Consummation and Creation
After spending two years covering fashion and reading about many facets of the industry. It’s come to my distinct belief that I’ve been living in a far too consuming lifestyle. I find it fitting that after my 2009 trial of tracking my spendings on clothes, I’ve realized that not only have I gluttonously spent on clothes, but also on a lot of unnecessary knick knacks that I buy for myself like books, CDs, DVDs, keychains, etc.
Ever since I’ve had a kitten in my household, I’ve stopped shopping for clothes altogether. And what a difference in made in my life! I’m talking about the endless shopping bags that somehow pile up in my living room and bedroom. And the shoe boxes…where do you put shoe boxes in a tiny apartment?
I really want to change my lifestyle for the better and consume less. Spend less. I know, it’s unhealthy for many businesses not to have my money flow into their pockets, but that’s only because there is an overwhelming overstock of stuff out there that nobody needs. And this overstock is only fueled by the fact that everyone has “particular taste” and want to be individuals. So people end up making over hundreds of thousands of different dress styles, in the hopes that it will cater to only a handful of individuals that like a certain style. Then, at the end of the season, creators have an overstock of supplies and must liquidate by having sales. It’s a waste of resources. Perhaps people should be making their own clothes and repair them when they’re worn out.
So instead of giving into mass consumerism and forking over thousands of dollars on luxury, albeit very well made, products - I’ve decided to make my own clothes.
No. I will not be one of those emerging designers in the hopes of changing the fashion world. The industry will continue to cater to those types of people. I am not a person who courts mass people, not even to mingle. I will be making clothes only for myself. It’s time for me to hang up my shopping bags and really get down and creative and start making my own clothes in the styles and colors that I want.
Food
I know this has very little to do with fashion, but food consummation goes through the same process as fashion. We have retailers (grocery stores) who sell generalized and often very bad products for the public to consume. But because of our all consuming lifestyle, families and individuals have found less time to cook and prepare. This is especially true for me as I’ve been living on an unhealthy diet for the past few years and have been lucky to still remain as thin (and alive) as I have thanks to genetics. But I know that a steady diet of Pepsi, pizzas, and frozen dinners is not going to cut it for me in the long run. I need to learn how to cook pronto.
My desire to improve my lifestyle has grown significantly over the years, not just in consummation but also mentally about many other aspects of my life. To desire change is one thing. But to actually act upon it is another. The latter I believe many people have difficulty doing so - changing your state of comfort for something else is an act that few people are willing to endure. But I believe that I’m ready. And it’s time to stop thinking about it and simply go forth with it.
