Can we talk about the phrase: retail therapy?
I kind of hate it.
I hate that as a culture we have so accepted the practice of mindless shopping that we have even coined a term for it that makes it seem like a good thing… like something that will help us.
I think it can be so easy to laugh off our addiction to shopping.
We make it a joke on social media, we encourage our friends to buy something because we know that’s what they want to hear, we surround ourselves with messaging that it’s normal and good to spend without thinking.
But you know what?
If there is anything that I have learned from choosing to shop ethically, it’s that the punch line for us is the source of suffering for someone else.
We laugh about spending more than we should have at Forever 21 without any thought of how our actions enable a completely unjust system.
We share our hauls on social media and in the process teach young girls to be just like that when they grow up.
That’s why I hate the phrase “retail therapy.” It lightens up a problem that desperately needs to be addressed and turns it into a joke.
I want to change that.
I know I’m just a little tiny blogger over here waving my hand and saying “wait a second! There’s something wrong with this!”
But you know what?
If a bunch of us started waving our hands… maybe, just maybe it would create some kind of impact.
We’re in this together right? So let’s do this together. Little ol’ me isn’t going to do much, but we can do a lot.
Until next time,
People don’t realise that if they’re not paying for the cost of producing the item they’re buying and he company is not paying for it, then someone does and that someone is a poor conditions low wage factory worker. Someone’s always got to pay. We just don’t think about this, we’re so used to clothes being there in front of us and being cheap. I agree with the thought that in the past, clothes were more expensive and well made and people got 10 items a year not a month. But I myself struggle with his approach – I’ve never known a world where clothes were unavailable and unaffordable. So I’m trying to change slowly but I don’t know if I ever reach a point where I will be able to shop 100% ethically.
As for haul videos, I hate them, plain and simple. First of all, who cares what you got in primark and how can you justify a 20 minute video about it? And secondly, knowing how it works, you just got a bunch of stuff that you’re gonna wear once or twice, thinking it makes you cool in other girls’ eyes. In my eyes it makes you look quite the opposite. That’s what I think every time I see a haul video on my related videos tab on YouTube :-/
But to end on a positive note, great post! Let’s start a conversation about this 🙂
xo Kat
Well said Kat! I certainly never thought about it until I started doing my capsule wardrobes!
I loved hearing your thoughts on this! Also, I think it’s important to mention that binge shopping REALLY is a problem. It’s almost like–would you laugh at someone for having a drug addiction? No. So, why do this with shopping. Debt is a real thing people can’t pull themselves out of because they lack control over their spending. I just never understood why that would be something we take lightly. Great post!
It definitely is! And I completely agree… I cringe every time I see a meme that turns binge shopping into a joke.
I have never liked the term because it implies you need more things to make you happy, and I don’t like buying things just to buy things. I didn’t think of it in the way you explain it though; thanks for sharing!
Exactly Marette! It seems so counter intuitive and yet for a lot of people its just not!
I used to use this phrase when I would do my twice a year wardrobe shopping trips. I would shop for hours on these two special occasions, then spend another few hours returning what I regretted purchasing to begin with. I decided this was no longer something I could do. Now I only shop for what I need, and stay out of the stores otherwise. I’ve found with the time given back,m from this, I can spend time reading a book or going for a walk. I have time for something that adds value to my life instead of adding things to my already small place.
I completely identify with you Erin! The only place now that I will poke my head into more regularly are thrift stores. I DO enjoy the process of sifting through the racks in search of a vintage gem… but I’ve gotten to a point where if I don’t find anything I walk away and I certainly no longer feel like I NEED to do that in order to relax.
Sometimes I think that it’s a blessing to live in a country which is not so rich – it is not so common here for people to buy many clothing items at once. I am always surprised to see HUGE closets full of clothes on blogs and vlogs. Here we have by default tiny closets. And I don’t know anybody who has a room or part of a room as a wardrobe!
But I agree that the term is to be rejected!
Such a good perspective Kailashpu! I’ve said before that even the fact that I have a Capsule Wardrobe blog is a bit silly… it proves that we live in a culture that just has WAY TOO MUCH STUFF. There are so many better ways that we could be spending on our money than on ourselves.
This is so important! I hear people use the phrase all the time, in a weirdly self-deprecating way… I’ve never really said anything to them about it, but this makes me think that maybe I should. Why is mindlessly spending okay? How can we just turn a blind eye to the people we KNOW are suffering for our completely pointless actions — pointless because we literally buy stuff just to throw it away. I can’t stand it! Thanks for saying something about this, because now I am going to, too!
So good Sareeta! I’ve found that people are very willing to hear what you have to say if you approach it in a gentle way that shows your concern for the people being affected by it.
I was expecting an entirely different post based on the title, and I am beyond pleasantly surprised. Your message is SO important and so timely. Thank you!
Thank you Rosie!
I honestly have never really thought about it like that, but I totally agree! Let’s start putting a positive spin on something that shouldn’t necessarily be celebrated! And really, when I think about it, the “good feeling” I get from shopping actually comes from just being able to walk around and window-shop in peace when I don’t have my kids with me. that’s much more cathartic tan buying more things I don’t need at hte expense of someone else.
So true Justine! I definitely still enjoy walking around a mall, but the impulse to buy has receded.