Sales! Sales! Sales! Everything is on sale. 25%, 50%, 75% OFF. But, how much money is actually being saved? And how much is being spent in vain?
Sometimes shopping reminds me of the town of Chelm.
A stranger came to Chelm and saw a man digging a hole in the ground with a large shovel, then throwing the dirt behind him where there was another hole. The stranger asked another Chelmite what was happening and got the following answer:
“He is closing the hole behind him!”.
The stranger, not understanding the logic, made a funny face and asked:
“Is he really digging one hole and using the earth to cover another hole behind him?”
“Yes, isn’t that wise?”
The stranger then pointed out reality as only he could see it:
“But what is going to happen when he finishes? Then there will still be the new hole he dug.”
The Chelmite answered, with superior Chelm logic:
“Then he will simply make another hole to cover up the one he just dug.”
“And what will happen after he digs this third hole?”
“He will dig a fourth one, and a fifth one and he will keep digging holes, always using the new earth to cover the previous one. That’s how it is around here.”
Amazingly, in the world of fashion we see this same scenario, and it repeats itself over and over… Just substitute the shovel for the word SALE and the word hole for the word FRUSTRATION, and there you have it!
Have you never bought clothing in the wrong size, or in a color that doesn’t reflect your personality, or the wrong fit for your body type, or in the wrong length for your height… just because it was on sale? Or just because it was cheaper than what you really liked?
Everybody (including myself) has shopped this way… and as a result, we ended up with a lot of clothes we barely used at all, and then stuffed them away in the bottom of our drawers and wardrobes.
So, did you really save money with that sale, or did it just enable you to mask your fashion frustration created by all those unused pieces of clothing accumulated at home, only to be replaced with a new batch which will soon join the former at the bottom of the drawer?
Little by little, the shopper loses sight of the goal of adorning himself or herself with pride and instead, shops to simply “get something to cover up the body.” Then, because the shopping experience was so negative, they will attempt it again in order to feel better, over and over.
Also add the cost of a dressmaker that has to make adjustments.
What’s the solution?
1. Shop consciously. Be strong! Resist the temptation!
Yes… funny as it sounds, these are valid fashion statements.
When shopping, there’s one single step that will protect you like a guardian angel: only purchase something you really love.
Isn’t that easy? No love, no shopping. If you really love that garment, you may purchase it. Save money and get much personal satisfaction. Simply put, it’s way more fulfilling to buy a garment every four months that you see yourself using with pride, made in your size and in your favorite color, than every two weeks buying something that will end up at the bottom of your drawer.
2. Keep your body type in mind. Only purchase what fits your body type.
Once you buy “sale” clothes that are wrong for your body type, you already know what will happen, right? Yep, another addition to that ever growing bottom drawer.
Finally, what can you possibly do with your bottom drawer “collection”?
If you have bought garments you don’t actually like and don’t ever use, what about trying to customize them?
By adding a little personal touch, you can actually use them again and also feel happy about it.
Even if you don’t know how to sew, you can still give it a try. Visit a sewing supplies store and see what they have to offer. In fact, some of their customizing items don’t even require sewing skills at all, you simply transfer the item with heat. It’s that easy.