Shopping!

I am not a person who considers shopping a hobby.  Or an activity that one does for fun.  Like, if somebody asks me about my interests, I’d never say “shopping.”  I also don’t tend to like doing “shopping” as a social activity.  When I shop, really shop, I shop alone.

So, I’ve been feeling lately like I hate my clothes.  As I was doing some knitting this morning (for it is true that I do a lot of thinking while knitting), it hit me: I hate my clothes because I haven’t been on a real wardrobe-renewing fall/winter shopping spree for like 3 or 4 years!  Indeed, I’m still wearing a lot of clothes that I bought when I was 20 lbs. heavier!  No wonder I feel like my clothes are stupid.

But then I was knitting, and then I had to go to campus and do some student meetings, and then I needed to come home and finish the hat I was knitting and start on the scarf to go with it.  But then, as I was knitting this afternoon, I remembered: Macy’s is having a big sale.  I love a sale. And I had a 20% off coupon.

So at like 5:30, I ventured off.  And I thought to myself, “Self?  You need to do some serious shopping.  And it’s ok if you spend a lot of money if you find stuff that’s awesome.”  (Note: normally when I go shopping I cap myself at like $100 or $150, and I only go shopping like every three months.  So giving myself a bigger budget is an unusual thing.)

And I hit the jackpot!!!!

What I bought:

• A pair of dark brown flat boots.  (Kind of like a cross between the “riding boot” trend and the “biker boot” trend – Guess? brand)
• A gorgeous mustard-y colored leather bag.  (Did I “need” a new purse for fall/winter?  Probably not.  But This bag looks FABULOUS with the hat that I knitted and the scarf that I’m now knitting.  And I needed a change.)
• An amazing slouchy zip-up mock-turtle-neck cardigan, in brown and cream.
• Jeans.

(The above were my most expensive purchases)

• A green jean-skirt that I do sort of regret (it has rhinestones on the back pockets), but it was only 11 dollars.
• 3 pairs of earrings (which are beautiful).
• A navy slouchy sweatery thing to be worn over a tank-top.
• A “little black dress” that looks AMAZING on.
• two tank-toppy things that will be great with jeans under a jacket in winter, and great with skirts in the summer.
• A black short-sleeved top.

I tried on approximately 10K more things than this, but I was being selective.

And yes, I spent “a lot” for me… around $310.00.  Let’s note that about $130 of that was just on the boots and the bag.

If I had bought all of these things at full price?  I’d have spent $750.

So not ONLY did I buy lots of amazing things (excepting, probably, that dumb $11 green skirt that I already regret), but I ALSO get to feel virtuous because had I been shopping irresponsibly I’d only have gotten boots, the purse, and the green skirt for what I spent.

Yay for conspicuous consumption!  Yay for buying things on sale!  Yay!