Fashion Victim or nor?

[sbs]

What do you think about the fashion industry and the mania for Labels. If you had the means would you be buying Gucci or Versace or do you think the whole thing is a massive rip off. The whole fashion industry makes me want to vomit but that's just me!

Hmmm I've just realised bearing in mind the fashion industry is partly to blame for the current obssesion with weight saying "makes me want to vomit" is not appropriate, but I'll leave it in.

[Takk]

No, i think it's a waste of time. I don't like branded goods. The only ones i wear are ones that were bought for me.

[Lover of Outrage]

I can't bring myself to spent that kind of money, it'd have to be something very special. I have bought designer clothes (a bit of Viv dahling) only the shop stuff of course and for a bargain. The nearest to designer in Cardiff is Karen Millen, expensive enough. When I'm in there I'm fighting myself over spending £90 on a top and don't, meanwhile there's a huge queue of late teens to early twenties waiting to pay, ok sometimes with their mums. I don't know how they can afford it and for something they wouldn't wear once it's gone out of season.
Kids won't wear trainers unless they've cost their parents an arm and a leg. What started off as a fad seem's is now here to stay unless a few more parents put their remaining foot down.
We have all become far too materialistic we are want it have it, but it's never enough and debt is too acceptable.

[maradona]

i dont really get too bothered about it...if someone wants to spend £500 on a pair of shoes or a £200 on a shirt thats up to them, and their stupidity. I dont like the materialistic culture that surrounds such things as i think it is degenerate but who am i to say that somebody that wants to wear a versace top shouldn't and that they should wear an unbranded one instead...at least with the versace top its probably not made in sweat shop conditions (although i dont know for certain)

just looking down at what i'm wearing just now i've got nike trainers and socks on, adidas shorts and football top advertising peroni..but then i'm playing football this afternoon. i dont think there is any unbranded version of good sports shoes, especially for football

[Perdita]

I've grown up with half my wardrobe coming from a charity shop - my mum is an absolute star and can pick out a gorgeous garment second hand. (come to think of it, today my top is charity shop, my trousers were a gift, and my shoes and handbag were bought in the sale.)

99% of the time I hate high fashion, with its misogynistic leanings masquerading as 'loving women' (yeah, but not if she's 20 stone), stupid prices, DESPERATION to jump onto the art-world bandwagon in order to give itself some intellectual kudos, and the sheer stupidity and waste of it all.

Even worse than high fashion is the nicole farhi/Ted baker mid-range fashion. It's like, why are you spending £60 on a T-shirt I could make for you in half an hour?

BUT very occasionally on my fantasy strolls round Liberty's I see a high fashion dress that makes you drool, when the cut, fabrics and style is so perfect you realise that there are one or two geniuses out there whose stuff you really couldn't make for any cheaper, you couldn't do a Hennes rip-off. And one day when I'm a nouveau riche they'll be mine, all mine. :rolleyes:

[Amanda Graceywire]

What's the point in paying £stupid for one item of designer clothing when you can get a whole wardrobe's-worth of stuff and then some from charity shops and jumble sales (and even in some high-street places like New Look) for the same price, or learn to sew and make your own? What gets me is people who won't buy anything UNLESS it has a label on. One guy we knew would not buy anything unless it had a Joe Bloggs label on, despite the fact that absolutely identical shirts (other than bearing the name) were being sold elsewhere for about 20 times cheaper... And I think I've gone into the saga of my cousin's Burberry baseball cap elsewhere :roll:

To me, if people want to spend all that cash on practically nothing, then that's their bag. What annoys me is the way a lot of them think everyone else should be doing it as well. Why?!

[maybeoldermaybewiser]

It's part of human nature to strive towards social acceptance.

[sbs]

Never, never mention that word Burberry when I'm around!:lol:

*shudders*

[Pimpf]

Originally posted by Amanda Graceywire
What's the point in paying £stupid for one item of designer clothing when you can get a whole wardrobe's-worth of stuff and then some from charity shops and jumble sales (and even in some high-street places like New Look) for the same price, or learn to sew and make your own? What gets me is people who won't buy anything UNLESS it has a label on. One guy we knew would not buy anything unless it had a Joe Bloggs label on, despite the fact that absolutely identical shirts (other than bearing the name) were being sold elsewhere for about 20 times cheaper... And I think I've gone into the saga of my cousin's Burberry baseball cap elsewhere :roll:

To me, if people want to spend all that cash on practically nothing, then that's their bag. What annoys me is the way a lot of them think everyone else should be doing it as well. Why?!

I'm not being pissy, but you could say a similar thing about your Manics collection, that you've spent loads of money on say, an import version of a Manics album when you could go and buy the normal version or a cd-r copy from the market. They might not have any real use value, but if you get pleasure out of it, why not?

I used to buy all my clothes from charity shops and boycotted high street stores until I realised I wasn't achieving anything other than looking like shit. Nowadays, I love shopping in fairly fashionable places like Topman and H & M, simply because they sell nice clothes. Its not always true that theres no difference between clothes in shops other than the price too. I used to buy most of my clothes from Primarks because it was cheap, but everything would fall apart or fade after a few washes. The stuff I've paid a bit more for does tend to be better made, and usually fits better too.

