For those of you who know me personally, you know that I’m a bit of a shopper. My crave is not limited to clothes, shoes, handbags, hats, scarves and various wardrobe accoutrements– oh no. I love housewares and lipgloss, packing essentials, gourmet goodies, serrated knives, and patterned sheets, just to name a few. And it doesn’t even have to be for me! I’m just as happy to shop for a friend or loved one. Shopping both excites me and calms me. I love the giddy in person aspect of discovery, introduction, inspection, and evaluation. And I also love the all consuming serenity of being in the shopping zone. Both are different kinds of sensory engagement. But lately I have been trying to make critical assessments about these ingrained behaviors. Because I get the shoppies waaaay too often. Deep sigh.
I’ve been reading up on our new era of supposed “deconsumption.” You read that right. Maybe less really is more? In an age of overconsumption where disposable, one time use, fast fashion has ruled retail and the need for constant stimuli has been building to a fever pitch with endless choices and hours of scrolling, offers, sales and deals, have we lost sight of what we need vs. what we buy just to buy out of habit? Is this the start of a retail reckoning?
Overconsuming is an interesting concept. How much is too much? I know a gal who turned her second bedroom into a walk in closet. A BEDROOM into a CLOSET. Wow. That’s a lot of shoes, Karen. I’m making a joke but not judging. If you saw my serrated paring knife collection you might be checking the post office wall for my picture. But I promise you won’t find it. I just like to have enough knives in the house so that when I reach for a utensil, not every knife is already in the dishwasher. And I like to be able to effortlessly slice through, oh I don’t know… an elephant maybe with a clean, easy cut. (I know. Cray cray.) But the overconsumption these articles talk about mostly has to do with fashion… so I think my knife collection is immune, for now.
So how much does cost play a part in this thrill a minute, immediate gratification shopping culture? When I was in my 20s, I’d cruise through the Loehmann’s designer discount outlet on East 57th Street (member her??) on a lunch hour, after work or on a weekend. My max buy was a paltry $30. But you’d be surprised how often I walked out with a treasure! My paycheck then allowed for disposable income as long as I stayed within the allocated budget. And the pieces I bought were not fast fashion at all. I scored some great shoes, costume jewelry, umbrellas, and stylish tee shirts all under the $30 per item mark. Ahhh the 90s.
So maybe we’ve stopped shopping so much because we just can’t afford it? Or is it that we are looking for a deeper connection? Back in my 20s, I saved for and later sourced a gorgeous name brand clutch bag called a Wallet on a Chain that I loved. Caviar leather. Gold chain strap. Quiet black on black logo. Stunning. Elegant. Simple. Timeless. I wore this staple to every Bar Mitzvah, wedding, party, gala, Christening, and celebration for ta-wenty years.
I kept her safe in her fancy felt cloth packaging with the chain strap tucked neatly inside, housed in her original box. After two decades of solid, steady use, she still looked pristine. Eventually smart phones got bigger and a cell really didn’t fit in this bag. So I sold her. Are you ready? I got THREE TIMES what I paid which I thought was outrageous. And now, she is going for FIVE TIMES what I originally shelled out. That is not inflation. That’s insanity. What’s crazier is that I replaced her with something bigger and (shame!) even more expensive… but fabulous of course. And I don’t regret the sale or the moving on. Even though the style will remain timeless, that fashion arc for me was over and I was onto the next– in fact even the replacement has already been replaced. What can I say? I move at the speed of my own sense of vogue with no apologies needed.
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