The benefits of a (wish)list

According to Italian semiotician, literary critic and philosopher Umberto Eco the list is the origin of culture. In his book The Infinity of Lists Eco describes how culture strives to make infinity comprehensible and how it wants to create order. So how do we face infinity and attempt to grasp the incomprehensible? By creating lists. It could be the collection of a museum, a dictionary but also something as simple as a grocery list, a menu in a restaurant or when we’re talking about fashion blogs, the wishlist.

For me, the wishlist is the perfect way to keep my purchases to a minimum and to keep things in perspective. Although it might sound a bit tedious, I love to arrange images of things I’m interested in, creating collages as the one above and thinking about the ways I would wear them. Next, I always take my time to evaluate and reconsider every possible purchase before I finally settle for an item. Do I really need it? Will I still like it in 6 months? Is there anything else on my list that would be a better investment? It took me years to decide on my Balenciaga bag as I wanted to be sure it wasn’t just a temporary obsession.

Clearly, this way of shopping isn’t for everyone but even the simplest of lists can help you decide what it is that you really need and/or want. By placing items next to each other, it’s easier to compare them. Would you rather spend your money on 10 cheaper H&M items you just laid your eyes on or that gorgeous leather bag that costs just as much as those things combined and has been on your list for weeks, maybe even months? Trust me, you will be thrilled with every carefully considered purchase and it will become so much easier to refrain from impulse shopping.

If you were to compile a wishlist, what would take the #1 spot?