Plagued by the Muchness of Sameness

Even to me, this is boring...

I don't imagine that it surprises you to learn that I look at literally thousands, if not tens of thousands, of garments and accessories each day.  Of course I peruse most of these online while I'm building beautiful vignettes to share with you, but I look at them nonetheless.

Why do I have to look at so much STUFF every day?  Because the vast majority of it either (a) looks like most of the other things I've seen, or (b) looks cheap, poorly made, poorly photographed, and utterly unworthy of your attention.  Often, I see clothes that qualify for both (a) and (b)... the true losers of the wardrobe world.

What can we do to combat this infinite sameness?

1.  Don't give in to it.  Buying basics is wise and often a good choice, but when stores offer you nothing but the same old same old, it's time to refuse to buy.  Many major department stores have begun to look so much alike to me that I just avoid them.

2. Accessories.  Especially artisan things like those that come from Boticca, Novica, local artisans and small shops will go a long way toward customizing an otherwise rather conformist garment.

3.  Vintage.  Not easy, and time consuming, but there are beautiful things to be found.

4.  Invest in something extraordinary and wear it to pieces.

5.  Learn to sew, or find someone you can hire to make clothes for you.  This really NEEDS to happen - exceptional seamstresses need to make a fantastic living, and we need to remember that a few perfect items made just for us are worth shelves of mass-produced dreck.  I would love to find someone in Chicago to make a suit for me - I have all of the details thought out...

Anybody else find the sameness of our clothing offerings to be irritating?  And do you have any suggestions for how we can express ourselves in this ocean of conformity?