundation, we’re left to figure it out on the fly, juggling debt, inflation, and social media-fueled pressure.

Anecdotal Evidence: Financial FOMO as a Founder

When SAUV began, Margaux and I were both working full-time jobs (40-50 hour weeks). SAUV became our late-night and weekend work until that pace became impossible. So we scaled back to part-time jobs, working 20–30 hours a week to pay the bills and spending the rest of our time (and sometimes still late nights and weekends) building SAUV.

Lately, I’ve been feeling the “pressure to keep up” in a few different ways:

• Fundraising for SAUV: As we fundraise for SAUV’s next round, investors keep asking the same question: “When are you going full-time?” Building a high-end apparel brand requires a lot of upfront investment, which pushes paying ourselves to low on the list (and, I know, everyone says not to do that). Therefore, going full-time would require dipping into my personal savings - of which I have little as a former teacher (and NY resident) - raising the personal financial risk of building this business.

• “Wealth Mindset:” I’ve heard many successful founders encourage “living in a wealth mindset.” I get the sentiment - act like you’ve already made it - but it’s hard to feel abundant when you’re choosing between groceries and fabric samples. So, is this actually practical advice?

• New York fashion + personal brand: Being in fashion, and in New York no less, adds another layer of financial theater. It feels like the unspoken rule is that being taken seriously requires “looking the part.” In an industry built on appearances, keeping up with my peers isn’t about status - it’s about credibility. And as I “build in public,” there’s even more pressure to keep up appearances.

While I’ve shuffled around my budget - cancelling my gym membership, eating out less, wearing SAUV every day - I still struggle with the constant pressure to “keep up.” This Reddit post accurately sums it up:

The other reality is that none of this would be possible without my personal safety net: parents who would (and do) help out with emergency needs and a fiancé with a stable income. I’m confident that SAUV will succeed and this investment will pay off, but it’s easier to bet on yourself when someone else is helping cover the rent.

The End: a High Note

The good news is that all of these factors are coinciding with other cultural shifts and innovations that will help younger generations address these obstacles.

We’re finally talking about it.

Money used to be the ultimate off-limits topic, but that’s changing fast. About 65% of people say they want to have more open conversations about money — and younger generations are leading the charge. Gen Z (42%) and Millennials (37%) are twice as likely to talk about finances as Gen X (23%) or Boomers (21%). Conversations that used to feel uncomfortable now feel empowering — a sign that we’re reframing financial talk as community, not comparison.

Groups like Girl Math Capital and others are helping make that shift, especially for women, who historically took a back seat when it came to discussing - and participating - in wealth-building.

The newest self-care hack: financial wellness.

More than half of Americans (58%) now see money management as part of their overall self-care routine, and it’s actually working. About 36% report feeling less financial anxiety after starting a money routine, and 41% say budgeting has done the most to improve their relationship with money. Another 44% say aligning spending with their personal values has simplified decision-making and boosted peace of mind. It’s a rebrand of “responsibility” into something that feels good, not guilt-driven.

SAUV, obviously.

Ok, not just SAUV. But new ideas and communities like SAUV that are reframing what “keeping up” looks like. With SAUV, it’s about offering women creative freedom with their wardrobes without spending their entire paycheck. Buy one shirt - with an amazing fit, I might add - that you can mix and match with different sleeves - embracing trends and styling for any occasion, without overhauling your closet each season.

Just as Margaux and I are doing with SAUV, Gen Z is redefining success on our own terms, building brands and tools that reflect not just how we spend, but what we value. It’s not that the pressure has disappeared - but we’re learning how to face it differently: with more honesty, creativity, and collaboration.

So, structural forces may limit how far our money goes, but culturally, we need to push back on unproductive definitions of spending, saving and succeeding. Hopefully, this article offers a bit more honesty around the real (and somewhat imagined) pressures of being a young person in a big city, trying to make the most of their money.

Before I share my thoughts on why (a) they’re happening and (b) they’re connected, let’s break down what they actually are.

The “He”cession

I turned to my fiancé the other night and asked:

“Do you think we’re going to have a recession?”

Just ~small business owner~ thoughts before bed!

It seems like we - the collective, American “we” - have pondered this a lot over the last few years. Will they, won’t they? Will people stop spending, hiring, borrowing…or has Klarna made it too easy to keep up our spending habits?

The next morning, Morning Brew told me the economy was “just fine” (phew!). In fact, the overall unemployment rate was a respectable 4.3% in August. To put that into perspective, that means about 96 out of every 100 people who want a job have one - a level that economists generally call ‘full employment’.

