the hands that built america(n clothing)



“Fashion is fashion. You can either buy a $50 pair of pants or a $500 pair. They’d probably both be just as durable but there wouldn’t be fashion. There’d just be stuff.”

Yes? No? Read the The New York Times article here, and mull it over. I'm still mulling it over.

Photo by Kelly Shimoda from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/22/fashion/22factory.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=fashion

Comments

Jennifer said…
very very interesting. love how un-glamorous the place is, that it's this independent contractor taking orders from whomever. ralph lauren is so different from marc jacobs.

i've got my eyes open, mostly, when it comes to my purchases. i realize that i get pleasure from certain designers, that i value...my own esteem for them. i value letting myself pay more to have a connection to a person/designer whom i enjoy as a figure. if i like something that i read about a designer, i will pay more attention to their designs. that isn't really logical, to factor anything else into clothing besides how it fits you. but i do. i don't know if it's any help that i'm aware of this, but i am. i don't mind it. if a tag makes me appreciate a top as a special treat, so be it.
there are definitely items though that i don't need a particular label to enjoy. but for my items that i do, i know that i am willing to pay more for them just for the label/brand connection. i'm a fool i guess. :)
or i'm just romantic about my clothes, and want that special backstory for them (that sounds better than fool).
yanqin said…
Oh I thought "fool" wasn't a bad choice of words, lots of foolish things were done in great joy :)

I think this article sort of supports your point - if everything (okay most things) is made in the same place, then what makes something special is really something about a designer that spoke on a personal level to you, be it the design or his/her story, or the fact that he/she likes dogs etc. I guess decisions have to made on SOMETHING. Like, are my Agnes B jeans really better than my Topshop ones?
Jennifer said…
right, exactly! so i'm a fool on the one hand, for paying money for the romance, but that is a natural appeal (for me) to want my little treasures to be invested with something more than plain, cold specs. (material, size, etc.)

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