I've been shopping way too much lately - I just tabulated the total amount spent on clothes alone this month and I am rather appalled at myself. :(
After all, why would I need 25 new pieces of clothes every month??
I'm no fashionista, much as I imagine myself one. Neither am I some hot-shot PR girl whose appearance must precede her. Or some well-turned out magazine writer who has to walk the talk.
If anything, all I'm required to do is turn up every morning at work. What I wear is more or less up to me, and it very much depends on the main agenda for the day. So on days with meetings that require me to be in the presence of senior management, I put on a more formal dress or pencil skirt. On days that I'm doing something that requires those creative juices to flowwww, I throw together something more...fun. On slow days where there simply isn't much to do, I pull out the first thing I see in my wardrobe and leave it as that. (Of course, my wardrobe is already so well-stocked with pretty pieces that pulling any "random item" out is rather a safe bet in itself.) In short - my job doesn't require me to be all dolled up.
There are way more important things to do with my salary.
Things I should be saving up for, and investments I should be making.
The thing is, shopping of this scale has been unprecedented for me... Up to the point where I discovered the Blog Shop.
People who take their fashion seriously may thumb their noses at the sheer massness of the blog shop, but I do not discriminate (much, that is).
Blog shop designs are "inspired" from high-street labels, which are themselves already products ripped off the runway. As it is, I happen to belong to the camp that believes that fashion should be accessible, so I am glad that I have discovered this particular avenue of shopping.
What makes blog shopping so accessible and addictive can be put down to three very straightforward reasons.
1) Prices that are "very reasonable"
Ask yourself: how often have you told yourself, "$27 for this Zara-inspired dress is very reasonable, especially when the original at Zara is retailing for $79.90!"
I'll be the first to admit that I repeat this phrase to myself at least once a week, whenever a new collection is launched. Even if a piece isn't "inspired", it doesn't deter me from wanting to get myself a bargain-priced item or two... Or four or five.
This is but one of the many "inspired" designs I'd bought off a local blog shop in recent times.
What I have here is a Zara "inspired" top from Catwalkclose, all mine for the fabulous price of SGD$18.00!
With the intricate pleated neckline and the beautiful shade of vermillion - I hardly cared if I saw the original Zara piece myself.
Image credits to: http://catwalkclose.livejournal.com/71161.html#cutid1
So you can sort of see how the math adds up, and how one might lose track of how many pieces of value-for-money apparel one might end up stocking up on.
Case in point: me.
From last week to this, I have bought 8 items from one of my favourite local blog shops, Her Velvet Vase.
EIGHT. From just one shop.
Some of my fabulous aforementioned buys include:
This super cute on-trend red faux leather skirt for SGD$24.00.
Perfect for days at work when I want to exude a tougher biker-girl vibe.
(Trust me, there are days when I need to look like I can't be taken for a joy-ride.)
Image credits to: http://hervelvetvase.com/blog/category/latest-collection/
A dreamy chiffon maxi in one of Fall 2011's favourite colours - a deep red - for SGD$29.00.
For my upcoming beach honeymoon in the Phi Phi islands.
Image credits to: http://hervelvetvase.com/blog/category/latest-collection/
This delectable laced confection for SGD$25.00.
Laced anything is so Fall 2010 and Spring 2011, and this elegant and subtly sexy trend seems set to continue for yet another 6 months, if Fall 2011 is anything to go by.
Me? I don't need the trend reports to tell me that I should get some lace.
Lace and me are this close.
Even my wedding gown is made completely of lace (and here, I have to state that I've wanted to get married in a vintage lace wedding gown WAY before the Duchess of Cambridge made thousands of ladies scramble to hop onto the lace wedding gown band wagon with her specially designed Sarah Burton creation.)
Image credits to: http://hervelvetvase.com/blog/category/archives/
2) Access 24/7, from the screen of your smart phone to the desktop at work
I can shop while I'm on the train (if my fingers are fast enough), I can shop from the comfort of my own soft bed, I can shop (very sneakily) from the desktop during office hours. I can shop first thing when I get up in the morning at 6:30AM, I can shop during lunch hour at 12PM, I can shop while whiling away some downtime at work at 3:15PM, I can shop after dinner at 8PM, I can shop myself to sleep when I'm plagued by insomnia at 2:45AM.
Need I say more?
3) New items that are added practically weekly
Local blog shops re-stock their digital shop fronts almost every week. Most girls who frequent online stores have at least 5 that they frequent. (I personally have a list of 7 blog shops that I loyally purchase from every month or so.) That would place at least 15-30 new products within the easy mouseclick of the average girl in a single week alone.
Now, which human being does not like new things?
The pretty pack of rainbow coloured magic pens you got when you were 5, and refused to surrender to that younger sister albeit your mother's frequent reminders to share? How about the new Barbie you spotted at Toys'R'Us and you so desperately wanted when you were 7, that you begged your daddy for it and he only promised to buy it for you when you get that A+ in spelling?
Yeah - that's exactly it.
To even further illustrate, here's my schedule of my own list of personal favourite blog shops that have "launched" new "collections" (oh yes, there's a whole lingua de franca in this whole blog shopping experience as well) over the last week or so:
18 August: The Tinsel Rack
20 August: Megagamie
23 August: The Velvet Dolls
24 August: Her Velvet Vase
25 August: Love, Bonito
There're new stuff available to be bought almost every day. This seemingly neverending shopping spree I get to partake in is scary... and unimaginably fun. :P
Add the sense of achievement one is saturated with upon securing that coveted dress that (presumably) 100 other girls are snatching for with fastest-typing-fingers-first, and the well-put together outfits from the labels of the blog shop owners themselves that these savvy business ladies have published on their blogs that normal ladies want to emulate (and believe they can achieve since these very same pieces of clothing are being sold by the dozens)..
