High Fashion, High Price

It’s high time we stop paying for fashion.

Or rather, it’s time we stop high-paying for fashion. The world of couture works in many fabulous and mysterious ways, but some things are simply transparent. First, looking trendy is deceivingly expensive. The realms of clothing and makeup rely on marketing, which creates false premises of “accessibility” with almost paradoxical promises of the brand’s exclusivity and glamour. The two must be intertwined to appeal to as many consumers as possible. The richest of consumers want to feel like their clothing well represents their wealth, and those who don’t ordinarily spend money on clothing or makeup want to feel like the model’s glamour is an attainable ideal.

In this Gucci advertisement, the young model sits in a subway car in a bohemian dress with a beanie and a bewitching pair of Gucci sunglasses. Although the flare and prestige of the brand is indubitably present in the elegance of the lighting and pose, this advertisement appeals to the millennials seeking an “attainable” wardrobe for someone who still relies on public transportation. However, despite the advertisement’s blazon code of marketing, I still want those sunglasses. I still see advertisements like this and immediately crave the feeling of satisfaction from wearing a completely couture and fashionable outfit. But the reality is those sunglasses cost roughly $400, and frankly, that’s not in my price range at the moment.

One of the hardest parts of the fashion world for me to accept is the undeniable element of privilege. We all love to see fashion as an individual’s expression of themselves, but that outlet of self-expression is not available to everyone, not even to most people. Fashion is a rich man’s game, and try as we might, only few really have it all. For anyone who’s watched Sex and the City and admired Carrie Bradshaw’s unwavering dedication to couture while barely scraping together enough money for coffee, just know that it’s called “entertainment,” and not reality TV, for a reason. However, just because the couture side of fashion may be off limits, that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s no hope for ever finding that rush of a new outfit again. The answer is one word and a philosophy which will change the scope of the fashion world from external to one local closet: minimalism.

We’ve all admired the efforts of desperate teen trendsetters to diversify their wardrobes with limited means and time.

From Aquamarine’s t-shirt quickchange to adorable mini-dress and Jade from the Bratz Movie’s sewing machine magic, maybe 2006 and 2007 coming-of-age movies found the key to affordable new outfits. Although at this point in my life, I worry about even standing next to any heavy machinery, much less operating a sewing machine well enough to make wearable clothes, I admire the idea of using what you have to craft new and different pieces. As a college student, I think all of our bank accounts could benefit from living off our own wardrobes a little more. However, I think this adjustment is less about artistry and more about confidence.

To trend-set in any capacity, you need to be bold. Bold enough to put together new outfits from clothes you may have only ever worn one or two ways. Bold enough to match new pieces with old, and set the trends yourself, instead of buying more clothes to conform to the ones that already exist. As daunting or worrying a task as it may seem, I think everyone could stand to benefit. And as slippery a slope as it is, spending zero money on fashion isn’t the only alternative to spending all of your money on fashion. Many thrift stores are rebranding themselves to appear as low-budget fashion boutiques. Locally, Crossroads in Evanston, IL re-sells dresses and other women’s pieces that closely resemble the same styles of stores like Fossil and Free People but for an eighth of the cost. Similarly, many stores incorporate an environmental aspect by only selling clothes made from recycled materials, making them cheaper than usual and better for the Earth. Gucci doesn’t need any more money than they already have, and reaching a new dimension of fashion without literally buying into the capitalist sphere has its own self-satisfying merits which I hope to soon explore.