Yesterday I found myself standing in the middle of the shoe section at a very well known department store. I was scouting summer sandals because I purchased a pair I have been dying to own for over a year. A few of my friends have them, they’re wonderfully preppy, and I see them constantly on the blogs that I love to read.
My pretty pair of gold sandals arrived on Friday night just in time for me to walk around my house in them all weekend. I loved that I finally had a pair of the “hip” preppy shoes that so many people own. But I found myself not completely in love with them. I wasn’t sure about the color; I couldn’t decide if they fit correctly; and I definitely Googled whether or not other people had found them turning into a very comfortable pair of shoes. For $90, I better feel like I’m walking on air, y’all (PS: that’s $90 on sale).
But back to yesterday.
I went to the mall to scout whether or not this brand came in a different color, but a different color meant spending more. I found myself getting more and more frustrated that these shoes didn’t seem to be right because the pair I purchased on sale was the max amount I truly wanted to pay. At this point, I’m now mourning the loss of a dream pair of shoes and getting increasingly frustrated that I can’t afford to buy something expensive. I see other people my age wearing not only this pair of shoes (which are still so cute!), but other expensive styles as well. So why am I not able to be like them?
Photo via Make Life Easier; Graphic by Carly is Inspired
Now I felt completely ridiculous because I have so, so much, which I realized even more when I cleared out the clutter in my closet a few weekends ago. I love fashion. I love discovering more about my personal style, but I don’t love the feeling of being obsessed with stuff (even really pretty preppy stuff). These sandals made me feel completely materialistic, which is one of the worst feelings in my opinion. The dream pair of shoes went against my entire goal of filling my closet with less in order to focus on the pieces I LOVE. If I’m trying to make them work, how is that fun? Why be like everyone else if that doesn’t equal happiness? Plus, the absolute worst thing to do is to compare my situation to that of someone else. So the sandals are going back. And I’m going to refocus again.
I believe in loving what you own and shopping within your budget (whatever that may be). I believe in quality over quantity. I believe that saying no to one thing means saying yes to another. I believe in experiences over things (aka: splurging on flowers each week for my desk and surprising friends with gifts). I also believe that a $30 pair of scalloped sandals (!!) from American Eagle can be just as fun to wear all season long. :)
Maybe the key is “wanting what you have not having what you want.”
Great advice! I have become a better shopper than I ever was, because of my husband. I have been looking for a dress for my nieces wedding in June. I refuse to pay several hundred dollars for a dress I will wear one time. I am on a quest, but I know I will find something I like somewhere. No-one will know how much I payed for the dress.
I wanted to see a pix of the sandals!!
It is a great dairy.