And you have a winning formula!
Who then, can blame me for falling into such a winsome past-time?
Nonetheless, addictive past-time or no, I think I have to cut down on my expenditure in this aspect.
Although, I have to admit that procuring clothes in this way is extremely stress-relieving on top of being addictive.
Those well-turned-out ladies with the business sense to have bought into the trend when they did of operating a blog shop certainly got their formula right ;)
Budgeting is key, and knowing my priorities.
As is keeping track of my expenditure. There is something absolutely frightening in tabulating the total amount I have spent on online shopping in a month - but I force myself to do it anyway cos it makes me keep track of things and forces me to be aware of reality.
I'm done with shopping for the next 3 weeks.
1) Prices that are "very reasonable"
Ask yourself: how often have you told yourself, "$27 for this Zara-inspired dress is very reasonable, especially when the original at Zara is retailing for $79.90!"
I'll be the first to admit that I repeat this phrase to myself at least once a week, whenever a new collection is launched. Even if a piece isn't "inspired", it doesn't deter me from wanting to get myself a bargain-priced item or two... Or four or five.
This is but one of the many "inspired" designs I'd bought off a local blog shop in recent times.
What I have here is a Zara "inspired" top from Catwalkclose, all mine for the fabulous price of SGD$18.00!
With the intricate pleated neckline and the beautiful shade of vermillion - I hardly cared if I saw the original Zara piece myself.
Image credits to: http://catwalkclose.livejournal.com/71161.html#cutid1
So you can sort of see how the math adds up, and how one might lose track of how many pieces of value-for-money apparel one might end up stocking up on.
Case in point: me.
From last week to this, I have bought 8 items from one of my favourite local blog shops, Her Velvet Vase.
EIGHT. From just one shop.
Some of my fabulous aforementioned buys include:
This super cute on-trend red faux leather skirt for SGD$24.00.
Perfect for days at work when I want to exude a tougher biker-girl vibe.
(Trust me, there are days when I need to look like I can't be taken for a joy-ride.)
Image credits to: http://hervelvetvase.com/blog/category/latest-collection/
A dreamy chiffon maxi in one of Fall 2011's favourite colours - a deep red - for SGD$29.00.
For my upcoming beach honeymoon in the Phi Phi islands.
Image credits to: http://hervelvetvase.com/blog/category/latest-collection/
This delectable laced confection for SGD$25.00.
Laced anything is so Fall 2010 and Spring 2011, and this elegant and subtly sexy trend seems set to continue for yet another 6 months, if Fall 2011 is anything to go by.
Me? I don't need the trend reports to tell me that I should get some lace.
Lace and me are this close.
Even my wedding gown is made completely of lace (and here, I have to state that I've wanted to get married in a vintage lace wedding gown WAY before the Duchess of Cambridge made thousands of ladies scramble to hop onto the lace wedding gown band wagon with her specially designed Sarah Burton creation.)
Image credits to: http://hervelvetvase.com/blog/category/archives/
2) Access 24/7, from the screen of your smart phone to the desktop at work
I can shop while I'm on the train (if my fingers are fast enough), I can shop from the comfort of my own soft bed, I can shop (very sneakily) from the desktop during office hours. I can shop first thing when I get up in the morning at 6:30AM, I can shop during lunch hour at 12PM, I can shop while whiling away some downtime at work at 3:15PM, I can shop after dinner at 8PM, I can shop myself to sleep when I'm plagued by insomnia at 2:45AM.
Need I say more?
3) New items that are added practically weekly
Local blog shops re-stock their digital shop fronts almost every week. Most girls who frequent online stores have at least 5 that they frequent. (I personally have a list of 7 blog shops that I loyally purchase from every month or so.) That would place at least 15-30 new products within the easy mouseclick of the average girl in a single week alone.
Now, which human being does not like new things?
The pretty pack of rainbow coloured magic pens you got when you were 5, and refused to surrender to that younger sister albeit your mother's frequent reminders to share? How about the new Barbie you spotted at Toys'R'Us and you so desperately wanted when you were 7, that you begged your daddy for it and he only promised to buy it for you when you get that A+ in spelling?
Yeah - that's exactly it.
To even further illustrate, here's my schedule of my own list of personal favourite blog shops that have "launched" new "collections" (oh yes, there's a whole lingua de franca in this whole blog shopping experience as well) over the last week or so:
18 August: The Tinsel Rack
20 August: Megagamie
23 August: The Velvet Dolls
24 August: Her Velvet Vase
25 August: Love, Bonito
There're new stuff available to be bought almost every day. This seemingly neverending shopping spree I get to partake in is scary... and unimaginably fun. :P
Add the sense of achievement one is saturated with upon securing that coveted dress that (presumably) 100 other girls are snatching for with fastest-typing-fingers-first, and the well-put together outfits from the labels of the blog shop owners themselves that these savvy business ladies have published on their blogs that normal ladies want to emulate (and believe they can achieve since these very same pieces of clothing are being sold by the dozens)..
And you have a winning formula!
Who then, can blame me for falling into such a winsome past-time?
Nonetheless, addictive past-time or no, I think I have to cut down on my expenditure in this aspect.
Although, I have to admit that procuring clothes in this way is extremely stress-relieving on top of being addictive.
Those well-turned-out ladies with the business sense to have bought into the trend when they did of operating a blog shop certainly got their formula right ;)
Budgeting is key, and knowing my priorities.
As is keeping track of my expenditure. There is something absolutely frightening in tabulating the total amount I have spent on online shopping in a month - but I force myself to do it anyway cos it makes me keep track of things and forces me to be aware of reality.
I'm done with shopping for the next 3 weeks.
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