🛍️ Retail Therapy Is Real (And It’s Gendered)
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Because sometimes a t-shirt can fix it. Temporarily.
Let’s be real: everyone jokes about retail therapy, but for a lot of us (hi, it’s us), shopping isn’t just a hobby - it’s a coping mechanism. The serotonin spike when you click “add to cart”? Practically medicinal.
But here’s the thing nobody talks about: retail therapy is totally gendered. And it’s time we unpack that tote bag full of impulse buys and internalised capitalism.
✿ First of All, Yes - Retail Therapy Does Work
Studies (yes, actual science) show that shopping can:
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Boost dopamine
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Provide a sense of control
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Distract from negative emotions
...and make you feel like a hot, functioning girlboss for 3–5 business days.
We’re not saying you should blow your rent money on t-shirts. We are saying that buying a “Like Other Girls” tee after a breakdown is sometimes cheaper than therapy.
🙃 But Guess Who Gets Judged for It?
Men: buy a new PlayStation? Treating himself.
Women: buy a new graphic tee? “Isn’t she a bit... impulsive?”
Retail therapy is often framed as silly, frivolous, or superficial — especially when it’s associated with femininity. But the reality is: when women spend, it's critiqued. When men spend, it’s an investment. Make it make sense.
🧠 Emotional Labour, but Make It Fashion
Why do so many women turn to retail therapy? Maybe because:
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We're expected to manage everyone’s emotions and look cute doing it
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We’ve been socialised to link identity with aesthetics
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Capitalism told us “a new outfit = a new you,” and honestly, we believed it
Retail therapy becomes a little rebellion. A moment of control. A reset. A wearable mood board that says: I’m spiralling, but I look great doing it.
👕 So... What Are We Buying?
Enter: slogan t-shirts with feelings.
Not “Live Laugh Love” energy - we’re talking:
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“Emotionally Unavailable But Dressed So Cute”
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“Main Character Since My Motorola”
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“Girls Who Cry Are Dangerous”
T-shirts that say what you’re not ready to tell your therapist. That’s the kind of merch we’re into.
TL;DR:
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Retail therapy isn’t fake — it’s socially coded
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Women get shamed for coping in cute ways
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Slogan tees are cheaper than trauma bonding
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You deserve to look good while emotionally unstable
