After reading an article in Vogue ("In the Bag" by Felicity Loughrey - Jan 09) about the impact of young single woman on the economy, I had a revelation! Everything she was saying made so much sense to me and I loved it. Woman are no longer just earning as much as males their age but in some cases more. To see a woman as a leader of a company in future will no longer be a novelty and in Australia, more young woman are buying houses in their twenties than their male counterparts. It seems that with this new Independence is coming power. Power to SPEND!!! Can young single woman save the economy?
The short answer is never as short as you hope. But all the evidence suggests that they are. Walking down any trend shopping streets in major cities such as Melbourne, New York and London you will see that most shops, cafes, bars and boutiques are aimed at young women. With their 'cute' art deco designs, dimly lit store fronts with sparkly chandeliers and beautiful decorations they attract some pretty cashed up woman. Not only that, their products gently whisper 'buy me, I'd look great on you' with their luxurious fabrics and quality manufacturing and you're sold.
It's great to be able to see that woman are able to do that now without having to make a phone call and consult the 'other half'. It's also the case that most of the stores, store designs and clothing is probably owned or made by women!
Getting closer to 2010, women are no longer 'getting jobs'. They're having careers. 20 or 30 years ago this would have been unheard of, with the average age for women to get married being 23. But now with the wages for women having risen to the same as men's, woman are now taking over the work place and slowly out-doing the men. The current average marriage age is now between 28 and 32 and rising, with some woman waiting up to 15 years after finishing university to have kids, if they even have them at all.
The modern world is becoming more busy woman friendly too, with late night gyms, after work yoga, pilates and dance classes, retail shops staying open later and niche bars being open during the week as well as weekend (Not to mention 'Ladies Night's'). Its almost as if the recession isn't happening!
Knowledge is definitely power in this world. With more woman now graduating university than men and with the new stage of life they have between uni and kids, there is a new consumer in the economic market. Bags, shoes, lingerie, magazines and that's not all. With the rise of strong smart women who are earning more and more as time goes on, there will be a greater demand for quality items and services and with that demand will come jobs, in turn creating more opportunities for other woman letting the economy grow even more.
In Australia we are lucky enough to be given a little present by Mister Kevin Rudd, a lovely little multi-billion dollar stimulus package. What will you spend it on? ($950 can buy some pretty sweet kicks!) I am definitely an advocate of spending that money on Australia, so here are a few companies who are Australian owned that you may consider spending that little ditty on to help stimulate the economy.
A favorite of mine would have to be Cue. Not only is it Australia owned, but they still make their clothes in Australia too! Why not pick up a pair of shoes and a dress for your job interview at that big corporation and impress them with your cunning sense of style and sensitivity of the economy? Or, you could get Foxtel installed, as they have their customer services center in Melbourne and give jobs to university students, who - with the majority of current university students going hungry - might be good to go with. Help feed Australia's rising talent! There is also tonnes of shops that sell hand made items and the money goes to, you guessed it, Australians. Little companies like Sew Your Own and Meet Me at Mikes that are owned by independent women who have gone into a niche market and come out on top, with stores all over Australia and the US selling their products as well as having websites to make their products available to those who are out of reach.
Being one of these woman would be great. I myself am attempting to start my own clothing label for dog lovers (coming soon). So next time you have an idea, don't just throw it away or shrug it off. Write it down. Think about it. Come up with a business plan. Do that uni course! You could be the next Sportsgirl or HomeDepo! All it takes is drive and passion. You need to focus and be motivated too. Nothing good comes easy. Or if that's not your thing, next time you're shopping, opt for something Australian owned and made. Though it might cost more, it will be worth it in the end. And who doesn't want the good karma?
I am so glad to have been born in such an age of transformation, where woman and men are equal, there can be female CEO's and one day, Prime Ministers and Presidents. We have the power to rule the world if we put our minds to it. So don't you dare put down those shoes when your partner/husband/boyfriend sighs and says "do you REALLY need them?". Say "YES I DO!" Because quite simply, its your money, and we are the future!
Power to you ladies in everything you do.
xo-xo
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