I Broke a Personal Shopping Rule While Buying White Nikes at Kith

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I broke a personal shopping rule last weekend. I went to a store with someone else and bought a thing that this person picked out.

Let me explain: Though I've worked in fashion for five years, I hate shopping with other people. Aimlessly browsing is fine, but shopping with a purchase in mind is not fine. Mostly, I strongly dislike when friends tell me their opinions about what I'm wearing. I believe that it says more about them than what I look like in clothes, and it’s not great for building a wardrobe of things you won’t Kondo out in six months. Plus, it makes me feel judged and rushed — my two least favorite feelings! Shopping by myself, on the other hand, is a total joy.

Anyway, I went with this guy to the women's Kith store — a tiny storefront on Bleecker Street across from the men's shop — to find some new white Nikes to replace a pair of old white Nikes. (The rumors are true: when you start wearing sneakers, it's very, very, very hard to wear anything with a heel again.) He encouraged me to buy high-top Air Force 1s, which he said were an upgrade from my last pair. I did it because I wanted white Nikes and these were white Nikes, but I also wanted the shopping trip to be over. But when I got home, they just didn't feel like me.

So I went back the next day to try to return them and was told by a very apologetic store clerk that they only do exchanges. I peeked around the one wall of shoes and found a couple pairs to try on and sit with for a second. I fell hard for the all-white Nike Air Huaraches, which are light and airy where the AF1s are thick and stompy. It’s a perfect summer sneaker.

I had to fork over an extra $44 for them, but that's a small price to pay for getting what I actually want.