Hi guys. My name’s Taylor…

(Hi, Taylor!)

... and I’m addicted to shopping.

This has been a problem of mine for as long as I can remember, but here’s the problem: I look fabulous.

Let’s start at the beginning.

I’m an only child, and, even more, I’m a spoiled only child. Though my parents were never rich, I never went without. I used to have Barbies up the wazoo and even more Barbie clothes. I would spend hours just getting the Barbies dressed before we could even start playing, and God forbid there was a scene change. That require a whole new wardrobe and three new cast members.

It didn’t take my parents and other family members long to realize that I went crazy for new clothes. I adored going to the mall and modeling outfits for anyone who would watch me. It was (and still is) one of my favorite things to do.

Realizing this, my parents often bribed me do things with the offer of a new cute shirt. Every year for my birthday, my grandma would take me on a shopping spree. As the years went on, the trips got more extravagant. For my 16th birthday, we went to the Mall of America, and I was given a tremendous amount of money, which I promise you did not last long.

When I graduated high school, I had a graduation party — as most kids do. I received an abundance of money that I swore up and down I would spend responsibly. I bet you can guess how where it went. The Urban Outfitters down the street made a small fortune off of me. It was in the dorms that I truly discovered the beauty of online shopping as well. You can order beautiful faux-suede skirts and bodysuits from the comfort of your own bed? I will never leave my room again.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday were a disaster. I won’t say that I didn’t buy anything for others, but I did spend quite a bit of money on new jeans. After Christmas, and going into second semester, I was broke.

I’ve tried many times to stop myself from buying clothing that I probably won’t wear as often as I think and definitely don’t need, but retail therapy is a real and scary thing. Even if I am in the greatest of moods, I become even more care-free and happy after the cashier puts my items into one of those beautiful Free People bags.

To most, this may sound like the shallowest obsession you’ve ever come across, and on a certain level, I’m sure it is. But fashion is about so much more than “looking good.” In my mind, fashion is one of the purest ways to express yourself. It’s an art that most people take for granted.

Everyday, people all over the world are choosing what they want to wear. Though likely unconsciously, they are deciding how to portray themselves to everyone they are going to see that day. No matter what look, trend, or style you’re into, you’re showing others exactly who you are.

If you’re wearing a flowy dress, strappy sandals and have a head full of waves and flowers, people are likely to think you’re a go-with-the-flow, laid-back kind of person. They may judge you to be a bohemian, pot-smoking hippie, too, but that comes with the territory. You have to remember how you’re coming across with each outfit that you choose.

That’s why fashion is so cool and why I’m so obsessed. You can be the laid-back person one day, but the next you can be business casual with a blazer, flats and dark wash skinny jeans. There’s no reason you can’t mix things up every day.

I realized from a young age that I could change who I am every single day just with an outfit change. While I acknowledge that I have a shopping problem, I also acknowledge that I look this might be the greatest power I have ever received.

Plus, how could it be a problem when I look so darn cute?