Ephemeral, Dangerous, and Unfair

One of the things that I like best about writing this blog is that you all will often write back what you think. And often you'll write me first! Since this blog is sort of loosely structured around style, I'll throw some discussions into the mix of stories, photos, and designs that catch my eye. I really do love getting your comments - so let me know what you're thinking about!

My friend Doreen recently sent me a link to a website and short film, "the story of stuff" , which highlights the downside of a consumer-driven society. As you might guess, I'm conflicted on this one. I love fashion, and fashion is ephemeral, dangerous, and unfair (one of my favorite Karl Lagerfeld quotes) so to be fashionable would seem to require constant purchases to try to keep up with a fleeting moment. But that can put you on a crazy treadmill where you are constantly upgrading and updating and feel that you look shabby if you don't have the most recent designer everything. That's a way to empty your wallet very quickly! At the same time, I personally think buying cheap is an even worse thing to do as you're adding even more "stuff" - and (I know I'm generalizing, but...) typically, it's badly made of shoddy materials, based on a knocked off design and probably made in a sweat shop somewhere. For me, right now, I'm trying not to buy anything at all rather than to buy crap. My closets are so full, there's no reason for me to buy crap - or good stuff, for that matter. Then again, what role does reason have in aesthetics? I think it might be a cameo role; I'm pretty sure it's not the lead.

I did have one little victory in my effort not to buy stuff. I had seen a pair of Christian Louboutin nude heels in Vogue and immediately decided I wanted them and would head off to the Meatpacking store and buy them. They looked great and would go really well with so many things I have. But then I thought for a minute and realized: spending $900 on a pair of shoes I'd wear to work (to work!!!) was not going to get me to my goal of building up cash and keeping down credit card debt. I took a look in my own closet and found a pair of shoes (Manolo's, so really not too shabby) that are somewhat similar in style and color and that I'd worn a couple of times and (embarrassingly) forgotten I had. They're not exactly the same as what I was excited about buying, but hey - that's $900 in my bank and a box-shaped amount of space not taken up in my closet! And they're great shoes!

I think the desire to acquire stuff is largely psychological. As another friend pointed out to me (quite correctly), I buy a lot of the stuff I do partly because of my job. I'm not talking about investing in professional-looking clothes, I'm covered on that front. I'm talking about shopping to make myself feel better. It's not that I feel unhappy, but if I'm spending most of my waking hours at a job, no matter how pleasant and engaging it may be, shopping becomes appealing as a creative outlet, a stress valve, and a distraction. And I think it does make a difference in my mood and general happiness up to a point, but after that, it's just surplus.

I'm not advocating not buying anything and I'm definitely not "anti stuff" (you all would justifiably laugh in my face if I tried to claim that!). Industries and jobs and a rising standard of living depend on consumption and I also happen to think that aesthetics are very important. I want to look good - and I want other people to look good too, as there are zillions of people in New York and it's much more pleasant when the crowds are good looking.. The goal for me is trying to avoid that "surplus" buying, beyond what I'm excited about. I'm also trying to shop strategically, using my purchases to support designers and stores I like. I hope this doesn't come across as preachy - it's a subject that I'm really trying to think through for myself and thought I'd share it here, in case any of you were also interested.

On a different topic, I'm trying to use my own photos more, but seem to have maxed out the photo editing capabilities of Picasa. I guess it takes a lot to make my amateur photos look good! I've got a couple more clothing themed blogs written and waiting for me to get the pictures right. So please bear with me as I try to figure that all out!