On Shopping & Fashion

Above: Lizzie Fortunato for Madewell

Below: Liking the print/ textile design on these shorts, also by Madewell.

Detail of print, photo courtesy of Judah Ross


So, recently someone said to me "I was reading your blog, I like it, you are kind of a shopper, aren't you?"

Readers: please don't get me wrong! This comment was very sweet and very much appreciated. I'm always surprised & pleased to run into someone who reads my blog but this statement also left me feeling a bit embarrassed. It's true. I am a shopper. Blogging makes it really easy to find great items out there that you convince yourself you need to have (which you often don't). Being able to buy so many of these things online, makes it even easier to consume. Point. Click.You are done & your wallet/ debit account is suddenly lighter.

Due to the nature of my husband's job, I usually accompany him to several art openings/events a year, and I feel pressure to look good. Most of these events are social events; people are not just checking out the art. This is after all Los Angeles- La-la land. Land of all that is superficial and rife with conspicuous consumption. So yes, I shop. I enjoy dressing, and putting together an outfit.

But I don't want to be known as just a shopper, or my blog to be just about shopping.
I hope my blog does not come off that way. This blog is not entirely an art blog, design blog, or photography blog. It contains all of these elements. I do think I have a good eye- and I enjoy posting on various objects, art, and clothing design.

Essentially what it comes down to is I don't want to be thought of as being superficial. A silly woman who spends an inordinate amount of time and money on clothing. Many of the posts I do on clothing...I don't actually end up purchasing the items. Sometimes I am dreaming & coveting, other times I'm inspired by the design (like the last image above - another great print by Oami Powers of Judah Ross) and I'm collecting visual information in one place.

When I do buy clothing-

#1. I am first and foremost an emotional shopper.
I usually end up falling in love with a particular print, fabric or design. I have tried to have a 'uniform', or purchase things based on the idea 'every woman should have a white button down shirt and black pants in her wardrobe kind of thing etc. etc.' I have tried this and it just doesn't work for me. If I don't feel it, I won't buy it.

#2. It has to fit and it has to be comfortable. If you don't feel comfortable, it will show and you won't look good. I firmly believe this.

#3. I try to buy from small designers, small shop-owners, and artisans. If I can't make it myself, or support an emerging designer or small boutique...I usually resort to J.Crew or Madewell. Clare Vivier- one of the independent designers whose work I love and love to support, recently wrote an interesting post about this subject.


Making clothing, trying to get into textile design, is an odd thing. I love fashion, but I hate it, too. I hate how quickly everything moves, how it's designed to increase consumerism. The false sense of perfection it compels people to impossibly try to attain. I hate seeing girls with severe eating disorders wearing garments most people never, ever will be able to afford. It's really kind of perverse. It can be an extremely superficial world.

However, along with food and shelter, clothing oneself is also a basic need.
Fashion, and what one chooses to buy to wear can be a potent tool for self and cultural expression, and can communicate to others so much about who we are or who we wish to be.

So how to slow things down? How to make clothing more like art pieces, but still make things that other people can relate to, will want to buy & find useful? Find beautiful? That are sustainable?

I'll let you know as I muddle along & try to figure it all out!