The Shopping Sherpa: Bundled Beauty

Clockwise from top: { A Cold Day for a Drive Limited Edition Print from Elizabeth Bauman }  { Vintage 40′s Oxford Heels from Ginger Root Vintage }  { Bubble Beret in Charcoal Grey from softspoken }  { Upcycled Fur Cowl from zaama }

We’ve been blessed with a few new readers as of late (hello, new readers!), and I realized that they may not know the Shopping Sherpa yet! It’s been a while since he’s come to visit, so I figured this the perfect time to reintroduce him.

So who is this Shopping Sherpa? Well, he’s mysterious and a little hard to nail down. I think he’s really a little part of all of us, like a little shopping conscience.

He first came to Westervin to enable my budding Etsy habbit, but over the years he’s helped me see the joys in all things handmade, locally made, and green. I didn’t realize it at first, but the Shopping Sherpa is here to help us all spend a little more thoughtfully.

Now, the real reason for his absence is that I’ve been a little lazy. I’ve been buying cheap disposable clothing and accessories from large retailers. For shame! This realization came during a recent class discussion on the ethics of cause related marketing. (Bear with me. My schoolin’s coming out). Through this strategic marketing tool, companies partner with non-profit organizations to offer a product from which a portion of its sales are donated to said non-profit. The company benefits from additional exposure, and the non-profit benefits from additional funding.

But critics balk at the marriage of charitable giving and consumerism. Some argue that the real solution lies not in spending more and donating a little, but in curbing our unnecessary spending and donating time and money directly to charitable causes. There’s no denying that this is a truly noble course of action. But it’s also a very challenging course of action. One that many, myself including, don’t always feel they can accomplish.

At the end of the discussion, I believe we agreed that this cause marketing model does provide important funding that wouldn’t have existed otherwise, and it’s only one of many models in place to effect positive change.

(Are you still with me? Good! The point is coming…)

All this is to say that small choices really can make a difference. And, sometimes, lasting change is more easily made through baby steps. So let’s soldier on with our wise Shopping Sherpa and enjoy the simple pleasures with thoughtful spending! (See the lovely handmade, upcycled, and vintage items above.)