My beef with Elle

In this months Elle there is a feature about why young people are still shopping.
A naive, posturing, irresponsible article which doesn't answer the fucking question at all but only serves to advertise the cycle of consumption even further. To continue to make women feel they are inadequate if they aren't buying all the time like ditzes with credit cards but no brain cells.
The author Linda Grant talks of the predictions of the end of shopping with the recession bearing down on our wallets, this is the end of "mindless consumerism, to be replaced by a new mood of seriousness, of wartime make-do-and-mend. Of buying a few investment pieces that would last years, instead of a new dress every week."
Well, firstly, I can't even afford those investment pieces and secondly, Linda then goes on to tell us about how despite these predictions, the country is still shopping, as if this is a positive thing! Oh, it doesn't matter that you are up to your eyeballs in fucking debt and can't even afford porridge because you have bought three pairs of shoes that week you must keep purchasing!
According to Grant, it's because of "fashion's own defiance of bad news." Really? Or is it just so fucking hammered into us that we're nothing unless we don't have loads of stuff, however fucking useless. Unless I have a new shiny dress in my wardrobe I'm nothing. No wonder we're all in a recession, we can't stop, it was going to implode on us at some point.
No Grant hit it better on the head when she said "for those under 35, who have never known anything but a culture of consumerism, it might be cool to buy an ethically sourced necklace - but it's unimaginable to buy nothing at all... to dress badly, in out-of-date clothes, or ones that no longer suit you, is to surrender your self-respect."
When did self-respect become about having nice new clothes? I thought self-respect was about sticking up for yourself, believing in yourself, achieving something real with your life, not queueing up to buy some fucking Matthew Williamson at H&M because you might not get the chance again and if you don't have a shiny new wardrobe every five fucking minutes then you quite simply don't match up regardless of the intelligent thoughts you may have or the good you do for others.
Now, fair enough, Elle is fashion magazine, it is in their interest to push consumption, and really, as I'm on a shopping ban I just shouldn't read it. I'm just angry that this is why I am in such a mess. That I fell for it all. That it's so ingrained in my pysche. That I only have myself to blame.
And I do love fashion, love it. I love pretty things. But I'm coming to realise that the "sheer pleasure of being surrounded by pretty things" means nothing compared to once in my life actually having some financial security. Now, that, is real self respect.
This weapon of massive consumption (thanks Lily Allen) is retiring.
I wonder how long my self righteousness will last... ohh, there's a nice bra on the Bravissimo website, I could do with a new bra.