Good afternoon, Tuesday. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood- it's what makes Summer so damn lovable. Warm sun but not humid and lovely chilly evenings perfect for long walks. I've been so annoyed by Summer's ridiculous oppressiveness that when it's like this, I realize the joy of having seasons, and temperate ones at that.
But speaking of temperature, I want to take yours on something. I posted on Facebook yesterday that I've been experiencing a sort of "flash sale fatigue" (fsf) and was wondering if the rest of you are feeling that way as well. For the longest, I've been delaying noon meetings by a couple of minutes so I could peruse the offerings at Gilt. Then came Haute Look. Rue La La. One Kings Lane. Fab. My Habit. 6 pm. Ideeli. Belle and Clive. And the list goes on and on. This constant sale culture happening NOW, NOW, NOW has made me a bit of a shopping neurotic. The pressure one feels to get discounted goods from your favorite brands has become tougher than a mudder. And for me, it's led to a great deal of fatigue. Can you say online retail overload?
It makes me think, in a more general sense, that we're living in a society that has exceeded their limit on "too much of a good thing". Every time somebody thinks of something great, ten million other people or brands follow to create a morbidly obese level of competition. Sure, capitalism is based on such bloat, but it feels as unhealthy and I'm craving a cleanse.
The flash sale model was a fabulous and spectacular idea- but now the playing field is so crowded I often feel like I'm in a shopaholic corn maze and can't get out. And if you look at all of these sites as brands in their own right, what has all of this competition done? In my mind, it's diluted them all. Sure, Gilt's kind of the grand dame and One King's Lane is fabulous for Ikat throw pillows and Fab is fun for designy, novelty enhanced personal gifting. But at what point does it all become too much? When does bargain hunting feel more like fevered blood sport than happy hunting? I'm pretty sure that time is now. We have become a flash sale nation, and to me, it's time to shut the overcoat. I've seen enough. Maybe you've moved on to Candy Crush to feed your internet addiction, but I'm still stuck on fall previews over at My Habit. Enough is enough. (You're welcome, husband. You're welcome).
For me, the sites were great when they focused on brand specific offerings- as in- single designer sales that you could easily click on and see what you wanted. Cut to now where every site is editorializing said sales to include titles and items for "Beach Weekends", "Work Classics", or "Sunday Night Styleathon". The categories are dizzying, and a new one comes up every day. It's hard to follow and remain loyal to anything because there's simply too much being offered. And isn't that how we got in this mess in this country in the first place?
These days, I'm going for a "less is more" strategy. I'm not clicking on anything anymore at 11 or 12 or 2 am. I'm tired of being overstimulated and am going to streamline my options when it comes to online shopping. And in a way bigger sense, I am feeling super in tune with the fact that I have too much of just about everything when it comes to wardrobe- it's time to learn to live with a little bit less- quality vs. quantity if you will. Yes, I have my eye on some Isabel Marant shearling lined snow bootie things for Fall- but perhaps if a different package from one flash sale site or the other does not arrive at my door each week, I may just be able to save up my hard earned dollars and buy them. And yea, I'm not saying I'll never look at Gilt again. I just am taking a hiatus from consumer overload. I may even schedule more meetings at 12 on the nose. I think I'm ready to have my life back, one less flash sale at a time.
Cause that's what's up this flash free Tuesday in the most beautiful city on Earth. All the love. No clicking today, my friends. What the shirt says. XO