Who's To Say?

Image vis Flicker - Paine666

Last night Miss Tavi shared a smart and funny satirical article titled "Look Like This: The Social Network!". 

The article had some great quotes and images including these two that jumped out at me:

"With reprints of the 60s Japanese Style book “Take Ivy” flying off faux-distressed mahogany hunting mantels in pre-fab mall stores across the world, it is clear that we are entering a brand new age where we are finally looking to rich white people to dictate what is fashionable."

and

"While obviously the romanticization of pre-Civil Rights era Ivy League white men and the fetishization of their trappings depicted in sepia-toned and Kodachromed photos should be totally and utterly divorced from their glaring historical context (we just really like the clothes, ok?!), it’s clear that Americans are yearning for a time when white people were unquestionably in charge and keeping other, less stylish, people down."

Fashion is a barometer of the times, as we all know, and with all the news about the Tea Party, immigration and socialism, this revisiting of a rose-tinted view of the fashions from the past is everywhere.

So I shared the link to the article, retweeting the source.  At that point I received a response stating "Who would know better than her?" and then that same person retweeting it again as a "Hypocritical tweet to savor." 

And that's fine.  I'm all for freedom of speech and irony and humor.   I don't think I am the most PC person so, the comments didn't phase me.  But they did get me to stop and think about a larger issue...who can criticize?

What I take from the comments above is that Tavi, as a middle-class to well-off white girl, has no right to agree with the article because she is one of those "rich white people dictating what is fashionable" (please correct me if that was not the implication).  That because she is, on the surface, a member of this group by virtue of her birth and upbringing and current circumstances that she has no right to agree with the satire.

Is that true?

Taken to the next step, I should not be agreeing or passing it along either.  I too am a privileged white person.  I'm not putting that in quotes because this is not a euphemism; I know that I am in that same group.  So much so that I didn't even understand until recently how the term "privilege" was being used in the context of race discussions.   I have had many advantages growing up and now and am lucky enough to have a comfortable lifestyle now. 

But does that mean that I cannot be critical of these discrepancies?  Taken on a superficial level, maybe some would feel that I shouldn't.  That it could be seen as disingenuous.  But what if I use the advantages and opportunities to work for change and to support that change however I can?  Should I be criticized for opening my eyes and realizing that I need to learn more and working to share information and make changes?  I hope not.

Perhaps I am giving Miss Tavi too much credit (I'm sorry to have to keep using you as an example, Tavi).  I only know her through our brief conversations online and perhaps she is a spoiled child who doesn't know how good she has it.  But for some reason, I doubt this.  Yes, she has definite advantages in her life but that doesn't mean that she isn't interested in changing the world around her to be a better place.  Who's to say that she won't be out there, tomorrow or in ten years, actively campaigning for social change.  And why would we discourage her now?  But Tavi is just here as a reference example.

Growing up I had little access to all of the information and discourse that is available to us now.  I didn't have a variety of people to learn from.  But even with that insulated life, I still knew what was right and what was wrong.  And now I've been taking the opportunities to broaden my views and the perspectives I receive.  I want the discussion and I want to know where my privilege has clouded my perspective because I want to learn and change where needed. 

Updated:  Tavi forwarding the link and the commentary here around that was the start of my thinking for this post but I also want to talk about the larger issue.  Not if Tavi has a perspective but more, does it seem unseemly for a member of a certain group to criticize that same group?  Comment either way!

Let's foster the discussion.

Financing Fashion

After reading an article today about France creating loan and other support programs for major fashion houses, I was bit, well, not quite appalled but certainly not wholly supportive.



After reading Deluxe and from my own professional background, I would say some of the troubles boil down to:

1. Higher prices and cheaper manufacturing are not a guarantee for profits

2. Many of these brands have over extended themselves through stores, hotels etc.

3. They've diluted their brands by licensing too much and extending their product lines too much

4. Deceiving your customers is not a great way to build brand loyalty

What do I mean by #1 and #4?

Well, what I am seeing and have read is that many of these brands are taking their manufacturing overseas and having it made cheaply with a few finishing touches added on in France and Italy to keep the "Made in" label. I've bought shoes from high-end lines and on the first wear the insole is coming up and squishing down. Not the experience I'm looking for.

