One day one of things hyper-fashion related (think Fashion Night Out followed by New York Fashion Week), it's crazy to say, but I find myself going through a bit of a fashion dilemma! No, it isn't of the "I have nothing to wear" variety. My dilemma really stems from what feels like a major gulf between what I blog about on fashion day (i.e. yesterday) and the reality of my personal fashion life. So, I'm going to come clean with you with a little fashion confession....
While I've been feeling a little unsettled about this recently, the feeling reached a climax over the weekend as I was strolling through Nieman Marcus, a store that is seriously not for the small-of-wallet! I was in there looking for a dress to wear for an upcoming wedding and as I looked at beautiful clothes after beautiful clothes, the cost of said beauty really hit me! Seriously, $325 for a blouse?!? I know you are thinking "Duh Brandie" - but still, because I never shop for things I see on any runway since I already know it's more than my minimal budget can afford, the actual price of these goods just never hits me. (This is not to say that I think these items are overvalued, as even I can appreciate the cost of labor, marking, shipping, materials, and branding as much as the next lady.) While I was lucky enough to find the perfect dress for the wedding (hello mega-sale rack!), my experience really got me thinking more about this gap and clarifying with you what "ready-to-wear" really means to me.
While I may blog about amazing prints in fashion (especially African inspired and very bold prints), that love of print usually finds it's way into my life either through the various textiles in my home or through my small scarf collection (it's only been in the last year that I purchased a bag and scarf that were only in one color) and not so much in my actual clothing. When it comes to clothes, my rule of thumb these days is simple, simple, simple. When I do go shopping, I think of at least a few other items I can pair a piece with and if nothing comes to mind, it doesn't come home with me. I generally tend to stick to solid colors (especially navy blue for some odd reason), leaving my scarves, bags, and jewelry to add that needed spark to my look before sprinting out the door.
I stick to pieces that are going to last just about forever (some of my favorite sweaters are over at least 10 years old and still amazing) and therefore don't mind spending a little more for a better quality piece. I'm also extremely patient when it comes to clothes, so I can easily wait for either the price to go down, or until I've saved the money in order to get an item that I know I'm going to love a long time and if I wait too long and the piece is no long available, I'm generally cool with that. I'm also one that can appreciate something cheap (i.e. my "lady-of leisure" hat for the summer - straw hat with a 2 mile floppy brim) as needed. If something is going to be expensive, it generally has to past a whole bunch of mini-tests in order to come home with me. For example: does it at least cover 50% of my body (as I have a short torso, blouses don't meet that criteria)? Will it protect body parts I find really important (like my toes) from things like frostbite? Is it made of either gold, silk, cashmere, or moondust? And most important: is it worth a plane ticket to or hotel room or dinner in a foreign country/city, or an adventure that I've never done before?
While I may blog about amazing prints in fashion (especially African inspired and very bold prints), that love of print usually finds it's way into my life either through the various textiles in my home or through my small scarf collection (it's only been in the last year that I purchased a bag and scarf that were only in one color) and not so much in my actual clothing. When it comes to clothes, my rule of thumb these days is simple, simple, simple. When I do go shopping, I think of at least a few other items I can pair a piece with and if nothing comes to mind, it doesn't come home with me. I generally tend to stick to solid colors (especially navy blue for some odd reason), leaving my scarves, bags, and jewelry to add that needed spark to my look before sprinting out the door.
I stick to pieces that are going to last just about forever (some of my favorite sweaters are over at least 10 years old and still amazing) and therefore don't mind spending a little more for a better quality piece. I'm also extremely patient when it comes to clothes, so I can easily wait for either the price to go down, or until I've saved the money in order to get an item that I know I'm going to love a long time and if I wait too long and the piece is no long available, I'm generally cool with that. I'm also one that can appreciate something cheap (i.e. my "lady-of leisure" hat for the summer - straw hat with a 2 mile floppy brim) as needed. If something is going to be expensive, it generally has to past a whole bunch of mini-tests in order to come home with me. For example: does it at least cover 50% of my body (as I have a short torso, blouses don't meet that criteria)? Will it protect body parts I find really important (like my toes) from things like frostbite? Is it made of either gold, silk, cashmere, or moondust? And most important: is it worth a plane ticket to or hotel room or dinner in a foreign country/city, or an adventure that I've never done before?
None of this is to say that I don't continue to find style inspiration from the runways of the world, or that I'll stop highlighting all the amazing talent out there who are involved in our lovely continent but at least now you know a little bit more of what the real fashion version of me is like.....
{Photo: T Magazine}
1 comment:
I have pattern EVERYWHERE! I've been trying to buy more classic pieces but they're all in bold colors. I need to add more pattern in my home, that has lots of bold color but not a lot of texture.
Post a Comment