That's when the crippling anxiety sets in, and a slew of scenarios — What if they find you out? What if the sales associate notices the bent tags? What if she can smell my perfume? — prevents you from going any further. However, there are communities of women who've managed to beat the system by treating shopping like a rental service. We spoke to one of these buyers-and-returners about her secrets, her motivations, her guilt, and how she's going to return the $600 dress she wore to her prom seven years ago.
So, when did this all start? Have you always been a buyer-and-returner, or is this a recent development?
“I would say it started in college. When you don’t have a lot of money, you’re kind of like, 'I’ll wear this once, but I don’t really want to wear this again.' For me, clothes lose its novelty after you wear it once, so afterward, you’re kind of like, 'What do I do with it?' So, you just find things you can do with what you have.”
Walk me through a typical cycle of buying and returning.
“For example, each time somebody has a birthday or — man, I sound like such a jerk — special occasion, I’ll buy an outfit from Club Monaco that I really love. I’ll always leave the tags on, wear it to the event, and I’ll see if I really liked it or not. Nine times out of 10, I’ll return it afterward. I will dry-clean it if necessary. I've never returned damaged stuff. With shoes, it’s a little bit tougher, but if you know the return policies for stores, it shouldn't be a problem. Bloomingdale's is really great. Nordstrom and Macy’s are surprisingly good, too. I guess they try to compete with other department stores now if you have proof of purchase. I will say that I never buy and return at smaller boutiques. It doesn't feel right."
Read the full interview here
