breakinglight11 | Considering couture

Went to the Natcik Mall yesterday, mostly to have an interesting place to walk around. I'm not a big shopper, but I enjoy walking around places looking at things; it's really good exercise you don't really have to think about. I love how upscale that place is, with so much space to walk in and so many interesting things to look at, even if I don't usually buy anything. I was bitching to my mom about how I hate having to carry a bag around because my iPhone and my now-huge key ring don't fit in my pants pockets as was previously my custom, because I hate having to keep track of it and besides, the damn thing is ugly. She, amused by the fact that the avowed purse-hater is now forced to carry a bag, gave me the go-ahead to go find one that I actually liked and buy it. So, because if I'm going to do the thing I'm going to do it right, I went to the Natick Mall (or, excuse me, Collection) to find one that was actually nice. I'm not thrilled with needing one at all, but I must admit I am quite pleased with the bag I ended up going with. It's a big square leather shoulder bag, buttery soft in a nice warm shade of brown. The lining is kind of hideous, honestly, but nobody has to see that. And it was fairly inexpensive as well due to a bag sale. As much as I don't like having to lug around a bag, I must confess I feel kind of sophisticated carrying it.

In the course of trying to find a suitable bag at a decent price, I wandered all over the mall. And, naturally, being in such a nice mall, I looked at some clothing stores that were incredibly upscale and expensive. One thing that surprised me, which probably means I'm dumb, was that Neiman Marcus has actual haute couture-- Prada, Chanel, Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci, Manolo Blahnik, and more. I confess, I have a passing interest in couture. I'm not exactly sure why; I think it's because I feel like it's important to know how to dress for an occasion, and high fashion at least theoretically represents that concept elevated to its highest form. And naturally, since I admire superlatives in most any craft, I am curious as to what counts particularly in something that has to do with another of my deepest fascinations, the art of looking good. :-) Of course, it's remarkable how often these things are incredibly ugly, as if the label alone is enough to render them appealing. Also, it's too easy to find pretty things that don't cost hundreds of dollars per article, ESPECIALLY if they're ugly! I can't say I like the look of the famous Coach pattern, or the way Chanel stamps that stupid double-C logo over everything to the point where it pretty much disfigures the item. I'm not sure what the difference between a five hundred dollar pair of Blahniks and a, say, two hundred dollar pair of a lower-end brand, especially when I think all of this year's Blahniks are incredibly tacky-looking. I've recently gotten into Sex and the City and have very complicated feelings about it (the subject of another entry entirely) but that is where I learned most of what I know about haute couture, and sometimes the sheer badness-to-expense ratio is mind-blowing. "BAD fashion!" I yell at the TV. "BAD! No cookie!"

Unlike my taste in jewelry, I have never been very particular or at least snobbish about clothes. Being blessed with a nice figure that is easy to dress to advantage, I've always been able to slide into just about anything that fits and look cute in it-- twenty-dollar junk from Target really suits petite girls with narrow hips and flat tummies, and that makes up a not-insignificant part of my wardrobe. And not only am I flattered by cheap things, for well or for ill, my overarcing philosophy of dressing is that skin never goes out of style, (heehee) so I tend to let my bare legs or shoulders or midriff make the most of the outfit. I like pretty shoes in theory, I guess, but it's usually so easy to hurt my feet that I mostly stick with sneakers. Never have been big on accessories, though I kind of like belts and have gotten slightly more interested in scarves lately. So I've never had any problem with cheap versus expensive clothes.

Unfortunately, I am not completely free of any taste for pricier stuff. I love leather and suede, particularly when it comes to jackets and shoes. I wear pretty expensive jeans, as stupid as that sounds, but I wear them every day, and the cheaper stuff just wears out too fast. Also, my favorite kind, Lucky Brand, actually has size zeroes with petite-length legs. I love the stylishness of Express when it comes to dressier clothes, and to a slightly lesser degree Banana Republic. Looking through my closet, I am actually surprised at the frequency of those and other more upscale labels; there's even a BCBGMaxazria sweater in there that I have no idea where I got. But my drawers consist mostly of Mossimo, a surprising amount of American Eagle that I don't actually remember ever buying, and Gap leftover from when I was younger but still fits. Basically, if it's on a hanger, it's something upscale, and if it's in a drawer, it's on the cheaper end.

