Too Lazy to Shop for Clothes? You Are Not Alone!
My question is: Why do you think of yourself as lazy? Often, what we think is laziness is just a natural response to uncertainty or insecurity.
The entire fashion industry is based on insecurity. It’s their job to get us confused about how we look and to make us relinquish control of our decisions. Don’t give them that power.
Here are some common reasons for fashion “laziness” along with ideas about how to reframe them. How many of these apply to you?
I’m So Busy That I Don’t Have a Lot of Time to Shop
Understanding how to shop intelligently means you won’t need a lot of time to shop. Besides, people who spend too much time shopping possibly have a shopping addiction. Buy fewer, high quality items you truly love, and you’ll cut your shopping time – and likely your budget – dramatically.
I Hate Malls; the Crowds, the Parking, the Sensory Overload
A lot of people hate malls. Among them are highly sensitive people. Malls often offer too many choices with too little guidance. When you learn what works for you, zero in on the stores that serve your style best or avoid malls entirely. A great local boutique or online store could be your solution.
Read BEST CLOTHING STORES FOR WOMEN OVER 50.
I Get Bleary-Eyed/Anxious/Insecure When I Compare Myself with What I See in Fashion Magazines and on Instagram
The images you see in the media are of manufactured persons. They are not real humans who clean up after baby or dog poo, mow lawns or sweat over bills. They have hairdressers, stylists, makeup artists, personal trainers, chefs, to make them, and their lives, look so “effortless.” Don’t compare yourself with fiction.
How I Look Is Just Not All That Important to Me
Whether we like it or not, we are judged within the first seven seconds of an introduction. But our greatest judgement comes from the mirror itself.
If you really didn’t care about how you look, you wouldn’t be reading this. You do care. You just need the tools to make simple, effortless decisions about how to dress. And that doesn’t have to eat up a lot of time.
I’ve Recently Gained/Lost Weight and Nothing Fits or Looks Good on Me
Weight gain or loss is a very common reason to avoid shopping. By paying attention to your basic body shape and creating pleasing visual proportion and balance, you will be able to clothe your body at any stage of your life regardless of how much space you do or don’t take up.
I’m Over 60 and Feel That Fashion Has Forgotten About Me
Chin up! The times, they are a-changing. You will see more and more fashionable women and men over the age of 50, 60, 70 and beyond in the public eye.
But yes, it is more challenging to find clothing that isn’t designed for 18-year-olds. Recognize your unique style, coloring and the needs of your lifestyle, and build a “uniform” around that – and stick with it.
I’m Actually Depressed, Not Lazy
Depression is often the crux of the matter. Since the purpose of fashion marketing is to keep us insecure, it certainly can create a ripe field for depression. But consider this (it was taught to me by one of my college professors, Dr. Valerie Hunt): depression is anger turned inward.
Take that anger against the world of fashion, and use it to build your self-esteem. Take back your power. Learn your lessons, apply them, create a functional, attractive, stress-free wardrobe and then watch the depression start to lift.
Sometimes the superficial things – like looking good in and loving what we wear – can reinforce or motivate a positive internal change.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Do you relate to any of these excuses to refrain from being stylish? What is your take on shopping? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.
I despise clothes shopping with all my being. I am tall so a lot of things don’t fit. I’m tired of finding something, then the minute I click on tall, if there even is that option which is hardly ever, all the options go away and I’m stuck with ugly colors. This includes a lot of the stores that carry talls.
Oh dear! I think when you see something you like the idea is to jump on it asap as the best colors and sizes disappear the fastest. Where are you located? I can recommmend some sites, but as you explain, you probably know about all of them already. (As a petite I have the opposite problem but spend a small fortune on tailoring nearly everything I buy.) thanks for writing, Inallreciate every comment. Andrea
I believe in buying quality classic clothing. They last for years! When I’m tired of them (usually after a few years) I put them away in a storage chest. And guess what! they come back in style. I’m currently wearing jackets and tops that I wore 20 years ago. Even the colors are current.
I am the same way. I treasure my special comfortable finds. I’ll go a few years putting them away until the next year. With everything being more expensive each year I start looking in my closet to see what I have before I shop. I can’t believe how great it is to enjoy mixing some new with some old. No one knows anyway. Lol
Love this. One of my favorite YouTubers is Alyssa Beltempo who originated the “shop your closet” concept. It has made me a more thoughtful and creative dresser. In fact, my next blog post is about this subject. I appreciate your comments. Andrea
Brilliant. And true. I’m currently wearing a cropped suede jacket i bought 20 yers ago and it’s back in style. But frankly, when I stick to my personal style I feel fashionable regardless of trends. Thanks so much for your comment. I appreciate it. Andrea
I respectfully disagree with your negative, generalized comments about the fashion industry and fashion marketing intentionally “making” women feel insecure. There are plenty of women, myself included, who love seeing new styles and get excited at the prospect of trying new things. I feel inspired, not insecure, when I see the multitude of options available or me. Like most things, it’s all about perspective.
I love the new things too. I dont understand about the insecurity thing. I know what I like and I’ve always dressed for me but adored what others are wearing too.
Good point. I could have written that the industry keeps us “hungry” for newness and change (otherwise they wouldn’t survive!) and sure, I love introducing new things into my wardrobe too. But we can also take inspiration from new things without having to buy a new wardrobe every season. That’s part of conscious consumerism, imho. Thansk so much for your thoughtful comment.
Over the decades I was a ridiculously exhausted and often stressed mom of three , plus worked in nursing so wore uniforms for the bulk of my day. I began to choose comfort over style and never gave this any more thought until very recently. I remembered the person I once was, interested and excited about how I looked and choosing clothes. Now, I’d never go back to fads, and would still opt for comfort over style. However, style can still have a place there with minimal effort by choosing quality basics: good jeans, stretchy pants, slacks, sweaters, t shirts, and other basics, then coordinating them well with an extra or nice shoes, or whatever. I still will only shop at a few stores, boycott fast fashion, and avoid spending time shopping. But it is nice to feel somewhat better about myself now.
Yes, All good advice. I’ve also become extremely practical and pragmatic in my shopping now. Thanks for commenting!
I’m in with boycotting fast fashion as I hate the fact it ends up in landfill or creating garbage mountains in poor countries. I like to buy things that last years and am not averse to doing things like changing buttons for a new look.
Not lazy, not depressed, not overweight, not bleary-eyed, anxious or insecure, not busy, not against malls…just like comfort…oh, yeah, and I’m retired so I do/wear what I want. Also, this is Alaska. We dress warm and dry, not stylish. 😁
Ha! Great replies. Thanks for writing.