When Fashion and Famine Mate
Fashiorexia is a new craze that is sweeping the UK, and — in short — refers to young women who will skimp on food and groceries so that they can spend their dough on fashion instead. Huh.
My immediate instinct, just as yours, was to laugh at the idea. But instantly a feeling of shame washed over me as I flashed back to one night not too long ago at the local mini mart holding a loaf of bread and tin of Spam in one hand and an issue of Vogue in the other. It was a week where I had not made any money freelancing and had nothing even remotely edible waiting for me at my apartment but a tin of coffee and some milk. Do I even need to tell you how the rest of my story goes?
Scroll down for the Fashiorexia Diagnostic Quiz
Hi, my name is Adrie and I am a Fashiorexic—mind you I am one of the chubbier variety, but willing to starve for fashion mags and only-good-to-wear-for-one-season shoes.
One in three UK women would starve to buy clothes
AUK website that is dedicated to celebrity fashion did some research on this new phenom and found that of the 4,315 females they surveyed 32 percent admitted that they would happily go without food if it meant that they could instead make a fashion purchase. Of those women, 28 percent said that this “diet” helps to keep their weight in check – Manolo bless their souls—they really consider it a diet! (Ahh to be in the 18-25 box again) Finally, the results that seem to have most people flabbergasted is that 21 percent of the women in the 31-40 category admitted to spending more than half of their wages on fashion. I guess people expected that women who share my age box would know better. Oh well.
With the UK being the home of Kate Moss, Keira Knightly and other über-waif style icons, I guess it’s not too shocking that the Brits would have been the ones to discover this ailment and give it a name before us over on this side of the pond. I would however like to do a little research amongst my American peeps to figure out just how many of us are suffering from this same affliction that causes us to lose all sense of nutrition and basic needs for survival all in the name of couture—or in my case even just a cute sweater from Target!
Are your fashiorectic? Take our Quiz
Here’s a little quiz that will help you figure out if you’re suffering from Fashiorexia and in turn help me figure out just how many of us there are out here. If you’re not gonna do it to help me out, then at least do it for yourself; knowing is half the battle, you know.