# 0001: Strict Two-Level Category Hierarchy

## Status
Accepted

## Context
We are expanding the catalog structure from flat categories to include subcategories. We need to decide how deep this nesting should go, and how products relate to it.

## Decision
We will implement a strict two-level hierarchy consisting of `Category` and `Subcategory`. A `Product` will belong exclusively to a `Subcategory`, and will not have a direct foreign key to a `Category`.

## Consequences
* **Simpler Queries:** Finding products for a subcategory is a direct lookup. Finding products for a category requires joining through the subcategory, but depth is fixed at 1 step.
* **Rigid Structure:** If the business ever needs a third level (e.g., Men -> Shirts -> T-Shirts), the database schema will require a migration.
* **Clearer UI:** Admin interfaces for assigning products are simplified to a single dropdown (or grouped dropdown) of subcategories, without ambiguity about whether a product should sit at the parent or child level.