Everything I bought in July

Spoiler alert: I am still a vacillating human-person.

K so.

A couple days ago I published this post where I kinda chided myself for not knowing what I was doing, for jumping in headfirst here on Substack without a true plan re what I wanted to talk about beyond “be authentic.” I was looking at whether I was phony or off base to like both of the ‘Stack types, the juicy, delightful shopping ones and the depthy, why-we-should-pare-down ones.

I was wondering if it was ok for me to hold both in my own Substack, if that made me hypocritical. And the ownership of (confession about?) July is an example. I am all over the place.

Since the start of 2024, I’ve been shopping with intention, intention I put in writing. Here’s what I set out to do for July:

“I hate to be boring, but really it’s just more of the same, stepping it up. (1) CONTINUE TO LIMIT QUANTITY. Make progress. I feel an awareness now of how more isn’t additive. I would have been at 11 items had I not shopped in Boston. I feel like I was making progress. Let’s see what more progress feels like. 2) REPEAT. I loved my week in repeats, far more than expected. When it works, do more. I’m now separated from most of my stuff away from home, all the more reason to repeat the looks that make me feel like me.”

And I go back to this quote from my friend

Tiia VM

:

“Everything within the fashion and personal style discourse becomes a temptation, a sin, a repentance, or an absolution. In order to participate in the conversation and to stay relevant you have to keep buying stuff (sin) or to parade designers, brands or products that others can also buy or dream of buying (temptation). We then talk about owning too many clothes and buying too many clothes and how we’re going to focus on buying less, buying sustainably, not buying at all for a while, or managing our wardrobes (repentance). We tell ourselves and each other that it’s okay that we’ve bought all this stuff because we just love fashion and shopping, that we’re not alone, at least we’re trying, and we certainly will do better in the future (absolution). I don’t want to do this anymore.”

THIS is what I am doing. Right here. In this very newsletter. And I think I will always be doing it. Why? Because I don’t want to stop shopping. I love shopping. And yet I can’t stop trying to lessen my impact, because I also do care. So I am here. The only thing I can change (at least for now) is my attitude. Maybe I should stop these monthly roundups. Are they doing any good for me, for someone? I have more to think about.

And here’s what happened