Sunday Chronicles: An Ode to Window Shopping

Investment Piece: An Ode to Window Shopping

There have been lots of cycles in my life. One of my faves? For a while, Friday was one of my days off- and it was a gift. I would wake up, take my favorite spin class, make sure all my chores were done, and then I would spend the afternoon taking myself to lunch, watching a matinee (not the subject here but I LOVE an afternoon matinee and hope that the pandemic didn’t take movie theaters from us), and window shopping.
No matter the movie, the lunch, the window shopping was always the best thing, and a highlight of my week.

Window shopping (for me) wasn’t just about seeing what new things were out in stores- though I loved that. There’s something about seeing (and getting to touch) new arrivals that’s just divine- I would get ideas for new outfits, or find things that I didn’t know that I wanted, or find that something I was interested in wasn’t worth wanting. It was the type of shopping that let me curate wish lists, and visit the things I loved. The kind of shopping that can lead to an impulse purchase to make your day (staying on budget of course). And as much as I love the shopping part, window shopping was so much more than that.

Window shopping was getting to see the window displays in all their glory. Not the ads or editorials that magazines, etc, send out or you see online; the fashion displayed as art- as whimsical or sophisticated as one could imagine. From tableaux suggesting styling options and places to wear the outfits to scenes of pure fantasy, there was always something I learned from window shopping. And always inspiration I carried with me.

You can see whimsical and inpiring fashion shoots online and in print, but there was something about the window box- its own little universe contained in small spaces that held big ideas. Window shopping is a bit like abstract art, things aren’t always exact but the feelings they give you. Oh the feelings! The Windows could make me fall in love, change my day, or lead me to new adventures. Those Friday afternoons wandering, looking at Windows and idly shopping were times that I could let my imagination run wild and I miss them.

It’s not that I’m not shopping right now, and not that I don’t love online shopping (I do!). But lately, I’ve been yearning to properly, really and truly window shop. To stop and take in art made of fashion, to wander departments and fall in love with new arrivals. This past year and the pandemic has taken a lot from us– I’m hoping that window shopping is something that makes its way back.

Wishing us all a week of inspiration and amazing shoes! XO RA