I have a confession to make...

I have a confession to make...I am a shopaholic. Always has been, always will be.

I could blame it on the fact that while I was working in fashion, I had both the access and the opportunity to binge on lovely items at reduced prices. Or I could blame it on the fact that working in fashion meant that I could not stay away from clothes even if I wanted to (that would have meant I had to call in sick, which is completely against my high working morale). So this continously exposed me to new arrivals, new seasons and new trends, and I of course, wanted them all. My shopping budget on clothes alone could in earlier days, when I lived at home with my parents, and earned money I had noe idea what to do with, feed a little African country.

However, I will not blame my addiction to clothes on any of those statements above,as I have loved clothes since the time I learned what clothes was, approximately aged 2.

Probably did not working within a fabolous boutique exactly help. However, it is my solid opinion that if you do not love fashion, you should not be selling it either. Hence, my rightful place were in a boutique surrounded by the things I love.

So how bad is it? As a former Marketing student, I know all the tricks, but I still fall for them every time I am out shopping. Two pair for one you say? 10% off you say? Ahhh....that...err...takes off 1, 20 £ on the price..jeeeez. I just saved the equivalent of 12 NOK. Oh, so that's the colour I should be wearing (even though it makes my skin look green)? That mascara actually makes your eyelashes grow? That lipstick will make my boobs bigger? Oh, I will definitevely have that!! What about a bum minimising pair of gloves?Yes, sir!

We have all been there, thinking that a particular garment will change our lives for the better, believing that there is some hocus pocus behind the designer cuts that in a magical way will shine its light over our lives, and make us into whatever we aspire to be. That is the magic of shopping. You may not agree with me, but if you think about, the truth is that whenever you buy yourself something new, you are - in some way or another - trying to improve yourself for the better. You don't just buy an outfit, you buy a lifestyle and an image.

This notion is what making shops, and designers, earn money. They create an illusion of a possible lifestyle and an image, which normal people like us will pay a lot just to get a little piece of.

This is also why every season, you can see something new on the catwalk. This year it was Mad Men and the 50s. The brands wants to sell you that nostalgia, and if you do not have (or had) a classy grandma just your own size, you will have to run to the stores and buy these things. There is no point in selling you what you allready got.

That's why the denim from s/s 2010, has turned into camel a/w 2010. No way you could confuse those two.

If you look at commercials, they will always try to sell you the image of what you do not have. An example would be that in the US where the divorce rates are through the roof, all the commercials are full of happy families. In China, where collectivism has been the norm, but the youth stride for individual recognition and success, the commercials displays happy individuals making it on their own.

You have just attended Marketing for beginners.

So where was I? Oh yes, I am a shopaholic. Probably they will not make movies about me, as I am not as hopeless and lost as Becky Bloomwood. Currently a student, my spendings limit themselves (and I kind of got tired of hiding the bags from the man in the house). But I do shop. However, sometimes I try to steer clear of the shops, as I am aware of all the false cravings they create in people. No matter how strong I try to be when I walk into Gant, French Connection or Ralph Lauren, I know that I within minutes will become weak, and feel that it is absolutely essential for my future wellbeing that I buy exactly that pair of shoes, or that coat ( I loooooove coats and jackets).

So sometimes I just stay by my computer, and browse through pictures and websites for my daily fashion rush. Luckily, I am not into online shopping just yet.