accounting



I found myself at Front Row, a shop which carries a range of labels including A.P.C., this morning. I've never bought anything from A.P.C. before, because it's not easy to find their things in Singapore.

This dress I bought was marked down to S$110 from S$370, which was great, and I was pleased because the cotton felt like a dream, the cut was a perfect fit, and unlike most white dresses, it was well-lined and the layers of fabric felt luxurious.




I was bemused to see that a shift dress in printed cotton was priced the same and marked down for less, and the thin material could only be described as nonsense, given the price.

I wondered if it was a price distortion by the distributor. Because how could two things from the same label so different in quality be priced the same? Am I naive to expect the price to reflect quality, even within the same label?

I also bought a blouse at Zara, adding to my Zara sale haul. Is is any wonder that I rarely buy clothes from Zara at full price anymore, when I know certain items will definitely be marked down?




Total haul since the sales began in December:
- Two blouses
- One pair of trousers
- One cardigan
- One jacket
- One pullover
- One dress
- One bag

This is in itself, a very adequate wardrobe, which the begs the question of whether I should from now resist further purchases unless necessary. I have flirted with the idea of a shopping ban before (inspired by bloggers like enc and editor), but simply lack the courage to do it because I hate to fail. Moreover, I am reluctant to admit that I lack the necesary self-control to resist indulging and I comfort myself often buy saying that it's not like I don't make regular savings or am in debt.

But I am uncomfortable with the fact that I am buying new clothing when I have a whole closet full of clothing I love - it doesn't seem rational to me. As someone who prides herself on being more reasonable than most, I think it's time to face facts and simply stop buying new things for at least six months, unless it's underwear, socks, or shoes.

By now, I have built up a wardrobe with a good foundation, so I have no reason to shop. Since reason has failed to rein me in, I have to make a moral commitment to not break a promise to myself.

Comments

Elizabeth said…
Happy New Year!

I wonder if you took your ban one day at a time, instead of six months at a time, if you'd have success?

I bet you would.
Ammu said…
Good for you! The longest I have gone without buying anything is 3 months, and it really helped de-clutter my brain and refine my buying choices. The APC dress seems like a good buy, especially in such a warm country. I like the blouse too. Can see both fitting seamlessly into your wardrobe.
Victoria said…
Great sales haul, you've picked some really fantastic pieces. Love the apc dress, I've found the quality to be variable too although for the most part their clothes are very well made.

A 6 month ban seems pretty drastic! I tend to do shorter 'seasonal' bans, so say if I have my spring wardrobe sorted then I won't buy anything until summer. Good luck!
yanqin said…
enc: Thanks, it's been a reasonably happy one, 11 days into the year :)

Doing it one day at a time is a an interesting idea, I hadn't thought of it...I settled on six months because it fits in with my "buying cycle" of shopping in bursts, haha.

-h: I love the design of Zara blouses, though sometimes I find them lacking in quality, but there are definitely wonderful buys for the right price.

I think my wardrobe isn't austere by any standards, which is why it feels like a good time to set some limits...it also coincides with a desire to be more fiscally responsible, and clothing is a good place to start. But yes, I know I shouldn't beat myself up over one of the more pleasurable things in life (fashion).

Ammu: Three months sounds good to me, especially if you are living in a country with seasonal changes and there are far more urges for new things :) Have you done so again since?

Victoria: Does six months sound really long? Maybe I need to rethink this, haha. But I settled on it because I do tend to shop more every six months, and the buying I do in between is usually more impulse-driven and usually unnecessary.

Seasonal bans sound very sensible to me, though does a change in season become an excuse to buy?
Ammu said…
I haven't since - but I have become much more discerning and tend to give myself a while before buying anything, so I think the ban helped me break some bad habits - buying without taking utility or context into account. Also, now my closet is pretty complete, so, although I still fall in love with things all the time, it's become harder to justify buying more.

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