How To Shop, Not Consume
Know, first, who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly
This is the weekly paid issue of (In)Decent Taste containing an in-depth lesson to cultivating an exquisite wardrobe while saving you time, money and answering the age old question of “what should I wear today”.
Perhaps I should start with a word of caution for those who have kindly remarked on Jessica’s writing style. Her eloquent weaving of thoughtful narrative exceeds my command of the pen. All that to say please bear that in mind and, hopefully, enjoy.
Isn’t the world pushy these days? Like this. Give us your email. Buy this. Look here. Shop here. Trend alert. Must have. Our picks. My current obsessions. Give me a break. My blood pressure just spiked just thinking about the act of shopping online. Everyone wants to capture your attention and your information. My inner monologue has probably shouted “I don’t want your 15% OFF! I don’t even know the price yet!” countless times.
This is partly my own occupational hazard. I click on a lot of things served to me to learn more about where garments are made, what is the material, who is behind the brand, how does sizing work. To me it is part genuine interest and part industry research. It is my penance for clicking so freely, but it is obnoxious. But you do have to pay attention because so much of what pushed is garbage.
When we think we are just shopping, we are actually just passively consuming what’s being fed to us. I just returned from a menswear trade show for buyers, but before I left the idea for this post was festering. These trade shows are large conventions with every brand, maker and style on display. The breadth of things on display can be overwhelming. While walking the show floor it occurred to me just how little we actually see when shopping in real life whether online or in person. Many factors combine to create the shopping world we experience, but all too often what we see is tragically similar if not too - dare I use this word - curated.
Let’s face it together. We’re being manipulated by corporate interests to sell us what we don’t want or need and will regret. Let’s keep in mind shopping for personal style is strategy not therapy. So let’s understand the problem and lay out some guidelines to avoid making mistakes.
Above all do not buy what you do not want because it’s on sale or promoted as the thing to have. That’s the prime rule. Jessica wrote about this around the holidays. That’s the centripetal thirst trap the fashion industry wants you dependent on, wondering when the next style drops or what’s new this season. Even the so-called journalists who simply cover the industry or style are willfully ignorant or a part of this trap.
This leaves us chasing status styles and labels to feed our pride.
Pride costs more than hunger, thirst and cold
Thomas Jefferson
If you have a retail therapy tendency, try to break the habit. Do a lot of window shopping. Take photos - they cost less than regret. Again, uncovering your personal taste and developing your style is not therapy. Stay the course and the benefits will be therapeutic.
We’re back to mythbusting this week. The impending US holiday weekend will bring with it false urgency and many discounts. Let’s ground ourselves in the strategy of shopping.
Myth: If I had more money to spend I could buy my way to stylishness.
It does not matter how much money you have or how much you shop. You cannot buy style. Jenny Walton wrote a great piece on this a while back. In fact, the more you shop and the more you spend the odds are actually against you. What’s worse is the amount you spend is very unlikely to yield quality. I’ve found, and it’s been documented by NYTimes, that quality declines or plateaus while price increases. Just look at the big designer labels. It’s all about profit. This guy is not short on funds and look how he restyled himself at great expense.
