A cleaner aesthetic has tricked us into thinking we’re consuming more thoughtfully. Fewer logos, neutral palettes, streamlined silhouettes. Surely that means we’re slowing down, right? Not always. Minimalism has been co-opted by the same industry that pushes excess. We’re still buying at the same rate, just in beige. The visual language of “slowness” doesn’t mean we’re buying less; it just looks that way.