So my wardrobe needed some desperate TLC. Especially with writing this blog - and going to a exclusive fashion show next week eek! - I needed a major shopping trip, and fast.
Now, my ultimate favourite store is Zara - the new collection is greeatt, and plus they have some great items that won't break the bank. Ish. (Anyway, I managed to get some fabulous black pixie boots, a mustard-blazer-like cardigan, and a army-green styled jumper- LUSH).
With all this spending in Zara - after around 4 items or more you can start to feel the purse strings tugging! - I decided to make myself feel a bit better and head down to good'ol Primark.
Primark is crazy at the moment - I swear there was about 50,000 people in there and the queue went back at least 10 miles. I also love the pushing and the snatching - "I got the last 35p pair of boots bitch!", and that lovely warm, claustrophobic and sticky atmosphere that's constantly in there.
Not that I don't like a bargain. Or cheap prices - I mean, I'm (hopefully!) going to be a Uni student next year, so Primark will be my future home - but, it got me thinking. I bought a pair of basic black plimsolls as mine were breaking apart, and how much were they? A staggering £2. Yes, you read that correctly. Cheaper than a coffee from Starbucks and not far off a Tesco's sandwich.
I was waiting in the queue, feeling rather like cattle as I waited for my turn to pay, when my mind wandered off. The materials alone to make that shoe must need at least half of the price to pay for it, and obviously Primark itself would take a large quantity. So what does the person who made it actually get? 5p? If that? The thought quite frankly is unacceptable. Low pay like that is obviously illegal in the UK, but places like India, China and Philippines aren't lucky enough to have this law.
What would have ended this blog nicely would be me to say that I put the shoes back on the shelf and walked out with my head high. But I didn't - realistically, how many of us would have? The fact is, we can't afford expensive clothes either, and high-end fashion is constantly under scrutiny for it's huge prices.
I think what the message here really is simply to at least think about what we're buying. A tiny blog post like mine, or even a channel 4 documentary on Primark (this was on a couple of years ago) most likely won't make a difference, so the least we could do is stop and think.
Maybe charity shops instead?
x
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