God knows I love looking good. Nice clothes really help with that; they can disguise a lot of flaws. But you can find nice clothes that don't cost a trillion dollars just for a mighty label, and frankly, I think you'd do better to start working out and taking care of yourself and having fewer flaws to disguise then to spend more cash on clothes. And yes, while I sometimes dream about dressing all the men in my life in nothing but Hugo Boss, I certainly don't think that clothes make the man. Or, of course, the woman.

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Aww...I was hoping the cut contained something more interesting and the boring to tears was before. Would it have killed you to talk about guns, girls and/or cars?

=P

I can't say much about women's fashion. Bascially, I mostly think it isn't worth it to buy expensive clothes if you're fat like me. The most expensive clothes I used to buy were usually GAP jeans, and I used to be a GAP junkie because they were the only store that made jeans in ankle length with a flared leg and a medium-high waist. Girls like me can't wear low-cut jeans without perpetual plumber-butt.

But the Hugo Boss thing? Yeah. Mostly, I just want to dress John in expensive three-piece suits.... but it'd be a waste of money, because well... he probably wouldn't get to wear it very long, and it'll probably get damaged in the ah... speedy and forced removal of the suit by a certain female third party who might look something like me. :p

Also? Men's long wool coats. I want to buy John a nice long wool coat, maybe knee-ish length, that is actually measured to him. Rawr.

The only "popular" brand bag I own is a Fossil purse, and that's because they don't make a lot of casual canvas shoulder bags with adjustable straps anymore. I saw it and pounced.

My style is too simple for couture. I stick with solid colors because I'm terrible at telling where the "tacky" line for patterns is. None of my clothes are hip or trendy, because I cannot for the life of me tell what's "in" and it wouldn't fit right even if I could.

Suits are a little different. Suits definitely have more tailoring and features, and a good brand can actually make a difference here. Besides just the cuts and the colors, ther's also the quality and workmanship of the material, and cheap suits are... cheap.

Not that you have to spend a lot though. I got my Brooks Brothers suit at the outlet store and paid almost half price for it.

Fossil is an odd brand, because they make a lot of high end, but also a lot of pedestrian items. I have a fossil watch, but it isn't anything spectacular or fancy, and didn't cost a lot of money.

Seriously, couture moves too quickly to ne attached to the labels for very long. If you stick with a couture label, before long they'll be making something that is unflattering to you. Nothing wrong with the tried and trues, like Anne Taylor. Perhaps a bit more conservative that haute couture, but always nice and well made.

The NAtick Mall is an excellent place to just walk around while browsing and not buying. I rather enjoy the decor in the new section, with the dark wood and the ersatz birch trees, the sweeping curves and brushed metals.

As for couture, yeah, I watch it in fascination because far too often I look at it and completely don't understand it. As you say, in theory it should be the heights of the fashion art, but far too often it just looks dumb. Slapping a label on it doesn't make it any less dumb or more deserving of purchase. I do have brand awareness, and prefer brands that have treated me well in the past, in terms of durability, performance, reliability, value, etc... but rarely am I moved by the label alone. My favorite garments tend to land in the middle of the brand spectrum - established reputable things but not 'designer label'. LLBean, Arrow, Lands End, occasionally dipping into American Eagle or J. Crew, but generally not. And I have no problem with basic and functional brands like Dockers and Wrangler. Why should I spend 3 or 4 times as much for a garment that isn't going to last any longer or fit any more flatteringly (I'm a guy - with rare exception, jeans are jeans)?

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