Cottagecore had a puffy uniform. Mob wife had a coat. Whimsy and chic have no edges at all, and that turns out to be the most expensive trend fashion has ever sold us. A few weeks ago, my colleagues and I visited a local fair, and after 2 long hours surrounded by baked goods, the aroma of coffee, lines of shoes and clothes, handmade articles, and the cigarette smell that my hair took back home, I caved in and bought a mushroom-shaped candle holder and told my colleagues that it felt whimsical. I was not shopping for clothes that day. … Continue reading The Mood Economy: What “Whimsy” and “Chic” Really Cost Us