By Elizabeth McPherson
New week, new me! I riffle through my wardrobe, singling out the outdated pieces; farewell and good riddance to the cow-print, tie-dye, and patchwork of last season. Wincing at the grotesquely out-of-date shirt I bought last week, I toss it into a pile of discarded clothes, eager to replace it with a trendier version. The pile quickly grows, making room for this year’s new wardrobe and erasing the evidence of last month’s fashion wrongdoings.
With a now empty wardrobe, I head to my computer and begin perusing my favorite online clothing stores. I browse Urban outfitters, Pacsun, and Forever 21, hoping to find the shirt I saw on social media the other day. Thrilled, I discover that the shirt is only thirty dollars, which comes out to just ten dollars per wear before I get tired of it (quite a steal). The sale section reveals several more adorable articles that I quickly add to my cart.
As I continue to scroll, occasionally switching tabs to other stores, my new wardrobe expands with the newest, most current, most on-trend trends. Surely, this should last at least a couple of weeks before I’m forced to replace it.
For the next several days, I wait in agony for my new clothes to arrive, even resorting to wearing the same pair of jeans two days in a row (an all-around absolutely abhorrent affair).
In the meantime, I pass the days on YouTube and Tik Tok, finding more outfit inspiration on social media. Surely it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to buy just a couple more things.
After several long, excruciating days, the results of my online shopping arrive. Tank tops, skirts, jeans, and sweaters repopulate my closet, and I gleefully welcome the return of my sorely missed perfectly on-trend wardrobe.
As I open the packages, the news plays in the background. For the most part, I tune it out, focusing instead on planning my future outfits to avoid possible outfit re-wearings.
However, the reporter’s ominous utterance of “climate change” draws my attention. As an activist, the fate of the planet is very important to me. In fact, that’s why I make sure to maintain a vegetarian diet and avoid using paper. People’s callous disregard for the environment truly infuriates me—is it so difficult to avoid cutting down trees and using gas vehicles?
I return to opening packages, already eagerly anticipating my next purchase. Perhaps another tank top?