How to consume & not feel so bad about it

Because, what other choice do we have? Plus, top picks from TRR sale under $1000

May 14, 2026

There is no ethical consumption under capitalism. We know this, and yet, we must consume to live: not just to remain full-bellied and quenched but to live in a realer sense - through art, travel, purpose, beauty, and experience. There is no way to travel overseas without participating in the expedition of climate change, true, but there is also no way to ensure the movies we watch are free from bad men intervening (most likely impossible to avoid). We try to buy clothing that is clean from the moment it is dreamt up to the moment it arrives on our doorsteps. We're caught in the middle between brands who promised us a pristine climate and humanitarian impact, just to be rolled up by private equity and flattened into a meek, dishonest version of what once was. Growing up in the Bay Area in the 90s, it was the Birkenstocked dangly earrings bohemians shopping at Whole Foods. Now the entire enterprise is owned by big tech.

There was a moment in time, however brief, where we cared deeply: many of us did everything in our power to buy the venture-funded toothpaste that was good for the earth and splurge on cage-free eggs. But as the sentiment has seeped into our souls and the cost of just surviving has skyrocketed to the point that just maintaining a normal living standard is all we can manage, an apathy has hardened and crystallized across our culture. We used to not know that the man who made the movies was a bad man. We partook in a Holmesian raid of all those who wronged others, via their tweets and the people who were brave enough to speak up, to try and squash the impact on those bad men. And now, in 2026, we just shrug and turn on Netflix.

They say as you get older your world becomes smaller and yet more expansive within that small-ness. I reflected recently on what it meant to be a true member of my community: yes, perhaps its being a good neighbor and helping your neighbor pick out tile for their new bathroom, and it’s knowing the employees at your local grocer by name (and trading baking recipes), and having a group of people to laugh with. But, community can also mean engaging in a smaller, more authentic, more nuanced economy with one another. A community filled with artists means your home is always filled with beautiful original art. A community of business owners means your parties are always catered by a friend, and that you always have somewhere to jump in the ocean. It means you always have something unique to sip on at home, and someone to brand your new company, and somewhere to buy cosmetics that don’t harm the earth or its inhabitants. It means someone to build your cabinetry who you also golf with, to have someone paint your home that always wants a current photo of your cat, to pick up flowers that your friend arranged. It means muses and role models that help you grow your business without having to buy a course written by a stranger to make money. You’ll wear shoes and hats and skirts and jewelry designed by people you know, and know who runs the stores you source from for clients, and at the end of a long week, have a drink poured by someone you know, or a glass of wine made by friend. Knowing someone is its own kind of due diligence.

When you support local and build a community of people who build local, you can always be sure that you’re supporting things that are a pure good. My ask of you is simple: support a friend who runs a business this week. Support doesn’t mean asking for a discount or special treatment or free goods, it means full-fledged support - showing up for the people you pre-vetted with friendship.

For a little bit of eye candy…

…I present to you, TRR sale under (and around, for some) $1000. Buy these before I buy them all