Despite smack in the middle of my 30 for 30 challenge, I still went out Black Friday shopping with a friend—I was bound and determined to not let the challenge restrict my social outlets as much as possible. We went out bright and early, did the whole lining-up-outside-the-store-before-it-opens thing, got some awesome freebies (free $20 REI giftcard? Yes, please!), and saw the madness and pandemonium caused by people shopping while half asleep. I poked around a bit, looking at clothing in my sections—just to see what was there!
However, I was impressed with neither the quality of sales nor the quality of clothing! Anything that was up to my expected level of quality was completely out of any reasonable price range. Do you guys find that as well? It seems that there is a fairly distinct line between cheapy clothing (Forever 21 and H&M spring to mind) verses nicer-quality items—and a very distinct pricing division as well. I miss going to the Goodwill! I love how I don’t have to sacrifice on quality AND I get great deals there, plus not having the same item that everyone else has. I was waiting in line in one teen clothing store with my friend and I saw so many people buy the exact same item…but where is the fun in that? Am I missing something? I understand that personal styling definitely comes into it, but how many different ways can you style a red plaid button down shirt with a hood? What do you guys think about buying the same distinctive item as everyone else?
I was pretty impressed with myself though—even though I did find one item I wanted to buy (gray Hue tights! A basic I need to replace!) I decided that they would fall under the ‘shopping’ category, not a ‘basics’ category (which would include items such as soap, food, and white basic socks), and I sadly put them back. Hopefully they will still be there when this no-buy is over!
Did you guys go out Black Friday shopping? Was there anything you had to pry yourself away from, or was it fairly easy for you to resist the temptation?
What do you think about having the exact same distinctive item as many other people? Helps/hinders/doesn’t affect personal style?
Shirt: Tricot Jolie via Plato's Closet layered on top of Underarmour via Goodwill
Pants: Martin & Osa via Goodwill
Scarf: Goodwill
Cardigan: Unknown via Goodwill donation pile
Shoes: Naturalizer via Goodwill
Good job holding off buying those tights. It won't be long now.
ReplyDeleteThe Auspicious Life
I really like how you did your hair in these pics!
ReplyDeleteI don't really like having a distinct item that everyone else has either, I think I gravitate towards more basic items that way my personal styling has more of an impact.
And I went shopping on black Friday, but the only thing that really appealed to me was actually at goodwill (I had to pry myself from a pair of shoes, but they were too big so it made it easier)
Lydia Marie--Haha, I wasn't strong enough to go to the Goodwill. My willpower isn't anywhere near that good! Thanks about the hair, too--this is the first time it's been long enough to do milkmaid braids! :)
ReplyDeleteLinda--Thanks! I know that if I caved now, I would feel terrible every time I looked at whatever I bought. It's only a bit longer!
You look so cute in these pictures! I wish we had a better goodwill palce around here.
ReplyDeleteI usually dont mind having the same things as other people but maybe thats because at my shcool half the people just wear jeans and a tshirt so i never see people wearing the same thing as me haha.
I went out black friday shopping but I only bought a scarf and pj bottoms. haha. and i was out from 11 pm till 4am.
<3Chelsea Elizabeth
I love the braids - I have to wait until I go home and have my sister do them for me again.
ReplyDeleteThese are great photos! Aren't Arc'teryx jackets the best ever for wet winter weather? D. and I both Fissions from a few years ago that have been indispensable in some serious storms (which we do get, even here in the mid-Atlantic!).
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how I feel about owning the same exact thing as a large group of other people. For example, when I first saw that EVERYONE was remixing the Ubiquitous $4 Target Skirt as part of this remix, I wasn't sure how to feel: on the one hand, it's adorable, and a part of me definitely was inspired by/(okay, I'll admit) wanted it. On the other hand, I felt a little like I'd be by definition unoriginal if I subsequently acquired it -- so I definitely had some negative feelings about having the same exact thing as "everyone else" (whoever "everyone else" is, anyway). I think one important thing to keep in mind, though, is that no matter how similar the items you pair it with, or how identical the specific item, no two people are ever going to style something the exact same way -- in part because their attitudes are going to be different and that affects how the garment appears and what they look like in it, and in part because bodies are never neutral -- and we perceive the item to be different depending on who is wearing it. That said, my father once noted that it took him ten years to convince himself that it was okay to buy a Ford Explorer because he had to decided it was alright to own something lots of other people had -- so I know I come from some strong personal biases against owning "duplicates" that I'm trying to interrogate here....
S--thanks for the fabulous comment! My jacket is actually Outdoor Research, but it is the same thing as Arc'teryx and it is FABULOUS! I managed to get a decent deal on it and I LOVE IT!!! Where I live it is usually raining, drizzling, snowing or just damp overall, and as this is my first really nice raincoat I have just been over the moon about it.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great commentary on the different emotions of wearing the same item as someone else. I remember that when I lived in France, the Hutta scarves were just becoming popular (the checkered square scarves that everyone was wearing for awhile) and I thought they were the coolest thing...until EVERYONE was wearing one, and then I no longer wanted my own at all. I still thought they were cool, but they were no longer 'special'. I agree that personal styling comes into it a lot, but I also think there is a limit to how different an item can look, especially if it is a very distinctive item.
uhm, where the heck did you geta free $20 REI gift card? i want!
ReplyDeleteugh, i have the same Steve Madden boots as everyone else and i swear i dont care. they look pretty much the same on everyone, too, so that kinda makes it worse. i DO care enough to not wear what i've dubbed the girls uniform of my small college town: North Face Denali (black, duh), leggings, UGGs. i will NEVER wear that, EVERYONE wears that!
katie--Haha, the REI store by my house had a deal where they handed out $20 gift cards to the first hundred people to enter the store, so I lined up early! The uniform at my college was pretty much the same and I never wore it either, lol.
ReplyDelete