Idealizing Perfect Materials

It’s neat to own expensive items and tell myself I’m saving money by not having to buy cheaper items time and time again but it is perhaps just an excuse. I idealize the fight against fast fashion by making luxury purchases far beyond my need. Everything I own is perfect: this is the life I want. But is it really so simple?

What’s simpler? To walk two minutes down the road and purchase items from the closest shop available? Or to spend weeks making a decisive purchase on the best product in the market? On the one hand, we litter our homes with cheap products that break in a matter of weeks. On the other, we obsess over materials in a way that can be only described as, well — materialism.

For every type of product, there once was a time where those industries spent money and time in achieving perfection. They did not skimp on materials or manufacturing processes. These products lasted years; many still live now. This was the quality expected of industry. But it was also prohibitively expensive. Now everyone has access to nearly every type of product in far too many styles for an agreeable price. But as a downside, these products are low-quality, cheap, and usually plastic in some way.

I want to love everything I own. I want to live this Marie Kondo–life. I want to love every plastic and metal in my home. This life seems simple. But it is as much subject to consumerism as any other. Fundamentally, I cannot live without materials. The finest materials make their way to me by plane, car, or boat. By the blood of those overworked — young, old, and unfortunate. In many industries, the lone artisan is no more — or, in the case of new tech, has never been.

Perhaps I am only pretending when I think my finest materials from across the world are any superior to any item from the dollar store down the street.