That is, if you’re not a young man. For young men aged 20 to 24, unemployment was 9.9%, which is near recession levels. This is especially true for recent college graduates. And to put that figure into perspective, while the gap is starting to close, that was - at one point - nearly double the comparable figures for women in July 2025.

There are conflicting percentages available online, so I made this graph using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

So, what’s up with this? A couple of theories include:

• The nature of male-oriented jobs: Women have historically concentrated in care and service sectors, which - though lower paying - tend to be more recession-resistant.

• AI and industrial shifts: AI advances and industrial shifts are eliminating entry-level roles while hiring freezes reflect uncertainty about future workforce needs. And employers increasingly seek workforce-ready skills like critical thinking, leadership, communication, and adaptability.

• Young men are lagging behind: Young men today face a transformed labor market and lag behind in training aligned with modern workforce demands.

The unemployment gap between men and women is starting to narrow, and some people claim this could be a bit of a “canary in a coal mine” - if even college-educated men can’t find jobs, is the worst yet to come?! But, it does seem to be more than that. Before I share my own theories, let’s explore a very different trend…

Girl Boss 2.0

Before starting SAUV, I didn’t have a TikTok. Instagram reels gave me enough stimulation, even if it was usually several months late.

But I’m now on the app for one reason, and one reason only: to build my brand. And TikTok knows it. That’s why my algorithm feeds me founder after founder talking about “building in public,” as they say.

I came across one video, in particular, that inspired this deep dive. A millennial woman shared an anecdote from an executive coach who is seeing an uptick in young women (Gen Z) coming to her, distraught over starting their business. When she (the millennial) started her company, it was all about the “hustle” - no one romanticized being a founder. But Gen Z founders are finding out it’s actually hard. It’s not all influencer events and lifestyle TikToks. She called this: Girl Boss 2.0.

While I’m sure there are women who start a matcha company because they have money, time, and a large enough instagram following - and let’s be honest, the “founder” aesthetic has become its own trend - I was frustrated by this indictment on my generation of female founders (but not shaming this woman in particular - she seems genuinely interested in whether or not this is true).

So I did some fact-checking, and here’s what I found:

• Female entrepreneurship is rising. In 2024, female entrepreneurs started 49% of all new businesses, a 69% increase from 2019, and the highest rate in the past five years.

• Gen Z is a big part of this shift. In 2024, Millennial and Gen Z women drove most of the new business growth among founders - signaling a sustained shift in U.S. entrepreneurship demographics.

• Many women-led businesses rely on personal connections for funding. This signals a shift toward “less traditional” startups built on community trust rather than institutional capital, leaving women more exposed to personal financial risk.

Given my own experience, and what I’ve learned from and admired about female founders of my generation, I refuse to believe we’re all trying to create lifestyle brands so we can go viral on TikTok and get free shit (…although who doesn’t love free stuff?!).

So, why is this happening?

• Higher education and workforce experience: Most people start businesses in their 30s and early 40s, after gaining experience and skills. Gen Z women have the highest education and labor force participation compared to earlier generations. These gains are fueling more women-led entrepreneurship today.

• Career autonomy: In 2024, nearly three-fourths of female founders cited wanting to set their own schedules, and 62% wanted to be their own boss. Women were also more likely than men to prioritize personal and community goals - two-thirds cited flexibility, compared to 49% of men. While financial goals remain important, most women view entrepreneurship as a path to both independence and financial security.

And, since I feel like I can speak with more authority on this subject, here are a few of my own theories:

• We’ve got big wallets and even bigger dreams. As women gain greater economic power, Gen Z founders are seizing opportunities in markets historically shaped by male perspectives. Many see gaps in products and services designed for women - everything from wellness to finance - and are building businesses that better reflect their own needs and experiences. This shift is redefining industries and expanding the scope of women-led innovation.

• We’re building careers to fit our lives, not the other way around. With labor force participation among mothers of young children down nearly three percentage points since January, it’s clear that traditional workplaces still make it hard to balance career and family. Many women are turning to entrepreneurship not just to “be their own boss,” but to design work on their own terms, creating financial stability and flexibility that better support their lives.

• “Risk-conscious” doesn’t apply to sharing intimate details about our lives on the internet. Social media and digital platforms have made it easier for women to test ideas, build communities, and validate demand before launching. From pre-orders to made-to-order models, these tools allow women - who are often more risk-conscious - to build momentum and financial stability before taking the full leap into business ownership. In short, the internet is helping women de-risk entrepreneurship.

