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So, is there such a thing as too much shopping? With bloggers, vloggers and us influencers you wouldn’t think so but sometimes less is more can be a good thing. I know I have tried to cut back on fast fashion. I do occasionally buy jeans from these discounted retailers but I try to keep this to a minimum. I am trying to become more discerning and to practice the mantra of quality over quantity, but I must admit a quick affordable purchase can be quite satisfying.
Many retailers are struggling with 2018 on course for being a year with a record number of store closures and bankruptcies
I would love of course to be able to run out and buy what ever my heart desires. But even if I won the lottery I like to think I would show some restraint. But excess can be a problem in our society, though it is interesting to note that they say that Americans now spend less money and a lower percentage of their annual income on clothes then they did thirty years ago. Many retailers are struggling with 2018 on course for being a year with a record number of store closures and bankruptcies. There are a whole host of complicated reasons why this is happening. But there does seem to be a shift happening.
I recently watched a video of a vlogger I follow named Meghan Elby. I enjoy her channel and think she has great style. But in this particular video Meghan was doing a shopping haul in preparation for a trip she was taking at the end of the month. It was a huge haul which she readily admitted too, and the video was a bit long. She has always received nothing but the most positive of comments so I was surprised by the amount of negative comments she had on this post.
I try not to judge and I do believe some of the comments were inspired by envy, but the fact remains—this was a video of a young woman buying or owning A LOT of clothes
Most of the negative comments were regarding how extensive the haul was, with many commenters expressing their dislike for what they see as runaway consumerism. I think in some cases the clothes or accessories and been gifted to her, but it was quite the extensive haul. I try not to judge and I do believe some of the comments were inspired by envy, but the fact remains—this was a video of a young woman buying or owning A LOT of clothes.
So what say you? Do you think someone should be judged for this kind of thing? And do you think men and women are judged equally when it comes to consumerism? And if you won the lottery and could buy whatever you want, would you?
Rachelle
May 14, 2018If I won the lottery, I would simplify my life , quit my job and travel the world for at least a year. So no I wouldn’t go buy a bunch of clothes. I cannot stand excess and never got into watching these hauls.
xo
Pinksole
Rowena
May 14, 2018While I don’t necessarily think that someone should be judged for excessive consumerism I also feel like it’s quite gauche to flaunt that kind of thing especially in this day and age with everything that is going on in the world. I just wouldn’t support it or encourage it. I adopted a minimalist approach to living last year and have never been happier.
Shireen L. Platt
May 14, 2018There will always be someone who is envious of others but I do think that’s not fully the case with that video. Yes, a small percentage of the commenters are driven by envy but I think the majority are just disgusted by the over excessive haul. There is a huge shift that is going in the beauty and fashion world and minimalism is taking over. More and more people are frowning on bloggers and vloggers who are going overboard with everything, encouraging mindless spending and people are getting wiser too.
I can only speak from my point of view but personally when I see someone sharing their over the top haul, I have zero envy and the only thought that comes into my mind is ‘ridiculous’ and I will stop watching/reading the video or post. Over consumerism is a huge problem in our society and it’s hard driven by FOMO so I am actually glad that more and more are turning their back on it.
Shireen⎜Reflection of Sanity
Missy May
May 14, 2018Hmmm….interesting topic!! Everyone can sit behind their computer and write anything nowadays. Ha! Yeah I definitely agree with you, probably envy. No one should be judged for what they have. -Afterall its their money and can do whatever they want with it. If I won a lottery, I would buy the things I need and probably travel a lot. Ha!
https://www.missymayification.co.uk
Amber
May 15, 2018I love your blog! And I absolutely love this post. So good. I don’t necessarily think someone should be judged but I think there’s a limit in my own personal opinion.
Love,
Amber | http://www.loveambervictoria.com
Ashley
May 15, 2018I can definitely see a shift in people wanting to see real life application of fashion, and not excessive hauls where an item may be worn once and then shoved at the back of a closet. Not everyone has the money/space for that, for sure.
