Look, But Don't Touch: Fantasy Shopping

“A fashion is merely a form of ugliness so unbearable that we are compelled to alter it every six months.”


Oscar Wilde


Always the wit, one might need to remind Mr. Wilde of that little Biblical adage about glass houses because by accounts and photographs, he was a dapper man. Be that as it may, he does make an interesting point about fashion. Every year, no, every season we climb all over ourselves with what is in fashion. The ridiculousness of it is that sometimes what ends up being in fashion isn't flattering (on anyone), practical, or even tasteful. Does that mean it isn't fun? Not always. When I talk about shopping magazines next week, I'll give a brief discourse on my thoughts on the fall trends.



In a perfect world, we could just ignore trends and wear whatever the hell we wanted. But unfortunately, trends dictate what we'll be seeing in stores; everything from the shades of blue available to the cut of jeans. Meryl Streep makes a really great point about it when she discusses the 'two identical blue belts' in The Devil Wears Prada. High fashion, runways, magazines, designers . . . they do affect us, even when we shop at Target.



How does this fit in the plan of wearing what you love? After your week of only wearing what you love you should have an idea of what appeals to you and also what you have in abundance. (I never realized how many black t-shirts I have until I did this project--more on that in a later post.)



So for Step Two: Window Shop Without Buying

Set aside several hours for yourself, whatever you can spare. You may have to do it over several days. Select three or four stores as your stomping ground: one or two you shop at the most, one you shop at on special occassions, and one that you never shop at because maybe the pricing is too high. Don't set yourself up for failure; pick places that, to your knowledge, generally fit your lifestyle and taste. For example, I would never go to Talbots because their clothes really aren't my taste, for the most part. Set up another section in your journal and start by putting a few notes as to why you are selecting your stores. Here's my sample entry:



Regular Stores: Kohls and Target--These are my go-to stores because they carry a wide variety of brands and styles, they frequently run sales, they are usually priced within my budget, and they tend to have nice trickle-down versions of trends.



Special Occasion Store: Dillards--I wander through here when I'm looking for something special or something I can't find at Target or Kohls. It's not a regular because the prices can be steep, but they do run good sales at the end of the season. I found my current favorite LBD (little black dress) on their sale rack: marked down to $25 at 70% off. Their clothes do tend to be nicer than say Target.



Never Shop: The Boutique--this uber tiny little shop is in a shopping center with high end stores for antiques, jewelry, as well as a salon. I went in once, years ago, but the prices were pretty steep. They don't run sales and the selection is limited. Most of all, you can't really browse there with a small child.



With an open mind, wander into each store, looking for nothing and looking at everything. Don't even bring money of any kind with you. (If you find something you love, you can come back for it--a later part of the double-shop plan.) Let your eyes wander and go to what attracts you. Remember, you aren't shopping to buy; you're shopping to admire. Don't look at price tags if you can help it (I have a hard time with this part). Instead, if something draws you to it, look at the details: what colors attract you? what patterns? does it have embroidery? beads? do you drift more to separates or dresses? what fabrics draw your eye? do you tend toward chiffons that imply layering or jersey knits that imply simplicity? what cuts do you like? plunging necklines? boatnecks? full sleaves? cap sleaves? (if you don't know what those are, you will soon). If you aren't too self-conscious, make notes in your journal. Try not to write down designers if you can, just focus on those types of details listed above. Concentrate on what you love. For example:



Black dress: chiffon overlayed babydoll dress with button details and collar, billowy elbow-length sleeves, mid-thigh length, ruffles on the bottom. A girlie dress that would be prim except the black chiffon makes it sophisticated and just a bit naughty.

Back at home, review the things you wrote down. What do they all have in common? Do you find yourself drawn to intricate details or are simple shapes more interesting?

Take all this into consideration and then move on to Step Three--Next Week's Learning through Literature.