Wear your cheap threads with pride!
Photo ©: Martin Poole
I am tired of seeing fashion spreads consisting entirely of clothing that I cannot afford. I am tired of being force-fed the idea that to look trendy, stylish and cool one must only wear designer labels and spurn synthetic fabrics.
How many of you feel my pain?
Sometimes I scan the prices of the clothes in fashion shoots and am quite depressed to note that the only item I can afford is a piece of costume jewellery or a scarf. Where are the clothes for real women? The majority of us do not earn salaries that support a wardrobe consisting exclusively of Country Road and Jimmy Choo.
It's fine to aspire to these brands - and we all know (and crave) the delight that comes with owning a special designer piece. But I am really getting over being sold the notion that the only way to look good is to fork out loads of cash. We should not be bankrupting ourselves for the sake of style!
When I was at the Cape Town Fashion Week launch dinner in July, two women were walking around taking photographs of people's outfits for their blog. They approached one of the women at my table and asked if they could take her picture, because they loved her leopard print blouse. She obliged and they asked her where her blouse was from - and she said she would rather not say.
After the women left she said to me, "You know where it's from, don't you?" and I smiled knowingly - "Mr Price?"
I was right! But I don't know why she was so hesitant to share this information.
I get such a kick out of being able to tell people that my clothes were on sale, or from a factory shop, or (*gasp*) Mr Price. In most cases, the person you're talking to has just complimented you on your clothing, so why should they care where it comes from?
But hey, maybe that's just me - I love a bargain.
What's more, if you want to stay on-trend every season, it really just makes sense to buy cheap because there's no point in investing in anything other than the classics. If you're just going to toss it out with last season's tulip dress, why pay hundreds of rands for it?
I understand that some people have an issue with cheaper clothing's sometimes objectionable quality - but I maintain that if you care for your clothes properly, handwash those that need it and don't throw them in the laundry after every single wear, you should not be going through your clothes as fast as you do wash-up gloves.
Also, sometimes so-called 'designer' brands are the worst offenders when it comes to poor quality - YDE, I'm talking to you! (R899 for a polyurethane jacket? Bitch, please.)
My advice?
Always, always buy clothes that flatter you, regardless of what's trendy. If you're going to buy trendy, don't bother buying expensive, unless you can afford it. Pay a little extra for timeless pieces only.
And don't let the big magazines fool you - you can look just as stylish and gorgeous in no-name brands as you do in labels. Wear your cheap threads with pride - I do!
Where do you go bargain-hunting? Share with other readers in the comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment