Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Getty Images Plus.

Checking Out

A series about the way we shop, what we buy, and how it all makes us feel.

Welcome to Checking Out, a Column About What We Buy, How We Buy It, and Why It Defines Us Now

How we shop has changed so much, thanks to influencers, the internet, the pandemic, and more. In Checking Out, we’ll talk about all of it.

No matter how good their intentions, creators are still able to make money off of telling people to spend less.

Vending machines are a harbinger of what’s to come.

The local online parent group, where I’d hoped to find new friends, was basically a random yard sale.

The humble white tee shows us just how much fast fashion has affected our relationship to clothing.

Free the nipple and show some skin.

Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Getty Images Plus.