Shopaholic Mama has surfaced. I haven’t been really bad, but I haven’t been particularly good either. I could make excuses. Spring fever gave me uncontrollable impulses to buy skirts and espadrilles. It was Mother’s Day and I really, really deserved a new pair of (expensive) jeans. In Florida, one must have several dozen sundresses to survive hurricane season. But, shopaholics, like all addicts, are full of excuses.
I’ve been online window-shopping. Nothing’s been purchased, but a few shopping carts have been filled. Yesterday, at Bloomingdales.com I found a style story called “Back to Basics: Top 10 Essentials.” The text under the headline said: “From the white tee to the black blazer, these ten key pieces serve as the foundation for timeless style.” Once you clicked through, you could shop a Lookbook and purchase a Diane von Furstenberg black wrap dress ($325), a Theory white tank top ($105), Citizens of Humanity boot cut jeans ($188), a Catherine Malandrino black cardigan ($345) and so on.
Mortgage payment or timeless style?
Don’t worry. I wasn’t tempted to buy any of it…not at those prices. I’m no stranger to Bloomingdale’s – even as a little girl I had seven days of the week “Bloomies” underwear – but, believe it or not, I would have a hard time spending $300 on a sweater even if I could.
The Lookbook reminded me of Six Items Or Less, a social experiment where participants choose six items of clothing and pledge to wear only those items of clothing for a month (shoes and accessories are unlimited). It’s a statement on consumerism, an exercise in living with less, or whatever you want it to be. I think a lot of people who do it are surprised at how liberated (or livid) they feel about sticking to six items.
The founders organize the experiment in mass a few times a year. I don’t know when the next one is scheduled (I know I just missed one in April), but I’m inspired to do it when the next cycle begins. When I told my friend Karen about it, she said it was a cool concept and then said something like, “Are you *$#%! crazy?” (I’m paraphrasing). Mike’s exact words were, “You’d never last a month.” Hmm. They’re probably both right and that’s exactly why I want to do it.
Until I get news about the next Six Items Or Less cycle, I’m back in rehab. Starting today, May 20th, I will buy nothing but food, gas and diapers for one month, except for the pedicure I’m getting later on today. (Why do I always have a pedicure scheduled when I go in shopaholic rehab?) I’m also going to think about creating my own uniform of fashion essentials…from my closet, not the mall. Maybe a style uniform is the cure I’ve been searching for? At the very least, I hope it will distract me from Bloomingdales.com.
Wish me luck.
Do you have a style uniform?
The Runaway Mama by Jen Gregory 