Also, I've been surprised how much prices have gone up in just a few years. Yes, prices will rise but almost double? And when combined with poorer quality goods it really makes people reconsider if they should spend the money.

As design gets better in places like TopShop, Target and Payless and designer labeled products become less well made, these houses are going to suffer more. The main thing these companies have to differentiate themselves is heritage, creativity and quality. If they can't maintain the latter two and if they betray the former, they are going to lose their customers and their businesses.

The industry has changed, and not necessarily for the better.

Fashion Influences (?)

While other bloggers were having fun at Lady Gaga, I was sitting in a town government commission meeting. This week was crazy so it’s been a little light on the blog front. Plus, as you can guess from the first sentence, my life can be straight up boring. It’s hard to find time to eat or sleep, much less do some thing fun like read or write.

But this morning I did finally get the chance to do a bit of link clicking and went over to Miss Tavi's site to read her post discussing fashion and responding to Tanya Gold’s Why I Hate Fashion article.

Before I launch into my thoughts about Ms. Gold’s article, I want to say that I think it’s great that I, a 37 year-old, can have an intellectual discussion with a 13 year-old. Many would relegate Tavi to a mere "child" status and discount much of what she has to say. I think that is very biased. I'm generally not a "kid person" but I am a fan of smart intellectually curious and engaged kids... just ask my amazingly smart and talented friend Miss Bridget who's been impressing the hell out of me since she was approximately 6 years old. I don't think it’s weird or surprising that Miss Tavi has an interest in and great knowledge of fashion and actually forms educated opinions about the arena. Heck, I remember at 13 I was given a list of classic books we were going to be reading in high school and college and was appalled that I hadn’t read some of them already. I then spent my summer reading most of the list. That age is the perfect time to be passionate about something and totally immerse yourself.

But back to the article and, in theory, my point for writing. I see both ladies’ perspectives here.

But I have another.

I appreciate artistry, especially in this day and age of increasingly disposable fashion. I appreciate the designer's eye and vision. I understand they have an aesthetic they are trying to achieve. I'm sure that is the rationale behind choosing the models they do. I can also see how a consumer seeing very thin girls and not seeing a range of sizes and shapes represented in ads, on the runway or even in stores can make you feel like you are pushed out of the realm of the "fashionable".

The way I have kept from being overly influenced and possibly feeling bad about myself is because I am a superficial consumer. I mentally separate the designer's fantasy from my purchasing criteria as much as I can. Tanya seems to be more ifluenced by the messaging they are sending. But what I think is great about fashion is creating your own vision with the pieces that are put out and less trying to fit into their fantasy. Sure, in my younger years I was probably more impacted body image-wise by advertising - ironically during my most effortlessly thin timespan - but I've worked to move on from that.

As I've gotten older, I just care about what I like. And while I'm not thin, I'm not outside of the range of "regular" sizes either. So while Ms. Gold feels liberated by no longer fitting in with fashion and therefore having an "outsider's" perspective on what she feels is the absurdity and dangers of the fashion industry, I'm still sort of in it. But what surprises me is why she lets it get to her. I've always tried to subscribe to the Eleanor Roosevelt saying: No one can make you feel inferior without your consent and WendyB’s: Wear what you want. Tanya should, especially as a 36 year old, be able to enjoy what she wears and not feel like she has to be or act a certain way because of a marketing campaign. Maybe that is a difficult task for her and many others.

It's not like I don't have body issues and self-conscious doubts like anyone else. But I try not to let that hold me back. I've never been easily influenced by outside pressures. I don't buy things because others are or becase they're in style or because of a devotion to a designer or brand. I only buy what I like. I just want what I want. I've said it before but it bears repeating- I don't care about a pedigree, if I like it, I like it. End of story. Maybe I've always been more self-confident and strong-willed than others. Heck, you could even call me cocky rather than the kinder "self- assured". And that great for me, right? Is it being to simplistic to say that everyone can feel this way? Do I have too high of expectations of people and expect others to be as strong willed as I am. Is that unfair?

