I picked up a copy of Adena Halpern's Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown
from the library yesterday, thinking that it might be an interesting rumination on the subject of clothes. Well, it was an interesting book if one wants to learn about the many designer outfits of the author, and how her well-heeled boyfriends have responded to her fashion choices. But not enlightening to me. I'm sort of a fashion scrooge, I think.
Well, really, I love beautiful clothes. I enjoy looking through catalogs and fantasizing about owning cashmere sweaters, dresses of velvet and satin, or the perfect pair of butt-flattering jeans. And even though I do regularly spend money on clothes, I do so quite begrudgingly and with loads of guilt. The guilt doesn't so much come from the money that I spend (although that can certainly be a factor). Rather the guilt comes from buying a commodity that, deep-down, I see as superficial, even worthless. Because I know that my body rarely needs new clothing. I have a closet and a chest of drawers full of items that I can wear for warmth and protection. So the guilt of from knowing that any clothing that I purchase is solely for my vanity. I do not NEED new clothes. So why do I keep buying them?
And I also know that clothing manufacturers routinely exploit women in developing countries, that many cloth fibers are grown in ways that pollute our environment, and that the modest amount of money I spend on clothes each month could easily support a family in Africa.
So, taking all of that into account, what's a girl to do? Blow off fashion and continue wearing (and re-wearing) older clothes? Only buy from environmentally-responsible companies? Buy clothes with impunity, knowing that one's choices are hardly a fraction of a drop in the bucket compared to worldwide consumption?
6 comments:
I love clothes and hate them at the same time. I go through phases of trying to look nice and then trying to look like I don't care (hypocritical?). I also hate shopping. I also wish I could design and make my own clothes because it's always hard to find anything even similar to the clothes I envision in my head. I am recalling one of your previous posts and thinking maybe I should not try so hard.
Brooke:
I think I am a bit of a broken record. I can't get this topic out of my brain because I continue to feel guilty about it. I know what I want to do (totally simplify and wear functional rather tan fashionable clothes), but I just can't get past the social barrier in doing so. Ugh.
I know, me too. Frustration!
I think this is the lifelong struggle with all things materialistic. Need vs. Want, what actually qualifies as a need (does social acceptance qualify as a need psychologically, etc.), and how do we decide?
I have decided for me personally that what qualifies as a need will always shift.
Jana
I have been reading your blog for a few months now (i am a friend of Elise) i enjoy your thoghts, you seem to be very down to earth.
I too love to look at clothes and when it come time to buy them i feel guilty. Although i have no problem spending the money and time on my husbands clothes. Only recently have i decided that how i feel in the clothes is more important then how others see me or the reasonalbe amount of money i spend on them. right now i am 5 months pregnant (and showing big time) and although i know being pregnant means gaining weight it has been really hard for me to do that. I really only feel "good" about my self when i am in maternity clothes, i have spent more on clothes in the last 4 months then i had 2 years before that... (not to say i have not stayed in a budget because i have and friends that i have shoped with think i am crazy for not spending more)
I see i would rather save for household things then to buy my self clothes.
as far as what i have chosen to do is make sure i dress so i feel good.
Jen:
Thanks for chiming in on this topic! When I was pregnant I did two things to save money on clothes purchases:
1) borrowed maternity clothes from recently-pregnant friends.
2) I wore my husband's clothes (his jeans and such were perfect for those not-quite-into-maternity clothes months.
I still stocked up on some basics, though, like a comfortable pair of black pants, a church dress, etc. I found that Target was a good source for T-shirts, jeans, and shorts.
Congrats on the pregnancy and good luck with everything :)
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