Price of Beauty

I'd like to share three situations I came across where I've come to realize something about the way people judge fashion nowadays.

1) I showed my friend the two romantic, pretty nail colours below from Dior's summer collection, and the first thing she said was, "You could easily find cheaper knockoff versions.  Those are very common colours."  Of course, she said it in nothing but a supportive manner.

2) I spent hours shopping in Forever 21 with my friend - those of you who know me know that I have a somewhat irrational dislike for Forever 21- but when I suggested we check out Anthropologie just for fun, she claimed it was too expensive (which I completely respect) and sat in a chair waiting for me to finish.

3) I used to frequent PurseBlog, but I found that the majority of readers would constantly comment on how a bag was simply too expensive.  Quite often, that was the whole basis of their comment.

Maybe you're beginning to see where I'm going with these three instances.  The burning question I have is: when did the beauty of fashion become so dependent on price?

A beautiful bag is a beautiful bag; price only becomes relevant when you have the intent of being a consumer.  Sometimes I find when people judge an item using price as their main determining factor, they don't seem to realize or acknowledge that the item itself is worthy of some praise.  When the price of an item goes beyond what they can afford, they tend to instantly label the item as bad.  But the problem is that the item might actually be exquisite in its construction or innovative in its design, and price just becomes something that is tacked onto it.

After all, fashion is an art form, and art has always been more about creative expression than price.  From time to time, we have to stop looking at fashion from a consumerist point of view, and look at it for what it truly is.  When you limit yourself only to what you can afford, you miss out on some beautiful creations, but more importantly, you miss out on endless opportunities to dream a little. 

I read a lot of fashion magazines full of designer merchandise and enjoy keeping up with the world of high fashion, yet believe you me, I am in no capacity to afford any of it.  But I don't see any problem in appreciating the intricate work of high fashion, and when it comes down to it, price is irrelevant.

We have to stop stressing out over how expensive items are, and just focus on looking at the beauty of the item itself.  Don't let price cloud your perception of something that is inherently beautiful.  In the end, dreaming is free, so why miss out on it?

Image Source: Dior, Anthropologie, Purseblog, Dress, Heels, Bag