Retail Therapy

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

So here I am with some more CDs. You know how I said that I liked writing to work through my problems etc. etc. WELL THAT WAS A LIE. I like SHOPPING. In this case the problem was nothing more than having to do the work I am contractually meant to do and still I went out and spent. It is CLASSIC say I but what about you?

― Tom, Tuesday, 14 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Do you even need to ask me this question? Upon going thru my closet recently to decide what I wanted to rid clutter / get money, I happened upon the fact that I own:

5 of the exact pairs of jeans

4 different shirts that I have two of (does that make sense? 4 pairs of duplicate)

83 black tank tops

About 23 shirts I didn't know I owned, plus a few dresses

― Ally, Tuesday, 14 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Astoundingly classic. Good way to work through emotional crud -- concentrate on gorgeous little things, whether food, CDs or cool used paperbacks. Or whatever. Of course, you don't need the emotional crud to still enjoy shopping.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 14 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like stuff. So I buy it. It doesn't have to be therapeutic, unless it's a fat northern comedian annihilation device. Endorsed by science.

― DG, Tuesday, 14 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Classic nor dud. It maybe empty your wallet and fill your house, it won't take away the problems. I occasionally like to go on a shopping spree but only very rarely. But mostly it's when I feel really sick (migraine).

― nathalie (nathalie), Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Classic to a goddamn fault. Of COURSE it doesn't solve the "big" problem - it just distracts you from it long enough to realize that you have another problem (involving tight finances). It's like whacking your hand to take attention away from your headache. And shopping is great for diffusing stupid shit problems that really aren't problems (like when you're bored or pissy).

Writing just reminds me of my problems.

"The problem of leisure / What to do for pleasure / Ideal love, a new purchase / A market of the senses"

― David Raposa, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Both. Yesterday lunchtime it failed miserably as Oxford Street was about 100 degrees, seething with tourists and the shop didn't have my size. However yesterday after work I got my top somewhere else and it cheered me up for, ooh, 15 minutes. It will cheer me up again the first time I wear it too (for about 15 minutes). It is a very fleeting pleasure.

― Emma, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You people - don't you realise you are the lackeys of capitalism. Buying stuff will not make your life better, merely more full of stuff. And when you move house that equals a hernia. Retail therapy leads to back problems in later life therefore dud.

If you have to spend money then spend it on beer, food or drugs. You can't take it with you after all.

― Pete, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Speaking of which, I must check my eBay auctions! Retail is obviously wonderful - eBay being the height of online madness. I love it.

― Sarah, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I went out and spent about £150 on assorted cheap tat from Hennes and Zara yesterday. I feel immeasurably better. I also bought a Rod Stewart CD, which has provoked conflicting emotions.

― Nick, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Woohoo! Look what I won! A Monkichi ID wallet!!! Only $10.75 with shipping! I love eBay. Curse you Billpoint!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

If any of you want to indulge in retail therapy please do it in Arcadia stores as then I might get a pay rise. I will of course then buy you a beer with my new found wealth. Thank you.

― Emma, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Maybe if Arcadia stores stocked more Monkichi goods instead of the same Hello Kitty stuff one can get better versions of in Chinatown anyway... and more Bad Badtz! Get rid of My fecking Melody! She sucks!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Arcadia Stores are sexist - I'm not shopping there until Evans Pour Homme is introduced.

― Tom, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have already explained this Tom. Men don't do clothes shopping properly so there is no money to be had from them.

― Emma, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Like I'm supposed to believe the platitudes uttered by their corporate mouthpiece?

― Tom, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Listen, matey, it is SCIENCE FACT that most of men's clothes are bought for them by women. And I am not a corporate mouthpiece.

― Emma, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

B-but Emma, are you suggesting that wives and mothers actually buy their men WOMEN'S CLOTHES?

― Nick, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

OK though imagine Isabel is on a shopping trip. She can go to Evans to get fashionable Arcadia Group clothes for the hem hem larger woman. Nice one, sorted. Now she thinks, a ha, it is time I bought my slovenly boyfriend a new pair of TROUSERS. Where can she go?? Nowhere in the Arcadia Group unless she wants chinos in some outlandish colour from Burtons.

EVANS POUR HOMME!

― Tom, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I prefer 'Mr Evans' or 'Man at Evans'. You people seem to think I run the company rather than being a lowly minion.

