Does your heart quicken when you see new merchandise in neatly stacked piles? That’s one of the questions the heroine in ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’ (one of my favourite films) has to answer when admitting she has a problem.
The reason I love that film so much is that I can relate to the main character – for example buying something and then instantly feeling better, the hoarding and hiding of new purchases, and finally, the solemn belief that underwear IS a basic human right.
So for lent (you can see where this is going) I gave up shopping. Something more precious to me than chocolate, alcohol and smoking or any other vice you could think of. And I gave it up – total cold turkey – which means no buying clothes, shoes, bags, underwear, and make-up, ANYTHING until April 5th.
So far I am doing well and I haven’t bought a single thing. I am not saying that if someone waved ‘the perfect piece’ under my nose that I wouldn’t cave in and splash the cash but so far I love my new found willpower.
The reason I wanted to share this with you is that I have learnt some valuable lessons:
Firstly when ‘forced’ to walk into a shop (ok, ok I walked in of my own free will) the thing most likely to tempt me (other than a bargain) is brilliant visual merchandising. This season Jack Wills with their floral window displays have really tempted me - which is amazing considering I have never shopped there before. Zara have also managed to get it bang on this season in terms of the way their mannequins are dressed in store and nothing has impressed me more than the effortlessly cool way they have presented their spring ranges.
Secondly I have learnt that signing up to email alerts is really the cleverest marketing tool a store can use to tempt me. A store I can avoid somewhat easily but that message in my inbox every morning offering me 10%, 15% even 50% off new spring fashion is hard to resist. I have been opening the emails, agonizing over them and then deleting with a heavy heart. Because when Urban Outfitters say they miss me, it’s sad, but I kind of believe them.
However this hasn’t broken me, predominately because I am not looking for a cheap bargain that I will probably end up sending back but rather key investment pieces for summer that I can wear again and again to the office, at a weekend and on a night out.
Basically what I am trying to say is that when I am unleashed on the 5th April I will be looking for more ‘bang for my buck’ – so watch out retailers of the UK
Have you got an inspirational spring window? Are you having themed events or sales to mark the Queens ’ Jubilee or Olympics? If so WWB wants to hear about it. Please share your pictures with us on twitter at @wwbmagazine
Natalie Dawson, fashion writer, WWB magazine x
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