A BATHING SUIT WON'T MAKE YOU HAPPY
Sixty percent of American millennials making $100,000 are still living paycheck to paycheck. Many wealthy Americans say they don’t have enough money to buy what they need. At the same time, around 40 million Americans are living in poverty. That’s just in America, it is estimated that 689 MILLION people in the world live in extreme poverty. These statistics are heartbreaking and convicting. Greed is the root of so many of the evils in this world. We are called to watch out for greed because this vice is often one you don’t know that you’re committing. One that you often don’t realize is stealing your joy.
Many people don’t think they struggle with greed because of the comparison game. Wherever you are, there are going to be people around you spending more money on themselves. We fall into a destructive habit of using those around us as a scale to measure our success, our failures, etc. However, this is such a limited perspective to just those in our bubble. Comparison is not just the thief of joy; it is also an inaccurate scale of the bigger picture.
It is important to ask ourselves, do I really need all the things I have? What more could I be giving to others? What more could I give up? Am I being intentional with who I am supporting with my purchases? In a culture based around consumerism you are constantly being told what you need. The next best thing is always being thrown at you. So why are we, a bathing suit brand, talking about this? As a company, we strive to fight this materialistic mindset. While of course as a business we still advertise, we want to come out and say it; you don’t need an Amini suit. Why not? If we really push for sustainability, the most sustainable thing you could do is keep wearing that old suit you already have. When it does come time for you to make an investment, of course we would love for you to choose Amini. But we aren’t here to tell you that you need it. We say this because your happiness will not come from your materials.
In marketing, you learn strategies of not just selling an item, but selling an emotion, a feeling. If you can convince the consumer they will be happy with an item, they will purchase it. At first an Amini suit will make you feel happy, but just like any material possession, that feeling will fade. If the time comes for you to get a new suit, we would love for you to invest in Amini, a brand you can believe in. But really, we want you to invest in yourself. Invest in memories, invest in others, before thinking that the next best thing is going to bring you happiness. Instead of putting your hope in material things, put it in things that will last.
As a company we are committed to transparency, authenticity, and love. We care more about who you are than your purchase of our suits. So, we challenge to fight the societal norms that will drain your energy, steal your peace, and blind you to the harsh realities of this world.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” - Matthew 6:19-21
All love,
Michaela