April 25, 2012

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

13 comments:

  1. My wish is to have an infinite budget for shopping !!!
    http://selenite.weebly.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I stopped buying cheap stuff when I realized that I had bought 3 Zara bags in a month, all snapped or got holes in the fabric because of poor quality material. When I added the price of all three bags, I realized I could have just bought one versatile great quality leather bag from Louis Vuitton. I no longer buy cheap stuff for things I use often because cheap usually equals poor quality. Better to invest in one good quality item that lasts longer.

    check out "Accessories: Jennifer Lopez vs Nicki Minaj" http://stylemefab.onsugar.com/

    ReplyDelete
  3. I can appreciate the beauty of an item despite the price but it does get frustrating when everything you love is way out of your budget.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I agree just in part with what you wrote: I mean, yes fashion is a kind of art expression and the most important thing s the beauty of an object more than the price. But fashion is also something that has to be sold so it's like cars, furniture, watches....I can't imagine someone speaking about those things forgetting the price. So, I believe that when we speak about fashion we must keep in mind the price but not give to it more importance than the aesthetic value of the item. However, we should also consider that some prices for some brands are more than right. But, (the most famous example), when Balmain made those shirts with holes and priced them 1000$: the shirts were awesome but the price crazy, we have to consider it when we talk about them.

    http://fashiondoesntexist.blogspot.it/

    ReplyDelete
  5. I agree with the price points for a well made bag. If you buy only one it should be top quality. I also found some top brand designer bags are made like crap and charge you too much for poor quality. SO for me it's worth it only if it has been made with care and the best fabric, of course style and design are also a part of it. Surprising some less expensive brands sometimes make nice things.

    About your comment erase don't worry about it. i know it's again in the butt but if I leave a link for one person then everyone else will do the same. I'm trying to be fair and still maintain my policy. Thanks for understanding XOXO

    ReplyDelete
  6. I guess I can understand with nail polish. It's not something that's meant to last, but I haven't really heard of people say something was bad because it was too expensive. I also get that if you can't afford items you don't want to spend your time looking at stuff that's beyond your reach. Like Amber said, it can get frustrating. I like looking at the stuff, but I mostly do it online. I think it's a lot worse in person.

    ReplyDelete
  7. i absolutely love dior! has been one of my favorite designers!
    can't wait to see you on my blog again!
    www.faashiongeek.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you so much for this post, Angelica! Seriously. Yes, it's simple to find knockoffs or dupes of things such as bags or nail polish; but when you're looking at designer, it's not just about the item, it's about the sense of luxury you derive from owning something (even if it's just nail polish) from a company like Dior or Chanel.

    Why should we allow prices to make us unappreciative of the beauty found in different designs and such? Why can't we just enjoy them as they are, whether we will ever be able to afford them or not? :/

    ReplyDelete
  9. i think just like you!! but sometimes my purse doesn't XD

    www.meryswardrobe.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think it's based on quality. Like the Chanel Vernis polishes: they're very pricey for nail-polish, but the quality sucks. So when it comes to that I much rather get nail-polish for 5 bucks that's good polish than the expensive one. But when it comes to jeans for example, I much rather get €100 costing ones because the quality is, most of the times, way better. But I recently found very nice jeans of really good quality at H&M, and then I much rather get these ones than €100 ones of the same quality. So for me it depends on if it's worth it or not.

    xoxo Sootjeelina <3

    ReplyDelete
  11. loving all the spring colors of everything even if they do cost a fortune!!

    xx.M
    www.bellesandrebelles.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I so agree ... I sometimes compromise too and look for something that reflects the same flavor of the piece or bag I want when I can't afford the real thing, but there is nothing like the feeling of having the real thing. And I agree, the workmanship and quality are usually outstanding in the actual designer bags and clothing and they become an investment piece that you may have forever. There's a difference in the feel of the fabric of clothing, in the stitching, in the design.

    Thank you for stopping by last week and leaving me a line for the Chanel post ... always a pleasure! xo

    Sandy M ~ Ooh La Frou Frou
    http://oohlafroufrou.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I totally agree on this subject, I am glad I checked this post. Sometimes it is very uncomfortable to wear the cheap items because you are afraid to break them, or same as the expensive ones but in the reason that you are afraid to damage its beauty. Breaking of a function and damaging of the appearance are both different things when it comes to price. Anthropologie has always strode me to a fashion dreamland of interior design.

    ReplyDelete