Walking in Heels with Bianca de la Garza

Walking in Heels

The Pursuit of Humanity written by: Bianca de la Garza

Bianca is an EMMY nominated, award-winning journalist who was the first woman in late night television. The founder of a vegan skincare line known for shaking up traditional narratives about beauty. A proud mom and Latina can be found speaking around the globe on topics from media to entrepreneurship. Follow her on instagram / @biancadelagarzaoffical and twitter @BiancaDLGarza

Less is more. The concept may seem strange, especially in November. A month where gorging on turkey and collapsing on the couch pretty much symbolizes a national holiday. But stepping back and taking a close look at ourselves and current world events, the concept proves wise.

To embrace less, first, we must understand it. Scaling back gives you immense power. The moment you ditch the baggage, you are liberated. Feeling that freedom will make you realize abandoning the belief that bigger is better makes a lot of sense in our world. For some, less is scary. It conjures up fears around losing one’s identity or stature. If we have less, do we appear less to others? No, less does not equate to meaning less. Think of less as effortless. The Oxford Dictionary defines effortless as a state “achieved with admirable ease.”

Coco Chanel suggested, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” Understated is a winning strategy. Maybe this is why we’re seeing Kate Middleton rocking dresses from ten years ago at recent royal events and looking amazing. London-based Tricia Topping, an expert in luxury PR and marketing, says downsizing is the new standard in luxury, “Kate is someone known for wearing the right thing at the right time. She was proud to wear that dress from 2011.” Style is not always loud. Wearing your confidence, not things, will get you noticed. A few years back, I founded a skincare line. The tag line was “less is more and you are enough.” I knew it was counterintuitive. What beauty company actually tells you to buy fewer products? I did because I felt so strongly, and still do, that true beauty lives inside of us. Getting comfortable in our skin means we are not relying on the external to determine our own self-worth.

When it comes to getting products, currently, we have no real control over the matter. Delays in the supply chain are having crippling effects on consumer goods globally. Reports of gas and food shortages and rising prices are real concerns. Yet, news of a toy shortage also sparks panic for some who fear their non-essential items won’t make it under the tree. Clearly, when less is not our own choice, pain usually follows. But if we make it a conscious choice, we change the script. It’s not as hard as you think. During the pandemic, we got by with less. The world hit pause, and we had fewer places to go, fewer people to see. It was then we realized how much simple things meant. We craved connection, and now that we are back together, how quickly is that pendulum swinging back? Before it does, I ask, can we hold off on having it all again? So when the media happens to show empty store shelves, our first reaction will not be fear. The hoarding will not commence. For Topping, her affluent clients are deliberately choosing and enjoying less consumption in many categories, “In China, I see homes with one good piece of art. As our properties get smaller, which is what’s going to happen everywhere, and as our children won’t be able to afford such big houses, we will all appreciate the craftsmanship and want less.”

No matter the bank account balance, when we collectively choose the “less is more” mentality, we change the paradigm. The world can be complicated at the moment, but we don’t have to take on its problems to solve. No, that’s one less thing we need on our plate. Leave more room for turkey and the fixings. Isn’t that the tradition we really feed off of and fill up with? The nourishment comes from being with family and friends, simply gathering, content with what we have. This holiday season, let’s start by giving thanks for less and all it affords us.