Let’s take a company that’s always on my feed, for example: Good Girl Snacks

✔️Two young, recent college graduates

✔️Gave a traditional product a “face lift” (catering to young female consumers)

✔️Built a strong community and following to validate demand

Why both, why now?

I’ve given myself authority to speak on these two subjects for two reasons (both of which have certainly biased me):

1. I have three younger brothers, one of which is 23 and actively looking for a job.

2. I’m a female founder who has worked across the public and private sector prior to SAUV.

And as a sister and business owner, here’s my take: the “He-cession” and “Girl Boss 2.0” are not isolated stories; they are two sides of the same structural shift.

• Girls are going to college to get more knowledge…etc. etc. Women now outpace men in earning college degrees and graduate-level credentials, but that doesn’t mean every diploma guarantees a job, especially for young men. Many college-educated men are struggling as entry-level roles vanish, while women are using their credentials to build stability, networks, and new businesses of their own.

• Turns out AI actually can’t be your therapist. As automation reshapes male-dominated industries (finance, tech, etc.), the rise of human-centered work (teaching, therapy, design) is boosting women’s employment and entrepreneurship while leaving young men struggling to keep pace.

• Poured ourselves a cup of ambition (& new way of working). Traditional 9-to-5 structures still assume a male breadwinner and invisible caregiver, a model that no longer fits modern women’s lives. Many—especially mothers—are leaving rigid workplaces to build work that works for them. While some men exit the labor force for lack of opportunity, women are leaving it to create their own.

• Social butterflies are the new savants. Social media lets women test, build, and sell before taking big risks - turning community trust into capital and making it easier than ever to start a business on their own terms. While this is not to say men can’t or don’t monetize social media, the internet has democratized access to entrepreneurship for women - particularly those who might not have access to traditional funding networks.

So, IMHO: the “He-cession” and Girl Boss 2.0 aren’t opposite forces - they’re symptoms of the same transformation. We’re watching a gendered realignment of the labor market:

• Men are losing ground in traditional employment models that no longer match their skills or expectations.

• Women are gaining ground through reinvention, leveraging education, digital tools, and social capital to build new forms of work.

In other words: men are struggling in a changing economy while women are building the new one.

But what does this mean?!

I honestly have no idea. I felt like these were two interesting trends that I read about separately and didn’t see anyone discussing if (and how) they were connected.

On one hand, I’m excited about this trend for women: we’re taking control of our destinies, proving that you can reinvent the workplace, and developing products and services that improve our lives.

On the other hand, I worry about what this means for my brothers, and boys in general. Will this further divide men and women, as one succeeds and the other stumbles?

And let’s make one thing clear: this is not about women being “better” than men. This is a historical moment that reflects gendered responses to a changing world - take a snapshot of any other moment in history, and one could argue that men are more successful than women (or just google: list of world leaders).

So I guess you can draw your own conclusions about what this means - or wait and see - but one thing’s for sure: Women are proving what’s possible when you build your own blueprint, and maybe that’s the lesson for everyone.

So it’s not about figuring out what to buy and toss without feeling guilty. Waste is waste, even when it’s “cheap.” But I’m also not swearing off fast fashion (yet) or building a minimalist wardrobe; while basic pieces lay the foundation, I believe we can still incorporate fun and funky accents that make getting dressed exciting.

IMHO: we don’t have to give up on trends—just be smart about them.

Guilt-free

Hair accessories.

You can never have enough claw clips - one in each purse, drawer and pocket. They come in all shapes and sizes, rarely exceed $50, and never go out of style. The same with scarves, scrunchies and other hair accessories: small and inexpensive, meaning you can experiment with minimal financial risk and stuff them in a drawer until a trend comes back around. Plus, they instantly make a basic outfit feel current without committing to a whole trend cycle.

Just don’t bulk-order the $9.99-for-10 pack on Amazon (guilty). Spend the extra ~$10 for one that won’t snap under the weight of your hair or slide out as soon as you start dancing.

Colors.

This summer it was butter yellow, in 2022 it was hot pink. Would I convert your entire wardrobe to fuchsia? No. But there’s no harm in embracing a color when it has its moment. Even if the shade disappears from your Pinterest board, your Maje dress will still feel feminine, breathable, and perfect for future sunset dinners.

Proceed with caution

Shoes.

