It happens about once a year at full throttle for me. For others, it's seasonal, or on-going, or even so bad that it's a disease. You would think that being in one of the fashion capitals of the world, I would have lost all forms of control by now. But luckily, 6 years of steady practice and forced prioritization has ensured that my wallet doesn't lose an uphill battle to the daily sales and beckoning purses in the window display.
Yes, we're talking about shopping.
Shopping is like a game to me. Some days it's serious, focused, targeted, like a First Person Shooter. I need no distractions, no company, just me and my mission. Other days it's like I'm Mario, bouncing along and exploring underground caves or the clouds, whichever strike my fancy, and picking up random items along the way. And then some days it's like being stuck in Myst, where everything you see is interesting (or not) and all you can do is gawk, touch, and walk away.
My days are different and my moods constantly vary, so shopping can be a strange type of play that alternates throughout the year. But in seasons like this one, in the transition between spring to summer, and remnants of the winter wardrobe are still hanging in the ultra-clearance rack, I'm led to believe that I've hit the jackpot.
The urge is uncontrollable, and luckily I am a smart shopper (thanks Mom). Like gaming, you pick the assets or weapons you need the most. Maybe you're planning ahead and want to have that amazing vest in your arsenal for later, or maybe you know that the blue dress is much more unnerving to wear in a bar, can knock your opposing sex off a bar stool, and you want that power tonight. Like gaming, you consider who you're with, the wolf pack you're going to run with for the evening. If everyone has nunchucks, will I pick up the machine gun instead? Absolutely. Buy hot red dress--check. If I'm a night elf and I usually run with the gnomes, will I really need these stilettos? Probably not, let's vouch for the flats. Like gaming, will I really weigh my decision on the use of the ONE item in question? Hardly. I'll purchase a handful of clearance, out of season outfits, refurbish all of them by accenting them with in season or older pieces in my closet. Then nobody can say that I look like a walking sale sign, wearing all the unwanted tank tops with all the unwanted skirts. You never just throw a mushroom, you hit star power first, ride the ramps, hit the lightning bolt and then throw the mushrooms. You need to plan your wardrobe as you're building your wardrobe.
Fun and games aside, the major reason for this post was a sudden revelation this year as to how and why I shop the way I shop. I've only recently started prescribing the experience of shopping to gaming for myself. But lately, in a search for the perfect dress for an upcoming wedding, I realized that I choose meticulously not only for the cliched reason of defining myself, but defining my moment.
I have approximately 25 dresses I could call "dressy" or wedding/formal appropriate. Let's not even consider the casual dresses, or the hundreds of shoes, or near 60 pairs of pants/jeans/slacks I have. In searching for a new dress for this wedding where I really don't know anyone, nobody has seen me or my wardrobe before, I still refuse to recycle one of the 25 currently in my closet. Why? Because apparently, I build my memories around my dress, and anymore than two events per dress diminishes the worth of that moment for me.
True story. I have only worn my dresses (so far) twice. There may have been some random events in between that they were able to sneak and steal out for the night, but in grand totality, each dress hanging in my closet has only ever made an appearance twice, MAYBE three times at most. At the end of the day and years down the road, I look back and say, wow I had a wonderful time. And I wore THIS dress.
Below is a sampling from my closet and from some of my fondest memories and benchmarks of my life. These were all carefully picked for the occasions, defined how I felt and wanted to feel at those particular special days and nights--sassy, classy, outstanding, typical.
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