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  • I'm Jessi, and this is my suitcase.

  • But before I show you what I've got inside,

  • I'm going to make a very public confession,

  • and that is,

  • I'm outfit-obsessed.

  • I love finding, wearing,

  • and more recently,

  • photographing and blogging

  • a different, colorful, crazy outfit

  • for every single occasion.

  • But I don't buy anything new.

  • I get all my clothes secondhand

  • from flea markets and thrift stores.

  • Aww, thank you.

  • Secondhand shopping

  • allows me to reduce the impact

  • my wardrobe has on the environment

  • and on my wallet.

  • I get to meet all kinds of great people;

  • my dollars usually go to a good cause;

  • I look pretty unique;

  • and it makes shopping like my own personal treasure hunt.

  • I mean, what am I going to find today?

  • Is it going to be my size?

  • Will I like the color?

  • Will it be under $20?

  • If all the answers are yes,

  • I feel as though I've won.

  • I want to get back to my suitcase

  • and tell you what I packed

  • for this exciting week here at TED.

  • I mean, what does somebody with all these outfits bring with her?

  • So I'm going to show you exactly what I brought.

  • I brought seven pairs of underpants

  • and that's it.

  • Exactly one week's worth of undies

  • is all I put in my suitcase.

  • I was betting that I'd be able to find

  • everything else I could possible want to wear

  • once I got here to Palm Springs.

  • And since you don't know me

  • as the woman walking around TED in her underwear --

  • (Laughter)

  • that means I found a few things.

  • And I'd really love to show you my week's worth of outfits right now.

  • Does that sound good?

  • (Applause)

  • So as I do this,

  • I'm also going to tell you a few of the life lessons

  • that, believe it or not, I have picked up

  • in these adventures wearing nothing new.

  • So let's start with Sunday.

  • I call this "Shiny Tiger."

  • You do not have to spend a lot of money to look great.

  • You can almost always look phenomenal for under $50.

  • This whole outfit, including the jacket,

  • cost me $55,

  • and it was the most expensive thing

  • that I wore the entire week.

  • Monday: Color is powerful.

  • It is almost physiologically impossible

  • to be in a bad mood when you're wearing bright red pants.

  • (Laughter)

  • If you are happy,

  • you are going to attract other happy people to you.

  • Tuesday:

  • Fitting in is way overrated.

  • I've spent a whole lot of my life

  • trying to be myself

  • and at the same time fit in.

  • Just be who you are.

  • If you are surrounding yourself with the right people,

  • they will not only get it,

  • they will appreciate it.

  • Wednesday:

  • Embrace your inner child.

  • Sometimes people tell me

  • that I look like I'm playing dress-up,

  • or that I remind them of their seven-year-old.

  • I like to smile

  • and say, "Thank you."

  • Thursday:

  • Confidence is key.

  • If you think you look good in something,

  • you almost certainly do.

  • And if you don't think you look good in something,

  • you're also probably right.

  • I grew up with a mom who taught me this day-in and day-out.

  • But it wasn't until I turned 30

  • that I really got what this meant.

  • And I'm going to break it down for you for just a second.

  • If you believe you're a beautiful person

  • inside and out,

  • there is no look that you can't pull off.

  • So there is no excuse for any of us here in this audience.

  • We should be able to rock anything we want to rock.

  • Thank you.

  • (Applause)

  • Friday: A universal truth -- five words for you:

  • Gold sequins go with everything.

  • And finally, Saturday:

  • Developing your own unique personal style

  • is a really great way to tell the world something about you

  • without having to say a word.

  • It's been proven to me time and time again

  • as people have walked up to me this week

  • simply because of what I'm wearing,

  • and we've had great conversations.

  • So obviously this is not all going to fit

  • back in my tiny suitcase.

  • So before I go home to Brooklyn,

  • I'm going to donate everything back.

  • Because the lesson I'm trying to learn myself this week

  • is that it's okay to let go.

  • I don't need to get emotionally attached to these things

  • because around the corner,

  • there is always going to be

  • another crazy, colorful,

  • shiny outfit

  • just waiting for me,

  • if I put a little love in my heart and look.

  • Thank you very much.

  • (Applause)

  • Thank you.

  • (Applause)

I'm Jessi, and this is my suitcase.

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