Some people shop because they’re stressed. Some shop because they are bored. Others because there is a big event coming up or they’ve fluctuated in size.
Me? I was literally born to shop. My life can pretty much be summed up in my shopping habits.
Mom made me do it [Age 0-5]
My wonderful mother did not teach me to cook or drive a stick-shift, but she ingrained in me a passion for shopping from a very VERY young age. Let’s just say I was a quick study.
I don’t like any of my clothes [Age 6-11]
My rebellious stage started in first grade. Nothing in my closet was wearable, and I wasn’t a quiet child.
My clothes aren’t trendy enough [Age 12-17]
Junior high and high school. Boys. Enough said.
I work, therefore I spend [Age 18-20]
The first couple of years of college were freeing. I was out on my own and holding down 1-2 part-time jobs at a time. What should I do with my new income? Duhhh. It was quantity over quality.
The Office [Part I] [Age 20-21]
I got my first office job in a small office with only 3 employees including me. I was beginning to take myself more seriously and preparing for life after graduation. I needed more “professional” clothes. Blazers are nice, right? I’ll get one in hot pink. Nearly nothing from this period is still in my closet.
Regression and Weatherproofing [Age 21-23]
Life after college education ended up being graduate school. Graduate school across the country. I needed weather-appropriate clothing. My internship at a magazine was a jeans and heels/boots kind of shop. I lived in New York City, shopping mecca.
The Office [Part II] [Age 23-26]
Ah, the real world. It took me a while to get there, but I finally got myself in an office job. One that didn’t even have casual Fridays. I shopped to my heart’s content for three years on the “I need work clothes” excuse. My income now has to cover both myself and my husband (about 1 year from finishing his Ph.D.), so it’s quality over quantity these days and lots of bargain hunting.
Present
At some point in the last year or so, as I watched my closet slowly fill with office-appropriate and special-event clothing, I wondered how much would be enough? And would I recognize when I reached that point?
Then it hit me. I think I have enough. I have a good rotation of work pants, work skirts, work dresses, and even the occasional suit. I have 9 pairs of jeans, 3 of which can be dressed up for a casual Friday. I have a supply of wedding-worthy cocktail dresses (and a wedding dress, but I’m pretty sure I won’t need that again). I have a dressy winter coat, a casual winter parka, and a classic trench.
My evolution as a shopper has honed my skills to an art…so much so that I can say pretty confidently that my closet is fully stocked for just about anything that will come up in the next year or beyond. The next phase of life, whatever it might be, will carry with it new fashion needs and challenges, but I’ll tackle that when it gets here.
How have you evolved as a shopper? Are you ready to take on the year fashion-wise or are there areas of your closet that you wish were better prepared?
A closet at the ready
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you’re only pretty sure you won’t ever need your wedding dress again?! new husband, new dress!
Angeline: I love this perspective on your history of shopping. I am intrigued to think about it this way, too. Thanks for posting!
Great post on chronicling your shopping habits. I finally feel like I have enough work attires, but now am confronted with “weatherproofing” my closet since we are moving to somewhere much warmer, all the time.
[...] loved reading Angeline’s post chronicling her shopping eras–totally identified with each one–and got stuck reading [...]