Hello, Gorgeous!
I received some DMs over the past few days from readers wondering when I’d be posting the best Amazon Prime Days (daze?) deals. One earnest writer said that she had such a hard time sifting through all the endless sales and was counting on me to help. I had to let her down this year to take better care of myself. Maybe we all do.
When everything — even self-care — seems to become part of the endless Black Friday frenzy, it’s probably a good idea to step back for a moment or two.
The September issue (in October, too!)
Remember the September issues of fashion magazines? They were heavy as a brick and loaded with so much sumptuous fashion and accessories that it could take hours to devour. But the idea of elevated fall fashion seems to be a thing of the past.
I clicked into Vogue.com yesterday and noticed (with a hint of schadenfreude) the whiff of flea market vibe wafting off their breathless coverage of Prime Day deals and discounts. I’m fully aware of the cultural shift from hoch fashion to BUY THIS BUY THIS energy. Some of my editors insist on it. But we’re overwhelmed with the noise and constant exhortations to spend a fortune to save a few bucks.
When everything’s on sale, nothing really is
About a decade ago, I worked with fashion industry legend Ezra Dabah of Nina Shoes, on the branding and launch of Kidpik, a mix-and-match monthly kids’ fashion box.
One of the many things I learned from Ezra was his disdain for the idea of sales, which, in his opinion, lowered the overall value of the items being sold and eroded consumer trust. Instead, with Kidpik, the Children’s Place and The Disney Store’s former owner chose to offer consistently beautiful clothing at consistently affordable prices, which seems like the opposite of what we face now with huge markups followed by huger sales.
I didn’t shop, I didn’t share
Here’s the thing, I really wanted a new step counter and Prime day would have been a perfect time to splurge, but I felt forced by the endless exhortations to spend to save. I also considered upgrading my phone. Considered it, but didn’t do it. I made a conscious choice not to shop and not to write about it either.
Some people use Prime Day as a way to ease into holiday gift buying, while others are in it for the beauty deals. My disconnecting from the sale-a-thon and its copycats everywhere from Target to Best Buy was another layer of taking a tech sabbath. Tuning out so I could be more mindful in the future. Will it last? Your guess is as good as mine.
Paring down my haul
A few months back, the highly talented Dawn Papandrea interviewed me for U.S. News & World Report for a feature about capsule wardrobes. While I don’t personally subscribe to the idea of only a few go-to basics, I have been seriously cutting down my own wardrobe over the past year (how many black pencil skirts do I really need?). After years of struggling with decluttering, I realized I had to commit to not re-cluttering. And that might be part of the challenge.
So no judgments at all from me if you bought everything in sight and enough toilet paper to last you til next Prime Day. This isn’t about never buying anything again or withholding what’s splurge-worthy. It’s just about me choosing not to add to the noise - this time.
So did you shop til you dropped…what did you score?
Rachel, Your beauty concierge 💋
I don't have a Prime account. I like shopping locally or directly through a vendor's site.