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Jan 10CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION
Martine (of Golden Age) and I were sitting in the cement jungle known as Maxfield yesterday and a question was raised – how do I decide what I want to buy? I enjoyed where our conversation on consumerism was going, as I have given the idea of consumption a lot of attention recently due to the ever collapsing economy in America. I hold a firm idea that massive consumption is the byproduct of an unfilled life desperate for a glimmer of hope. Constant expenditure is often indicative of a void that one is unknowingly trying to fill. Might I suggest Conspicuous Consumption by Thorstein Veblen to help further explicate this theory.
But hey, we need clothes on our backs, yes? After including the aforementioned in my answer, I followed by saying that when I see an item that will help cultivate my look, I keep it in my reference folder. I monitor the possible item and see whether my desire progresses into obsession. If it happens to develop into the obsession it is at that point I track down said item and purchase it. Voila!
With this in mind, I’ve been dying over these 3.1 Phillip Lim resort pieces. Happy Martin Luther King Day!
I think you’re absolutely right. When I went on a may-jah spending binge, it was because I was trying to fill a void…as a result, I bought a lot of unnecessary shit and ended up tossing the bulk of it.
I like the method you employ. Usually, if something catches my eye, I’ll usually find something similar during a thrifting session. If I can’t find it and still want it for a few months, I’ll hit up ebay or etsy for alternatives. And if it’s still on the brain, I’ll spring for what I want..hopefully by then it’s on sale. =D
Thrifting is truly the best option, I learned that from my grandma at the young age of 3. Have you also noticed that thrifted clothes – which are usually from decades past – are made far more superior than clothes today? My how production has changed.
Good stuff. I’m going to e-mail this to that coworker of mine who thinks she knows it all.
Hilarious!