I believe everyone should make an effort to support small businesses. Without them, our communities would be nothing more than a series of chain stores, devoid of local culture. That’s why I always shop small, and also in any place that has the skinny mirror. It’s just the kind of person I strive to be.
You know the mirror I’m talking about: The one with the curved glass that makes your legs look a million miles long? That makes even the worst fitting outfit look amazing your average-sized body? Any business that is both small and has that mirror gets my business.
When I shop small, I know I’m supporting small business owners who are competing with larger, cheaper chains. And when I look into a skinny mirror, I look amaaaazing. In fact, while I do my best to support the artisanal clothing shops on my block, from the little place selling handmade prints to the family owned boutique, if they don’t have an impossibly flattering mirror—sorry! I’m sending a message with my money, which is that I like to shop small, unless a huge chain has a mirror that make my ass look like Pippa Middleton’s.
My first priority is to be a conscious consumer. There’s a small shop in my neighborhood called Hatch where I always go to buy new clothing. The staff there know me, and they’re so willing to offer styling advice. Plus they’re so much more attentive than any salesperson I’ve ever encountered at the mall! They also have a giant mirror that’s tilted at an almost horizontal angle and it makes me look like I’m walking down a runway. Priorities!
It feels great to invest in your neighborhood. For example, the other day I stopped by a local boutique in search of a new skirt suit. The family that owned it had so much passion for their business and they’d risked everything taking out a loan to open it. But their dressing room mirrors gave me an accurate representation of what my body looks like instead of an optical illusion, so obviously I left without buying anything. As good as it feels to give back to my community, I’m not doing it at the expense of feeling skinny!
In short, I care deeply about supporting small businesses. By shopping small, I feel connected to my community—a need we all have that national corporations just can’t provide. But at the end of the day I just want to look in a mirror and see my ass look amazing in jeans. Even though that means I end up doing most of my shopping at Zara, I do believe that supporting your community starts with you, and also a very flattering mirror.