But I have faith in people. I don't think you HAVE to feel bad about yourself, no matter what the ads and society norms say. You can be whoever and however you are and still have fun with your clothes. Yes, you can get mad and be frustrated when you see something you like or want and you can't get it. That sucks, believe me, I've been there. But when that happens, don't get mad at yourself or your body shape. Get mad at the companies ... And let them know! I can't tell you how many times I've called and bitched at a company for not making my size. You can do it too. Don't just sit there moping that fashion hates you and women and is nothing but something that makes us all miserable. Fashion is, at least for me, just fun. That's probably why I have a schizophrenic eclectic all-over-the-damn-place wardrobe. One day I'm in a vintage-inspired lady who lunches look and the next I'm in black sequins, bones and knee-high combat boots. I'm enjoying it, even if I get some crazy looks.

I am energized and inspired by my blogger friends. Them much more so than any industry type. Editors and models that have access to everything do little to impress me with their so called "style". Individuals creating unique personality-filled looks with pieces thrifted, vintage and from regular stores are much more inspiring.

If you enjoy who you are, you can enjoy clothes and accessories too.

Knock-offs Are Bad for the Soul

Yesterday I posted another in a very long series of "Imitation = Flattery?" where I expose what I feel to be shoes that have crossed over from the trend inspiration realm and go way more into the blatent ripping off of another company's designs.

I wanted to clarify why I detest this practice so much and what I feel is really so wrong about buying these shoes and supporting the companies who engage in this regularly (*cough cough Steve Madden cough cough*).

To me it comes right down to theft.

Many would argue that the practice of knocking-off is no where near as egregious as is the explosion of counterfeiting going on the shoe world today (BTW - check out Michelle's new resource site: ShoeFraud.com) but I saw that it is.



These companies are stealing ideas aka Intellectual Property Theft.

I work in an industry where we are hired to generate ideas and to create concepts, so to me intellectual property theft is a huge issue. Essentially, someone has the audacity to come in, take advantage of the hard work, creativity and innovation we have worked hard to create and just slightly tweak it to serve there ends. When this happens, customers become confused, the original message is diluted and the value we created is minimized.

This is true for large marketing campaigns, but it is true for fashion and shoes as well.



Yes, as a consumer, it is very tempting to see a designer shoe that you fall in love with and realize that it is out of your price range. It can be very tempting when you find a very similar copy to want to buy the less expensive piece to get the same look.

But if you love the original you shouldn't and I'll tell you why.

Because every time you do that, you are helping to put the original designer out of business.

The innovation and creativity is not coming from the company doing the "inspired by" piece. They are not investing time and money to create new looks, to do research and hire experienced talented individuals. How can the first company continue to do business when they outlay all the costs and then get undercut in the end?

Sadly, it is still very difficult, not to mention expensive, for companies to prosecute against the fakes although they are trying to fight back. It doesn't help that there are laws in some countries that do a poor job of protecting original designs. Our favorite Despotic Queen of Shoes, ImeldaMatt, worked on an expose into Australia's high street rip-offs (make sure to see the original post and the Camilla Skovgaard post that started it):



I have to agree with Wendy Brandes, a designer herself, who made the following comment on an earlier post:

"No one has an inalienable right to wear designer looks. There were no fast fashion runway knockoffs back in the '80s and '90s when I couldn't afford designer clothes (excluding ABS). We wore other things! Put together our own non-designer outfits! It would be nice if the H&Ms and Forever21s came up with their own looks, but then how would they churn out product at such a fast clip? The inspiration well runs dry pretty fast."

I think fashion and good design can come at all price points. I've said many times that I don't care what the pedigree or cost is for a particular shoe - if it's cute I'll get it. I also like to spend my money on unique original ideas. I want to support that no matter where it comes from. That's why I typically don't buy "plain" shoes. What I want is for these companies to spend their time thinking up ideas at price points all along the range.

But if consumers keep buying the fakes, they won't. And if we keep buying the fakes and knock-offs we are going to limit the amount of great designs put out there for us to get excited about.

And that should make us very sad indeed.