From the Fashion Library - Spent

One of my favorite books is SPENT MEMOIRS OF A SHOPPING ADDICT BY AVIS CARDELLA. The book is an autobiography chronicling her severe shopping addiction from childhood until recovery. Her story reads as a timeline of how her addiction grew from a stint as a teenage shoplifter to having a generous wealthy fiance who financed her need to shop everyday. Cardella's tipping point came when her mother passed away and her grieving was done in the form of compulsive purchasing. At one point she recalls a day where she came out of a stupor only to realize she was in the middle of a lingerie department buying 20 pairs of panties, one in every color. There are stories of extensive worldwide shopping trips that eventually left in her severe debt and the men who were along for the ride. In the end, she tells of how she dealt with the real underlying problems and why they made her feel the only way to cope was to buy. 

I enjoyed the book because it was well written and full of colorful stories, but I think I mostly enjoyed it because it struck a chord with me. It's where I learned the term oniomania, the clinical name for the compulsive desire to shop. AFTER READING ONLY A FEW CHAPTERS, I had to stop and ask myself, "Was I a shopaholic?" Surely I've love to shop all my life, a majority of this blog is based around that fact. I can't remember my first shopping memory, but I do remember I always had a strong interest in what I was wearing. But, do I have a problem? I read and reread over the tale tale signs and although I admit I ticked quite a few boxes, I took solace in the fact that I didn't meet, in what I feel, was the overall thesis of the disorder: You have an addiction if your shopping is affecting your life in a negative way. I breathed a sigh of relief. Seems I won't be needing to seek out professional help after all. Although I consider myself an extreme shopper, I pride myself on maintaining a sense of moderation through careful planning and budgeting. This is no small feat for someone who has a penchant for luxury and designer goods...

PHOTOS BY DC