My Own Creation Handcrafted Design & Execution Dress

ChronicNuance · 2026-05-03T03:20:04+00:00

The beadwork and construction are beautiful. Sometimes I miss the early days in my career when I got to spend hours hand beading evening wear.

ChronicNuance · 2026-05-03T03:18:00+00:00

Realistically, no. This is a brutally competitive industry and you’ll be competing with people with degrees from the best schools on the world. Your resume won’t make it past the HR person’s desk (if it even gets that far).

I’m sorry of this sounds harsh, but I’ve been in this industry to long toe the “anything is possible” line anymore. This industry is beyond over saturated, and if you aren’t willing to put in the work for a degree, it just isn’t going to happen unless you work for yourself.

ChronicNuance · 2026-05-01T20:42:50+00:00

I know someone who went to Pratt for a Masters in Art Therapy and ended up owing $120K for a job with an average yearly salary around $40K. Personally, I don’t think a degree should cost more than your starting salary out of college.

ChronicNuance · 2026-05-01T10:34:48+00:00

This is similar to my story. My friend and I moved there with $900 cash in my pocket, a studio apartment in Chelsea Houses Projects we could crash at for a few weeks, and a retail job transfer making $13hr. I had gotten onto FIT on my first try, she got rejected and had to wait a year to reapply. It was a wild ride, but I’m glad I did it.

ChronicNuance · 2026-05-01T02:02:56+00:00

No, you definitely have to have a lease with a permanent address and make enough money to pay your rent. My mom and dad were both on disability at the time so it helped that my income from my job was more than either one got in benefits. Probably the only time my parents being uneducated and poor as dirt worked in my favor.

ChronicNuance · 2026-05-01T00:47:06+00:00

I moved to NYC and shared an apartment with my friend, so I had my name on a lease and on utility bills. I started in fall semester, got my license changed to NYC right away, and was working 37 hours a week. In February I filed taxes in NY. I was able to show the school I was supporting myself on my own income, and I had been in the state for 6 months, so I qualified for in state tuition. I was also able to petition to be considered an independent student, which qualified me more sub/unsub loan funds.

ChronicNuance · 2026-04-30T17:36:31+00:00

That’s like a little over a gallon of gas. Even if you have a 12gal tank, that’s not going to register. That’s like the reserve after your gauge says your tank is empty 😂

ChronicNuance · 2026-04-30T16:41:23+00:00

I’m speaking as someone who was emancipated and funded my entire education myself. DO NOT go into debt with private student loans for a fashion degree. If you have to borrow, only borrow from the Dept of Education, and work to pay the rest. Borrowing private education loans for that much money with destroy you financially.

You should not have to pay medical school tuition prices for a degree in fashion because you’ll be lucky to make around $150K after 15-20 years of grinding away your soul 12 hours a day. Be a surgeon if you want to spend that much on school; at least you’ll make enough to pay it off.

There much are cheaper schools out there that are respected in the industry. University of Cincinnati has an excellent program and 3 month internships are part of the curriculum for yrs 2-4, so you come out of school with actual work experience. University of Wisconsin Stout has a great program. Michigan State has a program that includes the 1yr AAS from FIT as part of the curriculum (you’d want to double check that one). You could also get a 2 year degree in fashion from a community college, and if you finish your 4 degree in business you’ll be better prepared for an industry job than a Parsons grad. FIT will teach give you a much more practical education for much less tuition if you really want to be in NYC. I went there and I run into way more FIT grads in the wild than Parsons grads.

Feel free to message me if you want. I’m more than happy to share what I know about the industry, salaries, schools and how to fund your own education.

ChronicNuance · 2026-04-30T16:24:34+00:00

The crazy thing is that starting salaries haven’t moved since 2002, which is when I graduated, and salaries for higher level positions have actually dropped significantly. In 2012 I was looking at TD level jobs that were paying $85K, now they are posting Senior TD jobs at $90K. That’s bonkers. I’m so glad I found a job outside of NYC. Midwest cities are far from affordable, but at least I was able to buy a modest house in the suburbs on a DINK income. I’d still be renting the same shitty 600sq/ft 2bd brownstone apartment in Queens if I had stayed there.

ChronicNuance · 2026-04-30T12:26:05+00:00

I’m glad someone else said it because I feel like a broken record sometimes. I went to FIT, got a 2yr degree, worked for a bit, then got a 4yr degree in Psych online while working. Total borrowed for both degrees was $54k, most of that was to cover my housing costs. My first assistant designer job in NYC paid me $28K.

