Why Do Fully-Grown Adults Love Back To School Stationery?

Back to school stationery is a unique kind of nostalgia

Who can forget setting off for school fresh from the summer with a nice new set of pencils, an eraser without any lead rammed into it, a ruler with all of its corners still intact, and a standard issue agenda free of graffiti? While many of us may have left the classroom years if not decades ago, a new pen, notebook, desk tidy or stationery set brings back the excitement of the season. But this goes much deeper than simply buying what our 7 to 15-year-old selves lusted after (sparkly purple feather pens aren’t always best received in a professional office setting). By buying paper supplies intended for students, we can relive the excitement of the new season without the detention, wet play times and homework. It can also be a form of wish fulfilment for what you couldn’t have back then. Kids that were stuck with prosaic refill pads and utilitarian biros can now live out their dreams with designer pens, and notebooks filled with paper perfectly made for use with fountain pens. Whether or not you have children, it is hard to ignore the back to school stationery season. Adverts for back to school deals seem to start earlier each year, and it is difficult to avoid getting caught up in the excitement of it all. But why, as fully fledged, working adults, do we still feel the need to take part in the annual rush to top up on back to school stationery? School took up a large percentage of our early years, but it must go deeper than the hard wiring we received way back when. If we aren’t going and buying these items because we are compelled to, why do we want to anyway?

Back to school stationery provides us with a sense of order

There’s no getting away from the fact that today’s world is a lot to deal with. With this external chaos comes the yearning for a certain type of control: a nostalgia borne out of the need for structure. At a time when you can pretty much do away with paper and perform all of your tasks (planning, drafting, drawing, even sticky notes) on your phone or tablet, it may come as a surprise that sales of paper goods, especially the higher end stuff, are increasing year on year. This may not be so much a rejection of everything digital - although research supports the idea that we work better, more creatively, more productively and with better recall when we write things out by hand - but rather a harkening back to the structure and control of our younger years. In a confusing and overwhelming world, returning to a time when you could plan out your problems on a page can offer a needed sense of comfort.

The back to school season represents a chance to start again

When we buy a new notebook or a new planner, we’re buying more than the sum of their parts: we are buying the chance at a new start. After a summer of laid-back days, indulgent holidays and easing of rules, it’s natural that we start to crave the structure that the school year used to offer us. By investing in a shiny new item, we’re committing to this new idea. The expense is an investment in the future, and the pristine newness reflects a new start for the new me. And let’s face it: it’s a little bit easier to focus on our goals and live out healthy or meaningful changes when the sun is still shining. Maybe this is why so many New Year's resolutions fall away: all we want to do at that time of year is curl up under a duvet and watch films, because it’s too dark and too cold to do much else.

Working from home has changed the stationery-buying landscape

With many of us still working from home - either with a hybrid office model or fully ensconced in coffee shops - the opportunity to buy your own stationery and equip your own desk has reignited a hobby that many of us had forgotten about. Whereas office supplies used to be handed to us, many people are now embracing the chance to go and buy stationery sets that match their personal style, or kit out their desktops with whatever accessories their #stationerynerd hearts desire - something many of us couldn’t have envisioned just four years ago.

Our back to school stationery essentials (actual school attendance not necessary)

It’s no secret that we’re fairly obsessed with stationery here at Katie Leamon, so we’ve put together our top four items that are absolutely perfect for the new academic year. And if you’re looking for something extra,check out Katie’s essential edit for everything you need to live your stationery dreams.

A nice new notebook

What is it about the blank first page of a new notebook that holds so much possibility for us? As much as we love our old, used notebooks that have become fat and fluffy with notes, memories and ideas; the promise that a clean new notebook brings is pretty much unbeatable. Especially when they look as cute as the Katie Leamon lay flat notebooks.

A planner

Gone are the days of plastic-covered, spiral-bound, institution-issued day planners. Today’s planners and diaries are beauties unto themselves, with so many layouts, styles and sizes to choose from. We love ones that have paper thick enough to handle a variety of pens, and with both dated and undated options, there’s no end to the uses for a Katie Leamon planner.

Somewhere to store your pens

Nothing says grown-up luxury quite like a well-organised pencil case. Perfect for the office and on the go, our leather pencil case is big enough to store the essentials but pretty enough to give you a warm glow every time you use it. Plus, is there a colour more fitting of Autumn than a beautiful mustard hue?

A favourite pen

Someone, somewhere said that being a grown-up means having a preferred pen to write with. Whether that takes the form of a beautifully crafted fountain pen or a roller ball that writes as smooth as butter, we salute all you pen lovers out there.

Memo cards

Like most things worth doing, school doesn’t have an expiry date, and learning can be a lifelong pursuit. If you are one of those who happen to be studying past the legal drinking age, make the process that bit more enjoyable by elevating your revision aids. These beautiful Foglietto cards bring a bit of old-school aesthetic to your memos, without compromising on practicality. Whatever your reason may be for buying back to school stationery, Here at Katie Leamon, we will always ensure that our products are as fantastic to use as they are to look at. If you’d like to learn more about our latest products, ranges and collaborations, or read more of our insights into the world of stationery, why not sign up to our mailing list for regular updates?