Should we stop shopping?
Both the New York Times and the FT have written stories unpicking the quandary of whether we should be shopping online while there’s a contagious health pandemic going on.
I’ve been wrestling with the same dilemma.
I frequently post shoppable content on here. Sometimes it’s stuff I’m going to buy, sometimes it’s fantasy shopping and sometimes it’s just an FYI. But readers do come here to shop (I can see from my back end analytics which links they click on). I post a mixture of global multi-brand retailers – Net-a-Porter, Farfetch, Matches – and independents boutiques. The argument is that by shopping online for non-essentials, it’s potentially putting the warehouse and delivery workers at risk. But on the flip side, retailers insist they’re doing what they can to make everything as safe and sanitary as possible. And if they close their fulfillment centres, the businesses are in danger of shuttering, which will put the staff out of jobs.
A compromise then, is the independents. There are some I really love. Like Mouki Mou, Tiina the Store, and local Japanese-Taiwanese lifestyle boutique, Native & Co. Jeweller Alighieri and knitwear brand & Daughter are two young brands that can’t really afford to close their businesses and keep paying their staff. Their solution is to keep going and work from home, with the founders and designers themselves often handling the shipping.
My feeling is also that at some point things will pick up and even if people don’t shop immediately from my posts, it’s nice to have something positive to look forward to. We can all dream can’t we? If nothing else, the summer sales are going to be amazing…
& Daughter (below) – known for understated knits, founder Buffy Reid just launched her first line of easy summer dresses and Loro Piana merino rib tees
Tiina the Store – the most irresistible mix of forever fashion and lifestyle pieces, including Zanini dresses, Perfumer h candles, and their own knitwear range
Native & Co – utilitarian kitchenalia and Japanese ceramics for the Notting Hill Zen crowd
Alighieri – sculptural necklaces and earrings for your Zoom-ready top half from this recent recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design
Mouki Mou – a one-stop shop for everything from Costa Brazil skin oils to Toogood work-wear
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl/Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Tiina the Store; & Daughter; Zanini/Tiina the Store; Native & Co; Alighieri; Mouki Mou
NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here
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1 April, 2020 @ 12:56 pm
Thanks for posting this, and the links to some great independent shops.
1 April, 2020 @ 1:05 pm
While now may not be the best time to bring packages into the house ( my husband and I are currently opening and inspecting all packages together) I really liked your post and think it’s a good question. Is it frivolous to shop during this time.? The answer is probably yes but of course we need to consider supporting those businesses we love. I hadn’t seen several of these independent merchants so I’ll give a look. I will always need a new beige cashmere sweater and we need something to look forward to!
To Shop, Or Not To Shop — Keep it Chic
1 April, 2020 @ 2:04 pm
[…] “The New Garconne: How to be a Modern Gentlewoman.”, addressed this question head on in a post today. I wholeheartedly agree that supporting the independent, small brands is imperative to their […]