The other day I began packing my rather substantial wardrobe into my significantly small suitcase in anticipation of going away for a couple of weeks. Actually my suitcase wasn’t that small, hence its significance. The size of my wardrobe seemed to be the root of the problem. It’s pretty big these days. There, I have admitted it: I have too many clothes. That’s a difficult statement for any woman to utter- surely? I ponder on how many times I have justified a new purchase recently; well they were all very this season and my stuff from last season looks so drab now that I really didn’t have a choice. Or did I?
Walking down high street, ahead of me I see a huge modern building dominating the skyline, there Primark stands. A giant consumer refuge, as streams of bargain hungry shoppers flock through those heavy glass doors in pursuit of a new look at a rock bottom price to bulk out their wardrobe further.
As I consider how this mass consumerism has flourished now that the world of value fashion looms large in our wardrobe I wonder when it suddenly became ok to spend £10 on a winter coat. It’s certainly been a fairly recent development. The new millennium brought with it a new attitude, as we began to tire from the 90’s minimalist look, and fashion being the fickle world in which it survives changed directions and once again brought colour and diversity back into play. The last few years have given us a countless number of trends; looking back to the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s in varying ways , remember wearing the military jacket or throwing on your Hichcock inspired coat with gloves to match? All these trends have demanded a lot from us, the fashion conscious individual, eager to keep up with each passing style. However, on mass we could not continue to keep up with the latest fashions while paying designer prices, so in a battle of keeping trendy versus wearing designer labels, the appeal of wearing the latest look was victorious, hence the success of value retailers on the high street today.
Our desire for the latest look for the cheapest price possible has been fulfilled by shops such as Primark, Asda and Tesco who all now produce clothes at unbelievable prices. It’s all just so handy- I can pick up a little wardrobe wonder while shopping for groceries, what could be easier? But are we really benefiting from the mega cheap prices of these clothes? As we receive more praise now for the money we have saved (when buying clothes) rather than the money spent it seems the perfect excuse to buy more and more, after all, if it’s so cheap- why not? Yet low prices simply just encourage us to buy in bigger volumes, slightly defeating the idea of saving money by shopping in these stores. There is no doubt that we are getting more for our money but considering these clothes are designed to last just a few months, keeping us going until the next new shape catches our eye , the satisfaction and anticipation that comes from the act of buying something new is significantly reduced, lessening the whole shopping experience further, not to mention the hassle involved that comes from actually owning such a sizable wardrobe, (I now find it at least three times as hard to decide what to wear and stuffing clothes into my drawers is definitely an increasing struggle).
It seems right that we now should start considering our purchases more carefully. With FairTrade and organic food becoming ever more popular, it has thrown the idea of ‘shopping with a conscience’ into mainstream consumer consciousness. The next step must be to question how we buy our clothes. As the threat of global warming grows and landfills become more and more saturated with rubbish (now that we buy more we are also throwing more away), we are finally beginning to realise the consequences of our actions. Designers and clothing corporations are thankfully beginning to work with this shift in attitude. This change is apparent in the successful way organic fashion has finally hit the high street, as many great shops, including H&M, Oasis and Marks and Spencer embrace it, organic fashion looks set to be a success amongst retailers.
So next time you consider a shopping trip, open your wardrobe and open your eyes and consider whether or not you actually need what you want. The clarity of your wardrobe will doubtless improve, leaving you with a distinct and much more manageable style which should certainly make it a hell of a lot easier to get dressed in the morning and hopefully my suitcase will appear that little bit bigger, well I can live in hope anyway!
May 8th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
What an insightful post. It’s interesting how we can know all these things yet fall into the same old trap.
I am deffinitly one of those shoppers that can’t resist a bargain, even if I don’t really NEED that brand new pair of pink pumps. My mother was the ultimate bargain shopper and her closet was always stuffed with junk. Growing up it drove me nuts that she would buy a million pairs of cheap jeans instead of one really nice pair that fit great and would last forever. Now that I’m an adult I find myself falling into the same dangerous retail therapy habits as my mother. ie, shopping just to shop. Thanks for the reminder!
March 5th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Dear Vicky,
I found your article extremely insightful and uplifting. It is true that we are living in a world now where fashion in particular has become disposable. It is shocking to see the likes of Primark, H&M et al jam-packed full with buyers who popped out on their lunchbreaks! I have to say that although the idea of shopping in Primark appealed when it first opened, the queues put me off and so consequently I think I may have one t-shirt from there, and the stitching has certainly come away from the seams!
I am pleased and relieved to see that people are now questioning the fact that if one can purchase a coat for £10, and the company is still making a profit, who are making the coats, and for what price?
Fair trade needs to be spread more among the masses. Have a look online and see what you can find there instead. I love shopping on the high street, but am finding it so boring with what is out there now that I am finding lots of little gems online and in cities/areas I hadn’t thought of before. Go and explore!