The Case for Brick and Mortar

I’ve been saying this for years, but you really lose something by opting to shop online. Shopping shouldn’t be sterile, vacuumed, or monotonous.

The whole point is to find something, learn about what you’re buying, see the garment in person, and get an idea for how it might look with other pieces you own. Much like everything else in our lives, fashion and buying have moved to the screen. Before you freak, of course, there are things that online shopping makes sense for. And while I know there’s a real convenience factor there, I might just ask that you bear with me for why I think you need to give the brick-and-mortar experience a chance. Just to begin, this nonsense of buying more than one size to just return if it’s the wrong size must end. People, go into the fucking store and try it on. If it's worth paying for, it’s worth getting it right the first time. Now again, not always possible, but some of you I know could go and try it on, and you aren’t. Now, about the process of it all, the learning experience that shopping offers. Any SA (sales associate) worth their weight should and will want to teach you about what you’re buying. I’m talking mostly about upscale and boutique shopping here, but this also goes for less ritzy stores. I find that a lot of people don’t take advantage of the knowledge these individuals have of the product: how to wear it, how it holds up over time, what would work with my style, and what would flatter me most? These are questions I’ve heard friends ask post-buy. What good is this information doing us now? Another part of this is discovery: when we shop online, we often shop in an echo chamber. It’s being tailored to us, especially if we are searching for something in particular. When we go into a store, we can tell them what we’re looking for, but we also get the opportunity to look around. We may find the SA brings over other potential options. You don’t have to splash out crazy money to develop relationships with SA’s. The better your relationship, the more they understand your style, the better the options that they’ll find for you, and the more you enjoy the process. This all might sound silly and obvious, but if it is, then more of you would be doing it. I am begging you all, take a day in the next few weeks to go out and really shop. Wander around stores, try things on, ask questions. You’ll be shocked at how it changes the way you buy and makes you happier when you do.