By Nadine Kam

Touchstone Pictures
Isla Fisher, in magenta, stars as shopaholic Rebecca Bloomfield in “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” opening Feb. 13.

As a reporter I try not to make assumptions about people and situations until talking to parties involved, but sometimes when you see a person’s work, it’s hard to separate the professional from the personal.

That’s what happened when I interviewed Patricia Field in advance of the opening of “Confessions of a Shopaholic.” Sizing up her colorful hair, her New York boutique and her wardrobe work on “Sex and the City,” “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Ugly Betty,” I assumed an over-the-top, flamboyant personality who might also be a shopaholic herself.

But no. She’s every bit the fashion pro. And now, when I think about it, I don’t know why I was surprised at all.

I think a lot of people look at fashion as a fun, fluffy business, but it is every bit as demanding as any other field, requiring a lot of discipline and hard work. Those with longevity don’t tend to be shopaholics because the biz rewards those skilled at editing wardrobes, and I imagine a shopaholic would be all over the map when it comes to making selections.

For a moment, I had to wonder if I am one because of my eclectic closet and shopping bags full of unworn items. Just this morning I found two sequin belts (one red, one silver) with heart buckles that I bought from former SB’er Shawn “Speedy” Lopes, now owner of Stylus. Yay! I wanted to wear one two weeks ago! But, while I have been known to be impulsive, buying things the moment I spot them, I’m not addicted to shopping.

Like Field, I started working when I was 13, helping my mom, who did accounting for a company that had many small-business clients. I did the tedious monthly task of reconciling checks and making sure all the debits and credits added up correctly in their monthly registers. So I learned early the importance of having a strong balance on the plus side, and knowing when to splurge and when to conserve.

I’ve spoken to people who are maxed out on credit cards but continue to shop because they’re depressed or had a bad day, and who actually have a physical reaction to shopping, like a pounding heart, sweaty palms and the ecstasy that comes from a flood of endorphins. Nothing like that happens to me.

I also don’t do the crazy rationalizing, like, “If I buy this at 50 percent off I will be saving money!”

No. Spending is spending. And spending at sales can be more damaging than paying full price. I find I’m least likely to wear something when I’ve bought it on sale, because you start that rationalizing, “It’s so cheap!” Often, it ends up being acceptable only because it is on sale. So now, I always ask myself, “Is this something I’d be willing to pay full price for?” If it’s not, I put it back.

For that reason, I’m steering clear of secondhand stores for now. That’s where I can pick up ton of clothes for a little money, and in that case I have a tendency to go nuts and pick the weirdest things possible, taking on the multiple personalities required to wear the clothes. Once I get home, of course I discover they don’t represent the real me at all.

Oh yeah, I never used to return things, but now, as soon as I discover I’ve made a mistake, off it goes. I don’t want unwanted things to sit around and haunt me anymore.

Sure, I buy some crazy stuff like the an ostrich feather dress from The Express, which I never wore. A co-worker thought I was crazy for paying full price and not wearing it, especially after it went on sale for 50 percent off. I also bought a 3.1 Phillip Lim skirt from Neiman on second markdown, off from $600, and never wore that. I chalk it up to psychological damage from being short and unable to find clothes off the rack at the moment I need it, so I buy those crazy statement pieces when I see them. I’m sure that there will one day be a perfect occasion to wear an ostrich feather dress, or a skirt that looks like a frothy moving sculpture of square cutouts, and I will be ready, though that may take a while.

To a certain extent, shopaholics’ spending does make the economy run, but the combination of greed at the top of the financial market and lack of control of those who took advantage of easy credit with no clue as to how to pay it back, has been disastrous. The saddest part is the poison has infected segments of the population who have been saving and practicing moderation all along. I have a feeling it will take twice as long to undue the damage of the past 5 years. Do the math. I hope I’m wrong, but it will be worthwhile if people get a sense of balance from all of this. It’s like being on a diet and benefiting from moderation.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 5:09 pm and is filed under Film, media, Shop. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.