Some people refer to me as a clotheshorse, and I am inclined to agree. Shopping is at the top of my “favorite things to do” list following sleeping and eating. Although I am a huge fan of clothes, I like shoes more, and a purchase I made fairly recently influenced the question above.

Over the past three months, I made four purchases of footwear. I bought two pairs of Kate Spade flats and two pairs of Michael Kors boots.

Admittedly, I don’t own a lot of Kate Spade products. I’ve purchased a few pairs of flip flops, which are typically super cute and I have a few pieces of their jewelry. I bought the flats pictured above because I found them adorable and unique.

Michael Kors, on the other hand, I have several pairs of sandals, boots, dresses, jeans, blouses, and handbags. In all honesty, I hadn’t given much thought to the difference between the brands and what I own until after I ordered the Kate Spade gogo taxi flats. This purchase initiated emails inviting me to spend more money at their store. Since I love to shop, I took a gander at what they had to offer and I spotted a cardigan I liked. When I saw it, my initial thought was “they won’t have my size,” but I looked anyway. Guess what? I was right.

This disappointing moment reminded me of my recent Michael Kors experiences. One was at their brick-and-mortar store in Rockefeller Center where I purchased the Keke Extreme Printed Calf Hair boot—the customer service was impeccable by the way. My in-store experience, and the Lina Logo Tote that I haven’t forgotten about—which felt like “buttah”—nudged me to visit their website.

During my stroll through the site, I spotted the Emma Patchwork Leather Platform boot, which I had to have! For some reason, this purchase reminded me that this brand provides bags, clothing, and shoes that fit me and my lifestyle, which in turn, brought my Kate Spade experience to the forefront of my mind. Should I spend my hard-earned government salary on items from brands or companies that don’t consider me wholly as a consumer when they create their products?

I realize this question may land me on the “Too Woke” list again; however, it is a question I think is necessary for me to consider. Don’t misunderstand me, I know brands have to consider the cost of doing business. I’m sure, or at least I hope, they’ve asked if it would be advantageous to create a plus-size line. The fact of the matter is, there are a lot of plus-size consumers who are not willing to pay high-end prices for clothing. So, I understand why companies may opt not to offer extended sizes. However, is that a justifiable reason for me to support them when there are brands like Michael Kors, Jessica Simpson, and Vince Camuto that consider me wholly as a consumer?

I haven’t come to a final decision on this one, yet. However, I am leaning toward not supporting brands that only provide some items that are available for me to purchase and wear. Who knows, maybe more awareness and a decline in sales will influence more companies to consider expanding their products to more consumers of varying body types? More to come on this one.

Until the next time be you—and more important—love you.

Being uniquely you is being uniquely beautiful.

-B.B. 💋