[Perdita]

Originally posted by Pimpf
I'm not being pissy, but you could say a similar thing about your Manics collection, that you've spent loads of money on say, an import version of a Manics album when you could go and buy the normal version or a cd-r copy from the market. They might not have any real use value, but if you get pleasure out of it, why not?

It's kind of the same thing as the Joe Bloggs things, except that Joe Bloggs is unlikely ever to have produced anything out of the ordinary in order to inspire that devotion.

I'd say the difference is that the manics clearly have a lot of great music and are a very rewarding band, so wanting every last ep, import and demo cd of theirs makes some sense, even if it does just amount to fetishisation when you can just have an ordinary CD like everyone else. At least they repay slightly senseless devotion by being fucking good, unlike a Joe Bloggs shirt!

[maybeoldermaybewiser]

Originally posted by Perdita
It's kind of the same thing as the Joe Bloggs things, except that Joe Bloggs is unlikely ever to have produced anything out of the ordinary in order to inspire that devotion.

I'd say the difference is that the manics clearly have a lot of great music and are a very rewarding band, so wanting every last ep, import and demo cd of theirs makes some sense, even if it does just amount to fetishisation when you can just have an ordinary CD like everyone else. At least they repay slightly senseless devotion by being fucking good, unlike a Joe Bloggs shirt!

Sooo, we have finally succeeded in corrupting you and making a Manics fan out of you?;)

[Perdita]

Well, I don't own any of their CDs, but then the only CDs I do own tend to come free with the sunday papers.

Let's just say I like 'em. But I still know sod all about them, and the best thing about them is you guys. :p

[maradona]

if you like the cut and look of designer stuff but dont want the label or price then the 'autograph' range in some M+S stores is basically de-badged designer clothes...for example Armani designs and makes the suits, and are identical to what is sold for 5 times the price in his own shops...of course this is kept secret

also if you want to buy a car tyre, as you do, just get the kwick fit own brand ones because its pirelli that makes them (i think they are normally the most expensive).

[Perdita]

Yeah, but you don't get a Kwick Fit calendar, do you?

that was a sexist joke, coming from me. :eek: what's happening to me?:lol:

[Lover of Outrage]

My Manics collection was in my mind under must haves! Different to fashion in their longevity. Some fashion is a wear once experience, I mean you just can't be seen in a dress more than once surely?
Of course some people will buy into a band because they're fashionable but probably not so passionately.

[maradona]

my image of you has been shattered forever by that statement...how could you? ;)

edit it quickly before anyone else can see what you have said :)

[Takk]

Originally posted by maybeoldermaybewiser
It's part of human nature to strive towards social acceptance.

Isn't this a product of today's consumer society though? Making labels what is socially acceptable.

[Takk]

Originally posted by Perdita

that was a sexist joke, coming from me. :eek: what's happening to me?:lol: [/B]

:eek:

[Perdita]

frame it, boys, that's it for the year now.

*is undergoing therapy*:D

[maybeoldermaybewiser]

Originally posted by Methadone Pretty
Isn't this a product of today's consumer society though? Making labels what is socially acceptable.

If you look back in history it has always been the same: Aristophanes was writing Comedies on Athens'fashionistas in the 5 Century BC...

It is part of our instinctive drive to be accepted, to be part of something. Even our declarations of not wanting to be that are simply another way of doing it....:rolleyes:

[swelegant]

Originally posted by sbs
What do you think about the fashion industry and the mania for Labels. If you had the means would you be buying Gucci or Versace or do you think the whole thing is a massive rip off. The whole fashion industry makes me want to vomit but that's just me!

Hmmm I've just realised bearing in mind the fashion industry is partly to blame for the current obssesion with weight saying "makes me want to vomit" is not appropriate, but I'll leave it in.

I think the mania for labels is really lame. I've never understood why people want to pay big bucks to advertise a company's heavily branded items. I don't hate the fashion industry, i like haute couture because i've seen some really lovely things. I pity the industry for thinking that really skinny models with suicidal expressions makes their clothes look good. If i were rich, i might by designer clothes. I buy what i like and what i can afford, i don't care where its from. In saying that, i don't know if i could ever justify buying a $30,000 handbag or a $5000 dress.

[Steve]

most of my t-shirts are 5 quid from gigs:) , my combats are £8 from primark, my jeans are hand downs or cheap from Matalan or Primark and i buy £15 quid trainers and wear them till they fall apart :) ...i hate buying clothes, especially the thought of spending hundreds on clothes:rolleyes: I get bored of them easily, they're just something to keep you covered up really, why spend so much money on them whne you can buy lovely cds and dvds:D ...although I would sometimes buy some sort of labels from TK Maxx cos they're so damn cheap, but that's pretty rare, my mam thought i was stupid cos I found a t-shirt which was nice but when I saw the FCUK logo on the arm i went "eugh, no thanks" and put it back on the rack...

y'know this thread makes me think of David Dickinson singing that "Follower of Fashion" song...bah, it's gonna be in my head all day now:confused:

[knives out]

i cant stand people paying huge amounts of money for clothes that just have one bloody logo on them and are just the same as anything you could get elsewhere. but i love going to frasers/harrods wherever and looking at all the llovely stuff they have there and that if i had the money i would buy. because i like it. i dont mind paying alot for clothes if it's something i like and i know i'll get good wear of and not regret buying it.

though at the end of the day i don't have the money. and i'd rather spend my money on cds aswell :lol: