Blog #3 - Barbara

Barbara Peanh



This blog covers my last two weeks in which I failed miserably. I celebrated my birthday two weekends ago and had great trouble wearing the pair of heels I had packed. They were so painful that I was only able to wear them for ten minutes. Considering I couldn't stand the pain, and the fact that I still had another night left in Vegas, I faltered and bought a new pair of heels. I was so upset with myself because I was doing really well for this project, but my puppies were crying! This purchase was in fact necessary and I can't imagine buying used shoes (especially in Vegas) because it's so unsanitary, and images of feet fungi flooded me, hence why I couldn't buy the shoes in an alternative and more green conscious way.



I also failed yesterday. I was browsing sites online, which I promised myself I wouldn't, BUT it's a form of therapy for me. Pathetic, I know. I happened to be on Karmaloop.com and they had an amazing sale. 50% off + free shipping if you spend $75 ... I ended up buying two pairs of Jeffrey Campbell heels, leather shorts, and a LeSportSac luggage bag..  Granted a few of these items were already on sale, the retail value of everything I bought was $427, and I paid $141. I'm pretty sure I shop the most compare to everyone in our class and I actually use shopping as a form of therapy, retail therapy. I have been so stressed out and emotionally distressed this past couple of weeks that I did resort to shopping.

I think it's really hard for me to cut the habit of consuming because I use clothing and brands to create a certain identity for myself. In the book Fashionology, Kawamura quotes Crane on his view of how fashion and social identity intermingle. He states "the consumption of cultural goods, such as fashionable clothing, performs an increasingly important role in the construction of personal identity, while the satisfaction of material needs and the emulation of superior classes are secondary" (Kawamura, p.99). His view wholeheartedly describes how consuming material goods affect me.


However despite the fact that I faltered, I actually do a lot of recycling of my clothes. I went to Crossroads two weeks ago which is a store and company that buy, sells, and reuses clothing. I did a mini winter cleaning of my closet and hauled it to Crossroads. After selling my clothes (they have their associates select items that would sell in their stores), I had the opportunity to either redeem $147 in store credit, or $99 in cash. I took the cash because I need that more than store credit. Everything else that I didn't sell, I ended up donating.

(Recreated outfit in Goodwill Window)

I learned that Santa Cruz is really big on thrifting and reusing. In the article "Your Alternative Guide to Thrift, 831 Style" by City on a Hill Press, students in Santa Cruz are becoming more conscious of their closets with the rising cost of fees and the state of the economy. Therefore they have found alternative ways to fight consumerism and to get creative with their older materials of clothing. For one, they shop at thrift stores such as Goodwill. Secondly they sell their clothes at stores such as Crossroads Trading Co. and Buffalo Exchange so they can use the credit to swapping for/ buying newer pieces. Students are also getting really creative and recreate pieces by having DIY (Do It Yourself) projects.

Inside source:
Kawamura, Y. Fashion-ology. (2005). A shift from class fashion to consumer fashion. Retrieved on March 02, 2014.

Outside source:
City on a Hill Press. Your alternative guide to thrift, 831 style. Retrieved from http://www.cityonahillpress.com/2009/05/28/your-alternative-guide-to-thrift-831-style/