For those avid shoppers who have discovered Pinterest, as I am sure many of them were pioneer pinners, they soon realized that their time had been devoured by the site. Browsing images of clothing and accessories is a perfect way to entertain boredom; but there is so much more. With Pinterest one is not limited to browsing, they have the ability to create. With the site’s many categories and growing collection of images, the options are truly limitless. In essence, Pinterest is a shopaholic’s paradise.
Pinterest can alleviate, if you will, the urge to splurge because it is not necessarily a purchasing site. If you desire to buy then there are links that will take you to purchasing sites but you can always just window shop. Pinning items to your board is like adding items to your shopping cart, without the commitment of buying. Some users get the same gratification.
“I use Pintrest because I am strapped for cash. It’s nice to pretend my Pinterest closet is actually my real closet, so I hoard cute outfits in my Pinterest closet. It has also really helped me cut back on my impulse shopping because I put outfits together on Pinterest and wait to shop for that specific look.” –Ally
“I find that I spend less money than when I am online shopping because I am busy pinning and adding to my boards rather than purchasing.” – Leah
Many of us fail victim to overbuying. This is because when we are out shopping we will see an item we like, forget we own a very similar version and end up wasting money buying it only to get home and realize we could have created the desired outfit with items we already owned. Sometimes we view a photo, it all the sudden clicks and we say to ourselves oh wow so that’s how I wear that!
Pinterest allows users to browse outfits on real women from their pin boards in a way that show us we can be our own stylists. With this ability we aren’t necessarily urged to buy but rather inspired to create the outfit on our own without having to purchase every element, like you would be if you were on a store’s site.
“To me Pinterest is a way to acquire inspiration or ideas that I have not thought about with items I may already have. I honestly hate shopping online, because the layout of the websites are condensed and cluttered with small pictures of women that I cannot relate to. That is why I love Pinterest, it offers fun & artsy photos of women in cute clothes, accessories, hairstyles and so forth that are “technically” not trying to sell me merchandise. I completely use this site as inspiration to create my own outfits.” – Ashley
“I use Pinterest the same way most do. An inspiration for fashion and it helps me recall what I have and how to mix and match. I never purchase anything it has or go on the links.” –Lyvia
“Like other ladies, I also use it as inspiration to help me put combos together that I wouldn’t be able to come up with myself!” – Ally
Another way Pinterest allows users to keep their cash stowed is through the site’s extensive collection of DIYs. It is filled with tutorials that make it easy to save money and create something of your own that no one else will have by doing so with your own personal touch.
“The DIY clothing pins are also some of my faves! Because then you can turn something ordinary in to something different and creative.” –Ally
“I also love the hair inspiration it shares and step by step on how to obtain the look. Definitely inspires me to try new hair styles. Oh! I love the nail polish ideas too.” –Lyvia
Along the lines of originality and having something that is unique, is searching for that specific something to complete an outfit. Many of us do not have the time to trek to the mall or browse the internet all day to find that specific jacket or necklace and would love a simpler way of obtaining what they desire. Well, this is where Pinterest also comes in! Sometimes Google’s search engine just will not suffice. Pinterest also leads us, through provided links, to blogs and companies we would have never discovered otherwise.
“I do not have hours on end to search the internet for new companies or websites that do not come up immediately on my Google search. That is another reason Pinterest is a great way to be introduced to new websites, clothing lines, blogs and more that pertain to fashion.” – Ashley
“I often will go onto Pinterest to find something I saw and want to buy because I feel that they have trendier search results than other search engines provide me with.” – Leah
If you have yet to discover Pinterest I highly recommend the site, especially for shopaholics and fashionistas. Just be warned, you will soon become addicted like the rest of us!
