I loved this 💗 reading your postcards is one of my favorite things these days. This made me think about how, on this side of the world, all of this influence from the "first world" translates in a consumerism fueled by this pressure of being like all of these celebrities you see online and people with just so much money it's unthinkable for you but you torture yourself because you're not like them and can't have what they have, while maybe you're struggling to keep some basic needs due to the economical/social context you're in. It's always been so weird to me how all that influence can make teenage girls lost sight of who they are and where they come from in order to transform themselves into some lookalike of someone they see on the internet and think that's everything they can aspire to be, and that of course includes shopping and consuming and just buying things for the sake of that aspiration alone even when you just can't possibly have the amount of money required for that level of consumption, sometimes not even for what you truly need.
My favorite book is The Bible. Maybe you should read a New Living Translation version or a King James. It changed my Life. I don’t claim to be a perfect person by the way. I’m a work in progress that stalls a lot. Other favorites are Gone With The Wind, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables. These books are actually about independent women that were ahead of their time.
That last paragraph is hauntingly beautiful. But not entirely true, because I think words like these will stay in my subconscious long after email notifications or lit-up pictures.
Your perspective is really interesting to me, as someone who actually doesn't buy that much. Maybe because I don't feel pretty enough, but I buy clothes like 2-3 times per year (also bc sustainability etc etc) and still use make up from 3 years ago. Most of my spending goes to art supplies and I prefer making people things than buying them something (like a painting of their pet or recently embroidered felt ornaments for Christmas.) I do love spending money on nice ingredients to cook with.
I do however feel the appeal certain items give as identity "improvent", like owning that 40 euro dior lip gloss. Luckily I have yet not lost my senses and bought it.
The only aesthetic or core I try to align myself with is one I came up with: frugirl (frugal + girl). My friend and I will constantly praise eachother for being frugirl when we resisted buying something.
That being said, yes ill watch that what's in my bag video 😔
(PS since you mentioned movies, i recommend this east germany/czechslovakia movie from 1973 to everyone for winter: "Tři oříšky pro Popelku" or "Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel". If you can find a version with English subtitles anywhere you're in for a lovely time.)
War and Peace is one of my fav books! I love Pierre, the sweeping narrative, how funny it is, I even loved the super grumpy Napoleon rants. I think it's massively misconstrued as a difficult book - it's long, but is also joyous, moving and incredibly human. I have also got an awful lot out of his essays and pieces from later life. I don't always agree with the conclusions but he's such a lucid writer that it's a pleasure to be taken on a journey through his thinking.
it's really sad but this post reminded me that it's okay to just exist and be a person!! Ive gotten so sucked in to the idea that everything I do has to be "aestheticized" or "romantacized" to the point that I feel like I'm less than or not as cool because I don't have the perfect night stand or I don't have all the candles/trinkets/etc. the it girls have and feeling like I need those things to truly "romanticize my life" when in reality my life is what I make it and just because I don't have those things doesn't mean I should love my life any less because of it! It's rly sad that this is how far it's gotten but I'm doing my best to detach myself from always having to feel like everything is perfect or "aesthetic" to just be happy
I really wanted to send you The Breakfast Club gif of Allison dumping out her bag, but the comments format doesn't support a gif. 🙃 Also, 150 pages is where I've stopped in War and Peace, even though I liked it, and I want to finish it sometime. Hemingway spoke highly of War and Peace.
this was really lovely to read, thank you elle! War and Peace is so amazing, but i definitely agree that the dialogues aren't Tolstoi's best in this one. Good luck finishing it, it going to be so rewarding.
regarding the part about Black Friday and shopping at Glossier and Reformation, i think the part that strikes me the most is how different my vision of all those brands is! Glossier is more of a high-end thing, not so much because it's expensive, but because it's american and wasn't available in France for the longest time. And Reformation just doesn't have stores here, so that black bag is completely meaningless to me.
what i'm trying to say is that it showed me how manufactured the whole thing is, as you aptly said, if it changes so easily between countries!