I’d never recommend $500 mesh flats—not because they’ll hit the landfill (nice shoes usually don’t) but because this financial decision will haunt you every time you open your closet.

When it comes to shoes, you’re balancing cost v. comfort v. context. If you’re dropping $500 on sneakers, they better be walking shoes. On the other hand, being able to endure your go-to wedding heels until everyone’s on the dance floor is enough. So when it comes to buying shoes, you should ask yourself:

• Will I wear these all the time? If yes, opt for comfort.

• Will these ever go out of style? If yes, don’t spend a fortune.

Jewelry.

Having dug through my mom’s old jewelry, I can say in good conscience that buying a fun, chunky necklace is a sound investment—if not for you, for your future daughter.

But price matters. Normally, I advocate for investing in high-quality jewelry: you don’t have to worry about taking it off when you’re swimming, exercising, etc. (and losing it in the process) BUT gold ain’t cheap. If you’re looking for something low-cost, go for the cheap stone necklace or beaded bracelet. Odds are that this isn’t a functional piece - you’re wearing it out to dinner, not the beach - so you can keep it in pretty good condition.

So when you want to spice up an everyday outfit, don’t fall for the overpriced statement piece—go thrifting and give new life to someone’s old costume jewelry.

Handbags.

As with everything, handbags require balance: the three C’s.

• Cocktail: a Gucci purse ($1,550) for weddings

• Casual: a coach purse ($300) for running errands.

• Can-survive-tequila-soda: shiny ZARA shoulder bag ($60) for going out

No matter how many handbags you have, make sure you’re striking the right balance or else you’ll feel like you never have the right purse for the occasion.

Put the credit card down

Nice dresses.

According to my mom, only one can be showing: boobs, butt, belly button. Difficult to follow now that everything is see-through or cut-out. And of course, the other universal truth: you only find a great dress when you’re not looking. Thus, the eternal struggle.

So when you find the perfect dress - and need to drop >$300 on it - make sure it’s timeless. And that you love how it looks on you, not the hanger. Often a ZARA dress is stunning online but makes me look like I churn butter in person. So don’t fall for cheap or trendy: invest in a dress that will last as long as your wedding circuit.

Pants.

The verdict is in: you’re not long enough to pull off capris. Unless you’re over 5'10” and all legs, you’re going to end up looking like Bilbo Baggins. Myself included. Without a scarf around your neck and a cigarette in your hand, they won’t ever fit the “vibe.” So instead of convincing yourself that these will be perfect for your unplanned European vacation, save yourself the money and high-quality, ivory jeans that will go just as well with your aperol spritz. They’ll last you - and make your legs look - a lot longer.

Obviously this doesn’t cover all the categories: baby tees, tiny sunglasses, oversized jackets…but this is how I think about being a “high-low shopper:” when, if ever, it’s appropriate to splurge or save on pieces that make me excited about my wardrobe.

But always ask yourself: “do I actually like this, or did I like how it looked on Kendall Jenner?”

All you need to know (to get started)

It’s pronounced “yook” like “book.” Yook-see.

And “sauv” like the wine.

Everything else

I co-founded SAUV with my sister — a modular, sustainable fashion brand where you can buy one thing and wear it a million different ways. It’s my first company and my first time trying to make money in fashion, instead spending all of it.

Before…

I was a 10th grade world history teacher. During COVID. To date, much harder than running a company (stay tuned).

Then a strategy consultant in the climate space. Very behind the scenes and unglamorous—as sexy as decarbonizing maritime shipping sounds.

I’ve always cared about the planet, and climate change gives me existential stress. I also love to shop. A lot. Among other, climate-unfriendly habits (what can I say, it’s so easy to get from NY to Europe!). Quite the contradiction.

Enter SAUV.

SAUV is my attempt to reconcile the two: expressing myself through style while protecting the planet. To make clothes that don’t end up in a landfill after three wears but still give you the fun of playing with trends. And to not make poor financial decisions just to keep up with them.

I’m not building a capsule wardrobe, and I never will. Sorry.

And I started it with my sister—the technical, fashion expert—so I’m not doing it alone. I’m doing it with my best friend.

What this is

• Experience as a 20-something founder

• Finding balance between style and sustainability (and financial security)

• Candor around caring about the climate while keeping up with my peers (currently haunted by this summer’s co2 emissions)

What this isn’t

• “What B2B sales taught me about planning a wedding”

• Hating on fast fashion and anyone who buys it

• Unattainable ways to be a conscious consumer

See ya on the flip.