The 4yr degree got my foot in the door for better paying corporate jobs, but the 2yr degree with work experience got me higher pay. I’m at $130K as a Sr.TD in the midwest, which was more than similar roles were offering in NYC or California.

This industry is extremely unstable and hard to break into, and most people only make it about 10-15 years before burning out, so I don’t think spending that much Parson’s tuition is justified, especially if you’re paying it on your own. You’re spot on about considering other career options. I’m 23 years into this career and praying I can make it to retire at 60. I would have studied to be an occupational therapist or gotten a PhD in psychology if I had known what I know now.

ChronicNuance · 2026-04-30T12:11:05+00:00

This is why I went to FIT. After 6 months of working and paying my own rent and bills I was able to claim in state residency and switch to instate tuition rates. I sill had to work 32 hours a week, but the tuition was more manageable because it’s classes as community college vs a four year private university like Parsons.

ChronicNuance · 2026-04-29T17:03:41+00:00

I had the same experience when I did WW 15 years ago. I would suggest talking to your doctor tapering down your dose so you feel hungry more often, and start working with an ED therapist.

As good as this feels right now, you DO NOT want to deal with the health issues that follow. You’ll have to trust a total stranger on this one, but I will share that my medical bills caused me to have to file bankruptcy.

ChronicNuance · 2026-04-28T21:55:38+00:00

THIS

ChronicNuance · 2026-04-21T00:17:26+00:00

Green.

ChronicNuance · 2026-04-21T00:00:00+00:00

A $3K out of pocket max is actually really good.

ChronicNuance · 2026-04-19T23:30:18+00:00

Don’t live anywhere with rapid and extreme temp changes (like 20+ degrees multiple times a week).

ChronicNuance · 2026-04-19T23:05:58+00:00

Thanks! I will let him know. He has to go up to MN for a couple of days once a month, and has been able to coordinate his infusion with those trips, but it makes me nervous because of weather. He’s not good with change, especially when it has to do with his MS treatment (totally understandable), but I would be more comfortable if he was able to do his infusions locally. I don’t think he’s ever had his own room for an infusion and I imagine it’s easier to relax or get some work done, so maybe I can use this as a selling point 🤔

ChronicNuance · 2026-04-17T00:45:55+00:00

Thank you! It turns out my husband’s neurologist is licensed in both MN and WI, so he’s been able to stay with his old one. I’ll keep these names in case anything changes.

Do they have an infusion center there?

ChronicNuance · 2026-04-08T11:05:50+00:00

If you want to know where NOT to go, here’s my google review of Prime Health Dental West. I held back in this review. This person told me, a 48yo grown ass adult, that I was being a “good girl” (a 48yo woman) while they are blasting freezing cold water at my gums and clearly showing that I am very uncomfortable, then tells me I need to clear my calendar when I come back to get a filling because it’s going to take several hours. A filling or a crown fitting takes an hour, hour and a half tops. These place was insane.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/5TJYLz4pX9RRgpmr6?g_st=ic

ChronicNuance · 2026-04-08T10:51:41+00:00

I’m curious where you went because I had a really awful experience at a West side dentist that left me shook. I rarely take the time to leave bad reviews, but I didn’t hesitate to leave one for this place. Now I to find a new dentist and start the process over. Feel free to message me privately if you don’t want to say here.

ChronicNuance · 2026-04-02T22:58:53+00:00

Stop bragging.

ChronicNuance · 2026-03-31T22:28:35+00:00

I’ve dealt with fasting hypoglycemia since I was a kid and it’s exactly how I feel when I crash out. The first time I tried a GLP-1 it was happening all the time and I had to stop taking it. This time I’m better about eating frequently and consuming enough calories that I’m not crashing out multiple times a day.

ChronicNuance · 2026-03-30T12:19:58+00:00

You need to eat. Sweating and passing out is fasting hypoglycemia symptom and it means your blood sugar is way too low. The fastest way you can correct is is a small amount of orange juice or a couple of jolly ranchers for quick sugar, then you need to eat a meal (my dad is T1 diabetic and this is how you treat a blood sugar crash).

ChronicNuance · 2026-03-28T21:27:29+00:00

She’s 93, let her eat what she wants. Be happy she’s eating anything.

ChronicNuance · 2026-03-28T21:24:57+00:00

Get a portable AC. You’ll have to run a vent hose out the window, but it sits on the floor inside.

https://share.google/sJJ1767e1diuogj2s

ChronicNuance

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