Nate Smith and Consumption

By Hayden Wilkins

The consumption-based society of the United States of America can feel like a minefield.

With the constant bombardment of the new, of the expensive, of the flashy, it is easy to get lost in

the craze and to suffer because of it. Nate Smith is one of the few people that I know who seem

to not get caught up in this onslaught of marketing and consumption, so I sat down with him to

try and discuss his spending habits, past experiences with consumption in his community, and his

views on trends, almost all of which having an express focus on clothing. Is there anything to

learn from Nate’s views on these topics?

Nate Smith Consumes simply for being in this digital age where we can get our every

desire through the mail in around four days. When questioned about what he needs in day-to-day

life, the most extravagant item on his list was a laptop. The other items he mentioned were basic

body care necessities like soaps and toothpaste, a backpack, a rain jacket, a water bottle, his

favorite Bert’s Bees chapstick, a wallet, a pair of sneakers, and some clothes. His bare necessities

seem to be very similar to the idea of men’s bare necessities in Mojola’s work in the sense that he

does not see himself needing much to get through his daily life. This could be demonstrating a

correlation between the culture of men in the United States and in Kenya, where they don’t need

all of the makeup and fancy amenities in their everyday life. This correlation dissolves when

Nate mentions his daily need for a laptop, which was not discussed in Love, Money, and HIV. I

believe that this is because of a social difference between college students in the United States

and the selected students in Kenya. Technology has leaked its way into every aspect of an

American's life. Especially after the Covid-19 quarantine, a social dependence on technology is

becoming more and more prevalent. Students can now work on and submit most of their work
without moving from a screen and that does show. Nate when referring to his laptop says that

“this day and age you need that too, like, just be a student in college”(12:48). As far as Daily

consumption goes, Nate seems to consume what he needs according to social and health

standards but doesn’t seem to stray too far from what he needs.

Although there is a more minimalistic mindset when talking to Nate about his

consumption habits, there was still an evident presence of impression management in his

thoughts. When asked to talk about the development of his clothing styles, his mind went straight

to his sophomore year in a New England high school. Nate went to a big public school which he

claims to have had people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds(23:09). He did have some

private school friends too, most of which he recounted were white. It was in this high school

environment that Nate started to gain a sense of how he liked to express himself. This is a period

in Nate’s life I like to call the Nike to Levi transition. The prevalent brand in Nate’s middle

school and beginning high school experience was Nike(5:20). It was in his sophomore year that

he realized that he “could probably look a little better, more presentable”(5:35) he claimed. It

was here that Nate began to have an appreciation for clothing that would be able to weather time.

He bought some Levi’s jeans for their more formal form and comfortability and began to base his

tastes on the appreciation seen around him for making clothing last. Kids who would wear the

same statement piece but reuse it to incorporate it into different outfits were idolized. He even

gained a love for beat-up shoes. Recounting a long-gone pair of his, he said “They were so beat

up, but I love beating the shit out of them. It doesn’t show a story, but they like gain sentimental

value because I wore them all the time”(24:16). The style became less of a brand and more of a

mixture of sentimental value, comfort, and utility of the clothing.

 What about trends? Nate is a fan of trends when they can be affordable. He briefly

mentions that if he likes the way that a trendy brand of clothing looks, then he will check it out

online. His only frustration is when people will only buy something because it is trendy,

especially outdoor brands of clothing. This is because he feels that buying these usually

expensive brands of clothing which are made for hiking, climbing, and outdoor activities in

general to only wear around the town is a waste of money and a waste of the jacket. “A lot of

fashion is just buying the most expensive stuff like Arc’teryx or Patagonia but it’s (the most

expensive) for a reason because like people need it to be that. And then you just wear it in New

York City… You can kinda tell when someone buys something just because it’s in, They don’t

know what it is used for. And that is kinda what hurts sometimes”(10:53). These responses seem

to show that Nate is socially aware of trends within his environment and takes some time to think

about them through the lens of his values of utility and comfort while also having a respect for

the more luring trendy clothing which he finds good looking. His final thoughts on trendy

clothing are on clothing that was once considered trendy and has been around long enough to

reach the pillar of trendy again. “It’s funny because people will have these old clothes that are,

like, quality and then they will have them forever and ever and ver and eventually that is what is

in again. And it’s like, I didn't buy this because it was going to be in like 20 years, I bought it 20

years ago because it was like what I needed”(13:56). This only further accentuates how Nate

values what was needed over what is trendy. In short, Nate seems to think intently about his

spending habits regarding the purchasing of trendy items which may be enforced by social

pressure. He at least tries to not crumble under this pressure and often only purchases what he

sees as useful to him.

 The final question which I had asked Nate was what one thing he would buy if money

wasn’t an issue. After thinking about getting an expensive apartment or a yacht to rent out for

some side revenue, he eventually decided that all he would want is a raincoat or some

top-of-the-line outdoor gear. I am convinced that the world needs more people like Nate Smith.

People who are willing to divert from the herd and follow their morals when encountering

consumption.