― Emma, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Shopping with blokes is rubbish! My friend Matty says that stylish men find exciting fashion potential in the small details, ie, round neck vs. v neck, and the different subtle shades of grey. However, for the gurl accompanying said bloke, the gender gap proves itself once more to be gaping wide. I do not know how I would dress if I were a boy.

Hmm there's an idea - if you were of the opposite sex, how do you think you'd dress?

― Sarah, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ten years ago, men read magazines about cars and their beauty routine was shit, shower, shave. Now they follow the fitness regimes in GQ and use the Clinique 3-step system. Well, maybe not all of them, but still. I agree, Tom, Evans Pour Homme and a men's BB section in H&M. Actually, just a men's section of a decent size in most branches of H&M would be a step forward.

What was the question again? Oh yes, retail therapy. It's like chocolate therapy. A quick high followed by nagging guilt. At least you can keep the receipt and take your clothes back to the shop. You can't really vom up your Dime bar on the counter and ask for a refund, can you?

― Madchen, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ah, but I read in yesterday's Daily Express that the male grooming trend is on the way out.

I'm not going to mention any names, but a certain friend of mine, who I buy a lot of clothes for, has panic/anger attacks when shopping for clothes for himself. Many tear have been shed on Oxford street. And since I abuse retail therapy, I can't afford to pay my phone bill this month. Retail Therapy falls with a satisfying thud into the DUD bin.

― marianna, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

If men were following fitness regimes in GQ they would have no need for Evans Geezer (unless they were following them like I follow regimes in Zest, i.e. tailoring them to suit my special fags 'n' booze needs). How can male grooming be out? It never came in as far as I'd noticed. Unless hair gel counts as grooming.

― Emma, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What about enormous rugby players eh? GQ approves of them and they would need Evans Bloke.

― Tom, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

NON-EXPENSIVE DRESSING OPTIONS FOR MEN = COMPLETE TOTAL UTTER EVIL RUBBISH. Everything is brown and ugly: at best grey. Beau Brummel shd be dug up and shot and buried again. Fawn!! Beige!! These so-called "colours" are crimes against the entire history of human culture!!!!

― mark s, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mark S, what are you on about? Have you never been to Hennes. Most of the stock is pink!

― Nick, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

and costs 5p

― Nick, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Nick, that's the ladies department. Get out!

― Emma, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

hennes = ok. tho does not always exactly cater to my grotesque and bloated uberbody, plus everything falls apart after abt 45 seconds of getting it home

― mark s, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

YES IT DOES - I am saying this as my functional black top has now revealed itself to be splitting apart at the sleeve therefore making me paranoid and unable to reach upwards for anything in case of it falling off entirely.

Note to self, miss rush hour strap hanging at hometime. And wear cardigan.

CARDIGAN may I add is from M&S tho originally got from market stall in Preston yonks ago. No holes. M&S = quality, if mingy.

― Sarah, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

M&S is not quality, after leaving the house I noticed that the hem on my skirt is coming down therefore I have had to spend the day looking like a tramp.

― Emma, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hennes would be grate, it being cheap and good, but my odd shape means that very few of their clothes seem to fit me properly.

― Richard Tunnicliffe, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No clothes I've ever bought have fallen apart, unless you count some Jigsaw moleskin jeans whose hem came unstitched. This could because my body is not the kind that puts undue pressure on fabric. It's a bit boring actually - it means I still own 10 year old jeans and have to rely on fashion as an excuse to buy new stuff.

― Nick, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh, yes. Classic. Of course, I usually have no money, so I don't get to do it often. (Going and sitting in a bookstore for several hours usually helps.) Also, I get rid of lots of things, so my closet doesn't get that cluttered, and I never have duplicate clothes.

― Lyra, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Today I bought the Transformers: All Fall Down, signed by Simon Furman and Andy Wildman. I will always enjoy buying stuff, though not clothes, for me they will always take the role of inferior birthday or Christams present...jel aged 10: "oh clothes, yuck, you coulda given me the money instead"...

― jel, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I just got paid today, I'm all sniffy with a cold... the paycheck is not long for this world.

― matthew, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's the longstanding, established way I deal with stress so classic. Dud in that it makes me worry about finances most of the time.

Monday night I scored a flawless long silk Lanvin dress, early 70's, for $25. There's a hand written label along the back seam which I think makes it couture. I went with three friends to the home of a woman who buys/sells vintage and we tried on everything-clothes, hats and shoes from the 40's on.
Many bottles of wine were consumed and we sat around and talked till 3am, group therapy.
I gave up shopping for men's clothes with my last boyfriend, I didn't want to change the brands or styles of clothes he wore, just replace them with newer, less beat up pieces. He'd get hysterical whenever I'd pull something off a rack and suggest trying it on.

