Shopping & Guilt

I realised at the weekend that I'm turning into my mother. This is not a bad thing - she's ace. However it does mean some strange outbursts in shops. I picked up a poor defenceless item of clothing in Topshop and shrieked "how much??!!” at it. Am I a skinflint? Very probably. I think I’m quite set in my ways now though; I’m not going to pay £35 for a badly made tshirt, no matter how nice it is. I’ve had a good think about it and I can’t remember anything I’ve ever bought (with the exception of my glasses which are vital and worn every day) on the clothing and accessories side of things that has cost more than £100. I don't even own many things that cost over £50.

I’m currently majorly in lust with this Monsoon beauty:

It’s £95 though. Very much a case of “HOW MUCH??!!” And it’s only polyester. For that price I'd expect something a little bit nicer. I’m sure that someone will explain to me that I'm being a moron and polyester doesn’t automatically equal cheap and nasty but really, £95?? My sensible head is winning out at the moment; it’s massively impractical, I would never have an opportunity to wear it and I’d probably ruin it within about 5 minutes. Isn’t it beautiful though?

I think I’m missing that shopping gene that allows people to spend an awful lot of money on clothes. Don’t get me wrong, I really don’t look down on people who choose to spend their money on stuff like that – it’s yours, you've earned it, do what you want with it! I can’t personally develop the mindset that it’s ok to spend a lot, plus I just don’t have much spare cash flying around after rent, bills and savings are accounted for. Money is always tight, especially when I’ve had to shell out for virtually a whole new wardrobe over the past year or so.

Or perhaps I’m just not a natural shopper. I suffer real shopper’s guilt when I spend a lot, especially on impulse purchases. They often go straight back, although the odd item has stayed in my wardrobe (ie the £75 green velvet coat I bought last year). Curiously enough, I felt no guilt whatsoever when spending the same amount on these shoes. Further proof that life really is all about the shoes? Or maybe I just like them more. I wish I knew how to avoid the guilt though. Shopping should make you feel happy, not full of remorse for spending on things that you're perfectly entitled to buy yourself.

So if I baulk at paying High St prices a lot of the time, you can quite rightly assume that anything designer is automatically out of my price range, unless I’m jamtastic enough to track something down in a charity shop or be sent it by a lovely friend (thanks again to Christina for my Ghost frocks!)

I find Kate’s blog particularly interesting on the topic of affording designer clothes. She’s all about living within your means and investing in pieces that will last a long time and get worn often. I just can’t work out how I can get to the stage where I make my brain think it’s ok to spend more on fewer things, even if they will be super versatile and long lasting. In principle I’m fully supportive of it – I don’t really shop much on impulse and like to track down the perfect thing – but it’s the price issue that stops me in my tracks every time.

I’m interested to know your thoughts on this. I know a lot of you are as bargain hunty as I am but blogland is full of haul posts and expensive looking outfits. Do any of you often spend a lot on things, or I am just influenced by living in a city where people treat shopping as a competitive sport? Anyone want to fess up to the highest price they’ve paid for clothes/shoes/accessories? And most importantly, can anyone who does buy designer explain to me how to banish the guilt?