A different kind of shopping blog...

Hi, my name's Aideen and I'm a shopaholic.

I'm not really a shopping addict, but I do love to clothes-shop, and most of my spare cash is spent supporting this habit. I love fashion and make-up and putting together a look. It's a big creative outlet for me (I can't draw, knit or paint, so I experiment with make-up and clothes) and getting new clothes is one of my favourite things to do.

It does, however, come with a price; a slight twinge of guilt at the recognition that I can't ideologically justify all this spending.

I like to consider myself a progressive thinker, and as such I am very much aware of the implications of my little hobby in terms of environment, feminism, capitalism and human rights. While I may admire the fashion industry for it's artistic merit, I also know that it encourages a 'more more more' attitude as well as superficiality and body-fascism. Another issue is where the clothes come from. I can try to ignore the 'Made in Nepal' label but that doesn't mean it's not there. Sweatshops are a feminist issue and a human rights issue and a class issue. Plus the high-turnover disposability of fashion is an environmental minefield. While I gain huge amounts of pleasure from shopping for clothes, it does make me a massive hypocrite. Moreover, the money I am currently spending on clothes could go on other worthwhile things such as saving for travelling, or on camera equipment (I'm a film student and wannabe filmmaker).

So, in an attempt to stay true to my values and avoid turning into Victoria Beckham, I am going to go into shopping rehab and not buy any new clothes, jewellery or make-up for a year.

I've vaguely resolved to stop shopping a gazillion times before, but always end up giving in at some point. This time, I am giving myself a time-span and a blog so I can be held accountable. Shopping rehab will start on August 22nd 2008 (a few days after my 21st birthday - August 19th- incase I get any Topshop gift cards) and end August 21st 2009. There will be a few exceptions to my rule: I'm allowed to buy clothes if they are second hand, ditto jewellery, I'm allowed to get make-up if it's essential stuff like foundation that I've run out of (more on that later), and I'm allowed to get new stuff if it's an absolute necessity that I can't get second hand (such as underwear) and strictly on the condition that it comes from an eco-friendly, sweatshop-free, ethical retailer (and no, I don't mean American Apparel).

During the course of the year, I will keep this non-shopping blog updated as regularly as I can (bearing in mind I'll be in my final year of university and will therefore be a busy busy girl) with my thoughts, feelings, progress, temptations and discoveries. Then at the end of it I'll splurge all the money I've saved on a Betsey Johnson dress...just kidding.