There’s just something a little bit nice about having an item of yours that’s only yours.
There’s the ultimate sense of individuality about buying something personalised – this is mine, and it’s only mine. It’s a bit of an expression of identity, too.
But of course, having things personalised isn’t always just about expressing yourself. A lot of the time, it’s a practicality thing – good luck trying to lose something with your name on it.
You only need to walk through the shops or have a scroll on social media to see we love customising just about anything we can get our hands on. Here are the five personalised purchases we’re coveting.
Wallets and bags.
You probably guessed this one was going to come first, didn’t you? Sitting at the very top, spearheading this personalised movement is our love for monogrammed wallets.
How do we know they are having a moment? Because they’re quite literally everywhere. The trend doesn’t stop with wallets, we now have personalised phone cases, bags, makeup kits and passport holders that are carefully customised with our own initials. It looks good. It feels special.
By now, I have no doubt you’ve heard of The Daily Edited. Launched in August 2014 on Instagram by two friends, Alyce Tran and Tania Liu, the duo decided to start personalising everything. That idea turned into a $15 million business. At around the same time, Lana Hopkins launched Mon Purse, which works on a similar idea, turning every day items into personalised luxuries. Hopkins turned that business into one that’s worth nearly $20 million.
Their success speaks volumes – we simply can’t stop buying their stuff. It’s probably the very reason I bought my mother a customised wallet for Christmas.
Jewellery.
Customised jewellery surely has to be the origins of this personalised business. I’m fairly sure there’s a miniature “Z” bracelet sitting at the bottom of my wardrobe that was a gift from a distant auntie when I was born. Australian label Sarah & Sebastian have played on our desire to put a bit of ourselves in our jewellery, creating an entire range of necklaces dedicated to different letters.
Tiffany and Co. are much the same, dedicating an entire section of their website to gifts that can be engraved.
A personalised bracelet or necklace or ring says more. It gives the impression of effort, money and thoughtfulness. And it makes people feel good.
Health insurance.
And then there are the times when customising things doesn’t just look good, it actually saves you some coin.
Yep, we’re talking health insurance. This is exactly where that one size-fits-all mentality falls over, because who the hell wants to pay for something they’re not actually using?
Not me. And probably not you, either.
"It actually saves you some coin." Image: iStock.
HBF is a health fund that knows how important it is to squeeze as much value out of our purchases as humanly possible.
That's why they've created Flexi Extras*, a product which allows you to choose and swap your extras services so you only have to pay for the services you need at the time you need it.
Using the physio one month, the optometrist another month and the dentist later in the year? You can customise your extras insurance, just like you customised that monogrammed wallet in your handbag, so you’re only paying for the service you need at any given time.
Genius, right? And it means you can spend the cash you save on insurance on something a little bit special.
*Waiting periods may apply.
Food orders.
Remember when frozen yoghurt amassed quite the cult following? Or when Subway was the most popular food chain on the block?
All you have to do is look around your local food court to see that customised food orders have taken over how we consume food. Salad bars like Thrive in Melbourne or Bowl'n in Perth are a choose-your-own-adventure. They let you create your own healthy bowl using a base of rice, a protein or veggie main and toppings. Or, if salads aren't your thing, there's always Spud Bar where you can create your own meal from the ground up.
Sneakers.
Have you ever heard of NikeiD? You design your ultimate pair of sneakers. They make them, and you get to wear them within three to five weeks. In the comfort of your own home, you become your own show designer.
Choosing everything from the colour to the material to the shoe type, these ones have your personalty written all over them. Bid farewell to shoe shopping adventures where you find nothing that suits your style.
What personalised purchases are on your wishlist?