The Hell of a Slop Wardrobe—and How to Fight Back With More Personal Style

The cost of easy shopping

Online shopping can deliver a bag of new clothes within days, Madden writes. But she warns that quick access does not guarantee good style. She describes some companies as producing clothes rapidly for consumption, with trends changing before the items have lasting appeal. In her view, pieces that fit poorly or fail to hold up encourage a cycle of buying more.

Style takes time

Madden says a distinctive wardrobe is built gradually, not assembled in one shopping trip. She describes spending decades choosing clothes that reflect her own tastes and quirks. Although personal style is widely discussed and categorized, she questions whether people are expressing it in practice. She says the looks of popular influencers can start to blend together when people dress according to trends rather than instinct.

Shop from lived experience

Madden does not suggest giving up Amazon or Zara altogether; she says she shops at both occasionally. Instead, she tries to treat them as options of last resort.

For a more personal look, she encourages readers to draw on their own experiences and shop in different places. Some experiments may feel unusual, she acknowledges, but considers that part of the enjoyment.

About Aemilia Madden

Madden is a freelance writer, editor and consultant with more than 10 years of experience in the fashion industry. Her work has appeared in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, The Cut and The Wall Street Journal.

She writes the newsletter Taeste Bud, covering things people buy, places they go and the people they want to be. Her previous roles include work at The Zoe Report, WhoWhatWear and Popsuagar; she studied Political Economics at the University of California, Berkeley.