Romancing the shopper

3/28/2014

Love at first sight. Lust-worthy. Stalking. The Ex-.

When did the language of love become the language of shopping?

Have you experienced...

Love at first sight?

Love At First Sight Dress
--from Sundance Catalog

It's happened to me many a time. It says "me" all over it, & I must have it.
Like this skirt...

GAP Pintuck Skirt, $34.96

This skirt seems perfect for navigating those tricky in-betweens.
(Thanks to Rachel for referring me to it!)

Infatuation? We see the item, we want it, but what are we willing to put on the line for it? Is it like, not love?

Fear of commitment? We don't like to commit. Nordstrom is on to this with its constant appeal:

"Go for it! We offer free shipping and free returns!" --Nordstrom

The hardest of all to commit to is the Final Sale item. No way to back out now. You'll have to just make do if it doesn't work out. Maybe you'll grow to love each other.

Falling in love?
We fall in love with our clothes. Is this ok?

I'm in love. This little suit made me look ten
pounds lighter." --quote from the Lands' End catalog

"I love it so much I bought it in five colors."
--quote from the Lands' End catalog

--from
Old Navy

"Current leopard loves"
--from The Online Stylist

The Slowdance Dress
--from Madewell

Guy: "I call them shoes."
Eep: "I LOVE them!! Where are my feet?"
--from The Croods

Boyfriend watch
--from Fossil

Is the subtext here that you might not need a boyfriend if you own this watch?
Or just that you might want to steal his style?

--from White House
Black Market

"Another look at my Barbie shoes...just because I love them so much!"
--from The Fashionista Next Door

The honeymoon period? One reason reviews are often not terribly trustworthy is because at first we overlook any flaws in our newly acquired prize. Months later we may realize its shortcomings.

The ex-? Ex-boyfriend jeans, ex-boyfriend shirts...something to remember them by...

Favorite Ex-Boyfriend Jeans
--from Garnet Hill

The Ex-Boyfriend Shirt
--from Madewell

I'm as guilty as anyone of using superlatives & lovelife talk to describe how I feel about clothes, & I'm sure I won't stop. But...

Is shopping like love? like dating? Should we be using the language of love to describe things we wear?

On a somewhat related note...

What to wear
when you've been
dumped

4 Comments

Sarita link

4/1/2014 08:42:26 am

What an astute observation, Josie. It's so much a part of the shopping lexicon that until now I never gave this a second thought. These companies rely on our emotions and all the senses. It seems to diminish love - or at least bring it down to a very basic level. Though I do still say that I love a certain outfit, haircut, look, etc. Definitely food for thought. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Love this topic! :-)

Josie

4/1/2014 08:08:20 pm

I think I realized it because I do it. It's a little crazy to elevate things to the status of romantic partners. Often it's meant in good fun, but sometimes it's a marketing ploy that goes too far, don't you think? Thank you so much for visiting this post, commenting, & tweeting it, Sarita!

Rach

4/1/2014 01:44:13 pm

Can't wait to see how the skirt works out!

Josie

4/1/2014 08:08:54 pm

Thanks so much for looking out for things I might like, Rach!! :-))

Romancing the shopper

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