Friday 25 November 2016

Black Friday musings

TGIF Readers, 

As we near the end of the year,  it feels as if time has been sped up. Everything seems to move super fast, and with today being "Black Friday", the only thing that moved excruciatingly slow was the traffic... all around! I was not planning on finding myself in the shopping centers today, but due to the traffic mayhem caused, I was held hostage at a shopping center waiting for the traffic situation to subside.

I am usually pretty keen on a bargain, but I draw the line at queueing, pushing and fighting for it. I do not enjoy the hoards of people in a race to buy goods which are not really discounted by that much, I may indulge in an online sale, and only if the discount is significant- which wasn't the case at all this year.
So instead, this year I found myself wondering where the throngs of people came from, shopping up a storm like there is no tomorrow. The air was filled with a frantic energy, and I couldn't help but wonder if all the 'bargains' were in fact worth the headache. I wandered through stores, and would walk in, and leave immediately when faced with shoppers pulling things off shelves in a frenzy, waiting at the fitting rooms to try on clothes and standing in endless queues to pay for groceries. 
My cellphone kept beeping with retailers reminding me that it was 'Black Friday', emails flying around declaring huge discounts; and it dawned on me that this time of year is not only characterized with a manic need to wrap up business, but it is also a time when we are predisposed to spending without thought. The idea that a particular item is just so well priced, that it's hard to resist, whether we need it or not. This leads to buyers remorse, or at the worst unworn pieces of clothing which linger around in the wardrobe. 
This is a time when the emotion of year end, with the holiday spirit upon us and good will loosening the purse strings. We tend to feel that after a year of hard toil, that we deserve to be spoilt with that little bauble, item of clothing, or electronic device. As I sat and watched shoppers today, with my phone reminding me incessantly of the limited time to enjoy the bargains- all I could hope for shoppers to put a little bit of thought into buying these 'low-priced' items. A little bit of consideration of the actual need before parting with the hard earned cash. Before filling up the wardrobe with impulse purchases, consider how it will fit into the wardrobe, whether it complement the wardrobe and whether it qualifies as an investment piece or merely fleeting trend. 
So be mindful out there... it seems some retailers have decided to extend Black Friday to Black Friday weekends!!

My outift post today features all pieces which were purchased on sale, where they actually more than 50% off. Apart from the sunglasses and shoes, each piece was bought on sale, but purchased mindful of how it will transcend seasons and be able to integrate into my wardrobe for work and leisure. The shoes have been in my wardrobe for more than 5 years, so it was really an investment piece. The crisp boyfriend shirt was purchased on winter sale and the jeans and handbag have also been in my wardrobe for a while. 













Outfit details:
Ralph Lauren Polo shirt
Polka dot jeans (old)
Scarf (old)
Accessorize clutch bag (old)
Country Road wedge heels (old)
Honey beaded necklace
Armani sunglasses from Sunglass Hut
Ciao for now,
RuBe xoxo

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