I loved this 💗 reading your postcards is one of my favorite things these days. This made me think about how, on this side of the world, all of this influence from the "first world" translates in a consumerism fueled by this pressure of being like all of these celebrities you see online and people with just so much money it's unthinkable for you but you torture yourself because you're not like them and can't have what they have, while maybe you're struggling to keep some basic needs due to the economical/social context you're in. It's always been so weird to me how all that influence can make teenage girls lost sight of who they are and where they come from in order to transform themselves into some lookalike of someone they see on the internet and think that's everything they can aspire to be, and that of course includes shopping and consuming and just buying things for the sake of that aspiration alone even when you just can't possibly have the amount of money required for that level of consumption, sometimes not even for what you truly need.
spot on! thank you for reading
Loved reading this piece!
thank you!
My favorite book is The Bible. Maybe you should read a New Living Translation version or a King James. It changed my Life. I don’t claim to be a perfect person by the way. I’m a work in progress that stalls a lot. Other favorites are Gone With The Wind, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables. These books are actually about independent women that were ahead of their time.
That last paragraph is hauntingly beautiful. But not entirely true, because I think words like these will stay in my subconscious long after email notifications or lit-up pictures.
Your perspective is really interesting to me, as someone who actually doesn't buy that much. Maybe because I don't feel pretty enough, but I buy clothes like 2-3 times per year (also bc sustainability etc etc) and still use make up from 3 years ago. Most of my spending goes to art supplies and I prefer making people things than buying them something (like a painting of their pet or recently embroidered felt ornaments for Christmas.) I do love spending money on nice ingredients to cook with.
I do however feel the appeal certain items give as identity "improvent", like owning that 40 euro dior lip gloss. Luckily I have yet not lost my senses and bought it.
The only aesthetic or core I try to align myself with is one I came up with: frugirl (frugal + girl). My friend and I will constantly praise eachother for being frugirl when we resisted buying something.
That being said, yes ill watch that what's in my bag video 😔
(PS since you mentioned movies, i recommend this east germany/czechslovakia movie from 1973 to everyone for winter: "Tři oříšky pro Popelku" or "Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel". If you can find a version with English subtitles anywhere you're in for a lovely time.)
War and Peace is one of my fav books! I love Pierre, the sweeping narrative, how funny it is, I even loved the super grumpy Napoleon rants. I think it's massively misconstrued as a difficult book - it's long, but is also joyous, moving and incredibly human. I have also got an awful lot out of his essays and pieces from later life. I don't always agree with the conclusions but he's such a lucid writer that it's a pleasure to be taken on a journey through his thinking.
loved this and i love this bianco latte journey we’re both on
Ok but the really important question, where did you get that AMAZING air pods case??? 😍
got it from this tiny shop in seoul - i have no idea what the brand is, sorry!
This is a great look at consumerism and a lot to think about!
it's really sad but this post reminded me that it's okay to just exist and be a person!! Ive gotten so sucked in to the idea that everything I do has to be "aestheticized" or "romantacized" to the point that I feel like I'm less than or not as cool because I don't have the perfect night stand or I don't have all the candles/trinkets/etc. the it girls have and feeling like I need those things to truly "romanticize my life" when in reality my life is what I make it and just because I don't have those things doesn't mean I should love my life any less because of it! It's rly sad that this is how far it's gotten but I'm doing my best to detach myself from always having to feel like everything is perfect or "aesthetic" to just be happy
I really wanted to send you The Breakfast Club gif of Allison dumping out her bag, but the comments format doesn't support a gif. 🙃 Also, 150 pages is where I've stopped in War and Peace, even though I liked it, and I want to finish it sometime. Hemingway spoke highly of War and Peace.
I really enjoyed this article.. made me think things for the lack of a better way to explain♥️♥️
I must admit your postcards got lost in my mailboxes for a while now, but I will be sure to read going forward :)
this was really lovely to read, thank you elle! War and Peace is so amazing, but i definitely agree that the dialogues aren't Tolstoi's best in this one. Good luck finishing it, it going to be so rewarding.
regarding the part about Black Friday and shopping at Glossier and Reformation, i think the part that strikes me the most is how different my vision of all those brands is! Glossier is more of a high-end thing, not so much because it's expensive, but because it's american and wasn't available in France for the longest time. And Reformation just doesn't have stores here, so that black bag is completely meaningless to me.
what i'm trying to say is that it showed me how manufactured the whole thing is, as you aptly said, if it changes so easily between countries!
Before I keep on reading, a woman bit 14yo you???😭😭😭😭😭
omg i love you so much sweet girl!!! so brilliant
also endless curses on the giant glossier bag