On a recent visit to my childhood bedroom—that has remained largely untouched at my strongly-worded request—I couldn’t help but laugh when I spotted a large advert taped to my wall that reads: “When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping”. A tell-tale early sign of my destined career as a fashion editor, perhaps—and a maxim I’ve lived by for the majority of my adult life, whether consciously or not.
There’s no denying the joy that hitting the shops can bring in trying times. Yes, it’s a fleeting pleasure, an innately capitalist concept, and far from a sensible solution to life’s many difficulties, but it’s also the oldest trick in the book for a reason; an instant dopamine hit for when things feel bleak. And when said “treat yo’self” moment(s) arise, it’s always the more bold and outré items that tend to catch the eye, and provide some much-needed escape.