― Lesley Higgins, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That sounds like a fun trip.

― Lyra, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I am upset and disturbed today. I bought myself a new pair of jeans from the Gap, two push up bras, a low-rider thong, and a purple tank top. I might be upset and disturbed but muthafucka, I'm going to look good tonight.

― Ally, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

If I do *have* to go clothes shopping...the best stores are Madhouse, My. Byrite (best Haiwian shirts), that jeans shop next to HMV on Oxford Street and TK Maxx, coz they have some really odd items. What is Arcadia?

― jel, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Arcadia = multibrand conglomerate including Burton/Top Shop/Dorothy Perkins/Evans and other such high street clothiers.

― Richard Tunnicliffe, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Thanks Richard!

― jel, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"The problem of leisure / What to do for pleasure / Ideal love, a new purchase / A market of the senses"

Too bad they were shrinkwrapped in dud colours after Entertainment.

Today I bought Be Bop Deluxe; Turbonegro CD and a book on Art in The Twentieth Century. The hole hasn't been filled yet. I need more...more...more.

― nathalie, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I went to a friend's house and she has more stuff crammed into one room than I have ever seen. Every surface is covered. Things are hidden inside other things. It's incredible. She never gets rid of anything and buys whenever she can. And the sign on the wall says, "Materialism is deadly. Religion is forever!"

― Lyra, Wednesday, 15 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

This is how bad of a shopping addict I am. Remember how in my last post on this thread I claimed to buy a purple tank top? I didn't. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT I BOUGHT TEN MINUTES AFTER BUYING IT!

― Ally, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I put myself through a rigorous course of retail therapy for much of last year, it was great and helped a lot. Unfortunately now I am utterly and horribly skint and I want to buy some new spanky duds for sobbing out loud.

― cabbage, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ocaasional horrid thought that charges through the mind of DG: One day I'll be dead! What'll happen to all my stuff?

― DG, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You can take it with you when you go, DG.

― Tim, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm going to do retail therapy again today, during lunch break, because my mom just emailed me the following:

"Dad's new name is Mr. Powerballs".

Argh.

― Ally, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I go through phases where I spend $20-40 a day on CDs, books or small items that I suddenly decide I must own. It usually is when I'm bored or depressed, I guess. Now, I've got so much stuff in my apartment that I'm not sure I can own much more. I'm not sure I need much more. I'm basically content. And, now, I realize that I need to concentrate on doing something with my DAY that will fulfill me and keep me interested and happy rather than buying new items to fixate on for a day or two. I make a lot of money but I am really in a rut with my job, it seems. I think I was born to be in control of a lot of stuff, otherwise I'm just bored.

― Nude Spock, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Nick, it would be sweet heaven for me if all my clothes lasted 10 years+. I hope you're not complaining. Hennes is H&M, right? I bought some clothes in there once; they have this scary system where you take a tag into the changing rooms saying how many items you are carrying. Someone told me they have that in most clothes shops now, I had no idea.

― Ally C, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Why is it scary?

― Ally, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ally C is scared of numbers.

― Nick, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm scared of the H&M dressing rooms, I've never gone far enough to see the scary numbers. I mean, honestly, the lines! You have to stand there for a half hour on a nonbusy day.

― Ally, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Get there for opening time on a Saturday morning, dash round the shop supermarket sweep style picking up a huge armful of things there's a remote possibility you might buy, it'll be too early to queue to try them on or pay and then you can go home and flop in bed all afternoon to compensate for the horrific early start.

― Madchen, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That's actually a dastardly good plot. My normal mode of operation is buy piles of things, take them home, try them on, then bring back everything I dislike or can't fit into. It's too time consuming and makes for confusing credit bill reconciliation.

Oh, and has anyone else noticed that H&M stocks bizarre sizes? I don't mean it like all they stock is size 0, I mean like you find a skirt you like. You need a size 6. They have 27 size 8s, and NO OTHER SIZE. They only stock one random size for each item of clothing, I think. Or is this just an H&M NYC phenomenon?

― Ally, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No, they can be like that in London too, esp. at sale time. Zara is as bad. I think poor stock control = cheap prices. That's the trade off.

― Nick, Sunday, 19 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.