The Question that Lorelai Gilmore Made Me Ask Myself

Hello! Happy Monday morning. January has never been my favorite month, but sitting in a clean home with a candle after a run — I don’t hate it. There is something to love about fresh mornings, crisp air, and tackling something you’re afraid of.

I love how Lacy Phillips started her blog a few weeks after she quit her job. She just did it. So did Emily Schuman. So did Garance Dore. The content was probably terrible. But that’s not the point.

The point is to go for it in life. We’re only here for a bit.

So in this January fresh start, one of my BIG goals for the year is no shopping. Definitely not until I’m gainfully employed again. Probably not for 3 months, maybe 6, maybe 12. Why? Because “spending money on clothes is a colossal waste of money in your 20’s” — my fabulous Aunt Carole told me when I was 24. Clothes recess in value the minute you purchase them. My Poshmark sales can tell you that.

I want to make sure that I am deepening my life, not buying it. Being without a salary for the last two months has made me reconsider all of the ways I was spending my money. Kind of carelessly. And I am not a careless person. Yet I was buying small things, big things, shiny things and also constantly cleaning out and selling my closet. Spending money to burn it 1-2 years later.

In an episode of Gilmore Girls, Lorelai has an emotional conversation with Luke about her life choices. Her comment “I like my life…I like my stuff” stuck with me. Do I like my life? Do I actually like my stuff?

My constant shopping would indicate that I’m not satisfied with my stuff or my style. That I need to buy more to be happy. Am I competing or keeping up? Am I not confident in what I have or who I am? Am I bored out of my mind?

I do like my life. A lot. But I consume (media, shopping) more than I create. And the goal of this blog is to give me a creative outlet while at the same time keep me accountable for consumption. Specifically, clothing consumption.

My goal is to analyze my relationship with shopping/clothing, and also to discuss my style goals. All in light of the climate crisis and fast fashion. I know I’m not the only one who feels helpless about consumerism with climate change. I’m not sure a blog can change that, but it’s a start. And to change the world, you first must begin with yourself.