Dear Reader,
What does luxury mean to you?
By its standard definition, luxury is a condition of abundance and comfort; it’s an indulgence and not a necessity. I see luxury as decadent, excessive, cursive. Luxury is textured, exciting, and crisp!
One of my favorite (and most watched) movies growing up was Home Alone. I knew what scene came next, I memorized the lines, and I coveted Catherine O’Hara’s earrings – with one pair in particular.
Being an only child for years had its advantages: custom dresses, a few extra toys, a small jewelry collection. All of these things were mine, but they were not all to my taste and I failed to see their value. I didn’t see them as luxurious.
I guess you can say my love for luxury started at the lobe. I don’t know what it was about those earrings at the time that made them seem so amazing to me… Could it have been that they were being worn by a woman with a nice home and family getting ready to travel for the holidays – and in my “when I grow up” dreams I wished to be like her? Could it have been that I mistook the clear stone for a diamond and summed them up as valuable by default? Whatever the draw, it opened my eyes to luxury. These earrings were an opulent choice set publicly in exhibit for others to see. Those earrings represented possibilities. Don’t ask me why, they just did.
Coco Chanel said that, “luxury is a necessity that begins when necessity ends.”
Could it be that all we long for is to “make it?” As a child, could my fear of the future have caused me to yearn for a pair of earrings that represented a sense of security? Perhaps it’s within us to seek value, keep it, and display it. As far as animals go, penguins know to look for the best pebbles to secure their future. Imagine Mrs. Penguin’s stud pebble earrings!
What are your thoughts? Do you believe that we are conditioned to crave luxury? And if so, does that craving grow through years of exposure or through personal acquisitions? Perhaps you believe that luxury is representative of milestones, personal connections, and emotions? Consider these thoughts, spend your money as you see fit, and inscribe value to what you consider valuable. Don’t let price tags dictate your choices… anyone can add a zero and move a comma.
Kindly,
Curated Consumer 