Converter Girl

I have a friend who hates shopping. Sorry, used to hate shopping. Loathed it. She was the one person I knew not to invite when I needed to hit the stores. And she is living proof that if you promote the merits of shopping and fashion for long enough, you can convert almost anyone.

She could thing of nothing less fun than spending a day hitting the stores with me. She was happy in her cargos and singlet, never wore makeup (not that she needed it, which may have been part of the problem) and only ever dressed up on the rare occasion she was trying to woo a man. (Again, usually not a problem – she is a stunner.) But for the most part she could care less about fashion, definitely despised shopping, and never showed an interest in partaking in either.

I had spent years voicing my concern to my non-shopper of a friend and questions such as “Are you SURE you’re not a man?” often escaped my lips. So you can imagine my absolute delight, and disbelief, when she called me one day requesting me as a shopping buddy for her trip out to a fairly upmarket mall.

Upon reaching the glorious shops, I realised that my years of endless promotion of everything fashionable had started to pay off. She is about to move to the UK, and seemed to suddenly realise that how you dress does actually influence people’s first impressions of you. And she also translated this to her luggage purchase. Her desire to acquire a sensible suitcase, to my amazement, quickly faded as I began to cite the merits of trendy Guess or Fiorelli luggage. At the end of our scout around all the luggage stores and departments, she was actually sold on designer over boring sensible suitcases and trotted home with fabulous new season Guess in tow.

When she actually agreed to a trip into Oroton, and after little persuasion put a pair of fabulous sunglasses on hold, I knew my work was done.

Here at AskBronny, we can’t imagine a life without fashion or shopping. It would be like a life without chocolate and celebrity gossip. Boring! So if you have a friend that is unable to see the joy that fashion and shopping can bring, we are here to help. Here are few tips to help you convert your non-believing friends:

1. Never give up
My friend is living proof that all those words you think you are wasting are actually paying off. Keep praising your favourite designers, keep showcasing the latest trends, and always rave about how much fun you’ve had shopping. If at all possible, invite mutual friends shopping so your non-shopper starts to view fashion and shopping not only as fun, but also as a bonding opportunity for the girls. And keep inviting her! I regularly messaged my non-shopper with texts such as “I’m sure you don’t want to, but….” And one day she may just surprise you with her response.

2. Make it relevant
Cite celebrity examples that you know your friend will relate to. My friend wanted to look “famous” when she got to London, and the Oroton sunnies that made her succumb were similar to a pair she had seen on Katie Holmes. Everyone, non-shopper or not, has a fave celeb and someone whose style they admire. If you can tap into that, and make your friend realise that by popping out with you for an hour at a time, she may end up emulating the style of Princess Mary, she may protest that little bit less every time.

3. Provide evidence of real benefits
In regards to the designer luggage scenario, I succeeded with my friend by pointing out how difficult it is at the end of a long journey to distinguish your boring suitcase from everyone else’s. And heaven forbid someone take your case home by mistake, which would no doubt be full of wonderful overseas purchases. Designer luggage rarely looks like everyone else’s, making a much easier baggage collection experience at the end of your trip. Failing the benefits of whatever it is you are in the market for, cite the health benefits of shopping. I for one must release a gazillion happy endorphins when I shop, but you also pound some serious pavement on most shopping trips, not to mention the stretching, bending and reaching that accompanies finding the right size and trying things on. If celebrity style doesn’t hit the mark with your buddy, try the workout angle.

4. Be sneaky
Rather than try to force her along with you while you indulge your shopping habits, be creative. Invite her to lunch, and then just have to pop in to the shops on the way. Ween her onto the ways of becoming a shopper rather than expecting giant leaps. Think baby steps. Small, regular exposure to the joys of shopping and fashion can do wonders for a non-shopper. And if hitting the high street still seems too far from reach, what about online shopping? Introduce your non-shopper to your favourite online stores, and if her issue is more about leaving the house, this removes obstacle number one!

All of us have a non-shopping or non-fashion friend. And we love our friends regardless, but a friend in need is a friend in deed, and our non-shopping friends are just in need of a little insight into why us AskBronny types love all things fashion. And once you can help them see that fabulous light, you may just be taking your once shop resistant buddy to the mall with you all the time! And who knows, maybe next time you give your credit card a workout, it may be because she suggested it!