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Akaleistar
May 15, 2018This is such an interesting topic. Haul videos are about consumerism, so those negative comments confuse me. What do people expect? On the other hand, when a vlogger is spending lots of money and acts like it’s perfectly normal for everyone, that can be annoying. Still, I think haul videos are a fun way to learn about new products.
Vika
May 15, 2018As usual looks interesting! Thanks a lot for sharing)
Ann
May 16, 2018I just love clothes
I just can’t stop buying some
but now I am going for quality
rather than quantity.
I am considering the style too
something that will be stylish
for a couple of years is a good buy.
Love your post…
Interesting and informative.
Ann
https://roomsofinspiration.blogspot.com/
Kathrine Eldridge
May 16, 2018I don’t think someone should be judged because I would not want to be judged as well. That being said, I think more people are focusing on buying less stuff. Quality over quantity for sure. Thanks for sharing this thoughtful post!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Gabrielle
May 16, 2018What an interesting topic to discuss! I think ultimately we can all do without judgement; how much someone spends is relative entirely on how much they have access TO spend. I suppose that’s all part and parcel of sharing content online though – we invite opinions, both positive and negative! Hope you’re having a lovely week so far and thanks for the thought-provoking post 🙂
aglassofice.com x
Rubi
May 17, 2018This is soo interesting! I have been feeling the same lately, like I feel like purchasing and purchasing is never-ending and you get such a short-lived satisfaction! I have gone back to my thrifting ways, I feel it is much more sustainable!
x Rubi
https://poseandrepeat.com/
Ann
May 17, 2018Hi Allie I know I’ve already
commented above
but I just saw your stars and stripes sweater post
from April 16 and I would just like to say that
I love every piece of your outfit there… so chic.
I just can’t seem to find the comment box from that post
I don’t know why, so I just commented here.
Ann
https://roomsofinspiration.blogspot.com/
Lorna
May 17, 2018I just wrote a huge comment and it got deleted because of the spam tick box lol. Ugh! The short of it was, I’m like you now that I don’t buy a lot of clothes anymore. I occasionally get something fast fashion like a couple of tops, but the majority of my items I buy I save up for and they are investment or items I can wear for years. I used to be really bad at hauls and buying everything, I’d eve have stuff in the wardrobe with tags on still. It was around the time I got my own money from working and it got out of hand. Regarding the other blogger, I think if she’s happy with her hauls and loves shopping, that’s what counts, like us, if we’re happy buying less now and being more thoughtful, that’s what counts. Individual happiness. I hope you’re well xx.
Raindrops of Sapphire
Jessica
May 18, 2018This is really interesting topic. How much is really too much? Well, that differs one person to another. While I have to agree with Shireen Platt; there’s indeed a growing call for responsible consumerism, which I think is good. Not everyone has the money to do excessive shopping, and certainly not many of us have the storage space for all those clothes.
However, there’s also the other side of the spectrum, where smaller brands and startup companies earn good money from shoppers. They have families to feed as well.
Jessica | notjessfashion.com
Panty Buns
May 19, 2018I think some fashion bloggers try to make money blogging through sponsored posts/affiliate links and selling barely worn outfits on sites like Etsy, Depop etc..
I noticed under the “Show More” information on Megan Ellaby’s video she does disclose that she uses affiliate links and receives a small percentage of the revenue from the purchases made through links in her videos that are marked with asterisks. I also noticed that she has had 6,260,655+ video views on her YouTube channel and 21,400+ Followers on Twitter, so I suspect those “small percentages” add up.
I did watch the video before commenting here. Althouh most of the outfit pieces she featured in it were not to my taste I suspect they might have looked more attractive to me if she had made the video a try-on haul. I do like the appearance of her hairstyle.
It’s fun to fantasise what I’d do If I won around $500,000,000.00 in a lottery. It might be hard to resist buying a waterfront mansion with climate control, an indoor pool and huge walk-in closets full of pretty outfit pieces to wear in lookbook videos before giving them away. I’m sure I’d also want to donate some to a couple of select charities… and would probably feel guilty when I remembered what it’s like to be poor.