The evolution of consumerism

Keeping up with the Kardashians may be coming back to our screens next month, but are we still following the mantra set in 2007 and trying to metaphorically, ‘Keep Up’? Hear me out. Consumerism is a topic that’s widely discussed – from the evolution of fast fashion to how we spend our money and prioritise increasing household bills. 

The question I’m asking, is have we moved on that much? 

As a nation and let’s face it, millennials, many of us have recognised a need to switch up how we spend our money. PLT may still be one of the UK’s top fast fashion brands with soaring profits, and yes there are still millions of women each day shopping the website for their next brunch outfit. 

But many of us have recognised we need to do better. Reduce the takeaways to cut carbon emissions, turn the heating down once in a while and move away from fast fashion to shop slow instead. Charity shops, Vinted, eBay – just three ways to get your shopping fix without playing into overconsumption or trends.

But recently, I’m recognising a new consumerism trend emerging – homeware.  

Many of us are lucky enough to have a place to call home. Whether it’s owned, rented or a room in a house share, we have a space to decorate, accessorise and make our own. 

Over the last few years there has been a significant rise in the creation of home accounts on Instagram, Showing us DIY hacks, new-in home décor and renovations progress. 

Mrs Hinch began uploading in March 2018, and four years on, the app is flooded with #homeinspo. And this is the way in which many of us are inspired to ‘Keep Up’. 

It may be the H&M vases that every beige home account seems to have or multicoloured candle sticks for the maximalists out here; there is an air of feeling like you need to fit in. When Mrs Hinch began her home was all grey everything with chrome mirrored furniture. I admit, when I bought my house in the same year, I went down the same path. Over time home trends have evolved and many of us have grown with our tastes and in turn, redecorated. 

But I’m now left wondering whether this is consumerism in a new form? 

It’s so easy to shop for dupes and buy homeware pieces. Bargain shopping is ‘in’. It’s so accessible to buy new homeware items – Primark Home, B&M, Aldi and Home Bargains are all paving way at brilliantly low prices, but is it essential that we buy even more candles? 

Spending a tenner on tupperware for your DIY pantry cupboard or decanting herbs and spices into aesthetically pleasing jars with pretty labels isn’t going to break the bank for everyone, but there is an underlying emphasis placed on having your home look a certain way. 

As we move into the spring months, we’ll see gardens begin to appear on our Instagram feeds. Beautiful garden furniture raised beds for homegrown veg, bbq’s, home bars, aesthetically pleasing painted garden fences – it’s ok if you can’t keep up. If your home is rented and you don’t want to paint fences or quite simply, you can’t justify buying brand new furniture right now. 

What’s the answer?

Consumerism is a huge, all-encompassing topic of debate and how we tackle it to reduce landfill and cut down on excess waste is yet to be determined. It may be the next generation who hold the answer. 

But, if the return of the Kardashians, or doomscrolling your social media, makes you feel inferior, switch off. Not overbuying Tupperware, when you have loads of mismatched lids already overflowing in your cupboard, may just be your contribution to tackling our need to just buy ‘stuff’ and the realisation you need to think before you buy.