Sticking it to the marketers (or, how to ignore seasonal marketing)

Sticking it to the marketers (or, how to ignore seasonal marketing)

• 8.29.2014

I have these thoughts every year. It's time I finally spelled them out.

I know Labor Day is coming up on Monday, and that means no more white shoes (to whoever still owns white leather shoes), probably no more white jeans if you're following the rules, and welcome burgundy and plaid and earth tones. But I'm not having it. This whole change in clothing before the change of the season (the fall equinox isn't till September 23!) just makes me grumpy. Every year. And here's why.

• For one, it's still dang hot outside, so I am not ready to swap my gladiators for riding boots. Nope.
• Two, I love summer and living in Oregon, it doesn't start until around the 4th of July anyway, so I've really only had a month and a half of this! I still haven't worn that swimsuit I bought in June (first one I've bought since before our honeymoon)! I request an extension!
• Thirdly, those first two reasons again - it's still summer, I'm not in denial and I love it!, and I am not ready to give it up just because the fashion industry and back-to-school shopping economy demand it.

Seriously, every year this time of year, I just want the ads and new store inventory and few too-fashion-forward people on the street to leave me be and let me keep wearing and loving my cut-offs!

(I am really predictable. I just did a search on my blog search bar for "not ready for fall" and yep, several early September posts came up, plus some early October ones like "...Finally, fall fashion." So I'm definitely predicting I won't be ready to wear and share and be excited about fall clothes until about a month from now!)

Go away, aggressive season change-rushing marketers

So when the fall fashion magazines start coming in early August, piling up because I am totally not ready to read them then, and the stores run out of sizes in shorts and tanks and start putting out the Halloween stuff, I just feel a little inconvenienced by it all.

I finally gave in and read my 700+ page magazine toward the end of this month. (At least 300 pages were ads for jeans and coats and other "fall fashion" things I will not be buying any time soon or ever.)

...with spreads like this. I mean, I can see how the hat and jacket and fair isle print are cute, but... it was 90 degrees the day I took this! I was sweating on my camera strap! It just seems a little cruel!

A gift to procrastinators

Also, I went into Old Navy the other day and averted my eyes from the new merchandise of cords and hoodies, and beelined to the clearance where the white shorts are. Big fan. If you're like me and almost never make it to the store, now's the time to pick up the summer stuff you haven't bought yet. I guess we can use this weird scheduling to our advantage and stay at our own pace while also avoiding paying full retail.

Learning to be less responsive to marketing in general

This has to be a super weird thing for a blogger to say, but I'm not your typical fashion blogger and I don't have any big clothing companies backing me. This season change (from my favorite season to one of the biggest shopping seasons) and the rush from the stores and advertisers to buy, buy, buy new stuff is a reminder that most of that marketing stuff (any time of year) is a push to separate us from our hard-earned money for stuff that won't really make our lives better.

I've gotten much better at saving money rather than spending it on clearance tees I wear once - partially because who has time to shop anymore?! - but from now through the holidays, resisting the messages gets a little harder. I think if I can make it through to October before buying anything long-sleeved, I'll be pretty happy!


Rant over. Stepping off soapbox.

But, if you're with me, stand strong!! Resist, and enjoy the sun while you can!