You ever buy something, realize it kinda sucks, but instead of admitting it, you convince yourself you love it?
Like, maybe you spent too much on a necklace that tangles every time you wear it—but you tell yourself it’s "just delicate."
Or you bought a jacket that fits weirdly, but you insist it just needs the "right styling."
Or those shoes that hurt like hell, but you keep wearing them because they were expensive, so they must be worth it… right?
That’s called Cognitive Dissonance—a psychological concept that explains why when our actions and beliefs don’t align, our brain tries to justify them instead of admitting we made a mistake.
Why We Defend Bad Buys
Cognitive Dissonance happens because our brains hate feeling conflicted.
- If you spend money on something, you want to believe it was a good decision.
- If you tell yourself you care about quality, but you buy something cheaply made, it creates mental discomfort.
- If a brand hypes something up but it turns out to be mediocre, you don’t want to admit you fell for it.
So instead of admitting "this was a waste of money", we mentally twist the story:
“It’s not uncomfortable, I just need to break it in.”
“It’s not bad quality, it’s just ‘delicate.’”
“It’s not poorly made, it’s just ‘fashion-forward.’”
How Brands Exploit This
Many brands count on Cognitive Dissonance to keep you buying.
- They use flashy marketing and big promises to make something seem better than it is.
- They overcharge for items so that once you buy them, you feel forced to love them.
- They flood you with trends so that by the time you realize you don’t actually like something, it’s too late—you already bought it.
TENKU: No Justification Needed
At TENKU, I don’t want you to have to convince yourself that something was worth it.
- I want you to love a piece instantly, not just because you paid for it.
- I want our jewelry and clothing to feel good the first time you wear them—not after you force yourself to like them.
- I want you to look at what you buy from us months later and still feel like it was the right choice.
Because the best purchases? They don’t need excuses. They just make sense.
How to Avoid Cognitive Dissonance in Fashion
Next time you catch yourself justifying a purchase, ask yourself:
-
Would I buy this again if I could go back?
Am I making excuses for something that actually just isn’t great?
Do I love this because I truly love it, or because I don’t want to admit it was a bad buy?
Because the best clothes and jewelry? They don’t need a mental pep talk.
They just feel right.
