"It is every woman's inalienable right to have a pulled-together stylish, confident wardrobe with money left over to life." -- Sarah Jessica Parker (actress & famed fashionista)
Last week's "Flawed Fashion: Cheap Chic" article (id: 8786) was about achieving flawless looks for low prices. The moral is that not everybody is able to afford expensive, good quality clothing. This is why retail and bargain stores sell some great items for low prices. Don't we all have a right to possess what we like? Of course we do because it's fair that way. We should not be kept away from buying the face parts and real life items that we want. If others can have them, then why can't we?
But do we have the right to have what we want? You may be thinking: don't we only want what we like? Not necessarily, because of conspicuous consumption. This term means that people purchase goods or services in order to give others the impression that they lead a high life style. They are showing off their money which causes others to want to do the same. We see it often in the media. If a celebrity has a purse, her fans are going to want that purse as well, for two reasons. Firstly, they want to say "Oh look, I've got a purse just like [insert celebrity name]" in order to be treated like a celebrity. Secondly, people will buy the bag simply because they like it.
Nonetheless, stars sport some expensive fashions. Handbags can cost as much as $250,000. In Canada this is the average price of a home. What woman would put forth her fashion over her life and spend money for a house on a bag? Kind of stupid and silly, right? I don't think it is stupid to want to buy something you like because humans aren't programmed to be THAT resistant. When humans have a desire, they will do almost anything to achieve it. But it IS stupid to spend money you don't have, on things you want to have. So what are women to do? Be stuck with wearing their normal clothing and have poor self-esteem? Confidence is not the only contributor to good self-esteem because women feel more special if they look like someone they admire, or if they wear something expensive for a day. It just lifts your spirit to know that you're thought of as a star.
This is why several celebrities are creating their own clothing lines. They want to give everyday women a chance to be like them. Sure, this is just a clever way of marketing their name. Take Paris Hilton for example, who created a shoe line for women who struggle to find shoes for their large feet. However if she were truly concerned about normal women, why would her merchandise be so pricey? There's an old saying that business is only in business to make a profit. Nonetheless some celebrities are kind and genuine enough to have a heart for others. They can relate to not being able to buy good quality clothing and settling for inexpensive items.
Some questions are still lingering in my mind, so I decided to conduct an investigation. My question to you is: how good of an eye do you have? I mean, stylistically. Can you tell apart a high end label from a store brand? Try to guess the prices of the following items. Your results will differentiate between what is affordable and poor quality, and the affordable good quality items. In the real world, how much would you expect to pay for each item? Why? I decided to ask some fashionistas about their opinions. There are several points I want to prove. Some of these items are cheap fashions designed by celebrities, some are extremely expensive, and others are from known labels and stores such as American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch and Chanel. Can you tell the difference?
holiday50: What are your price estimates based on?
ushersg: I have those flats- I got them at a swap meet for $5 . . . so it would only be common sense that they'd be $20 in reality; and I hate that jacket, but I imagine it to be overpriced for it's ugliness :).
sims2girl: The similarity to styles I've seen around, and what people wearing them paid for them.
Blama2: My guess is based on how "trendy" it seems to look. Quality also factors in.
holiday50: What are your price estimates based on?
ushersg: They scream Wal-mart.
sims2girl: The price of similar shirts I've seen at Kohl's.
Blama2: What's on the shirt, if it has a nice color.
holiday50: What are your price estimates based on?
ushersg: The jeans seems like they'd be cheaper than most jeans because of the drawstring and the small details; seems like it'd be a bargain jean. The coat looks a tad bit more upscale than the previous items, so I imagine it to be kind of expensive for what it is, but not way too crazy.
sims2girl: Jeans are bloody expensive; and that jacket is TDF! (Wait, can we pretend I didn't just say TDF - to die for?)
Blama2: The jeans don't look that good, and the jacket doesn't look too great either. But usually, jackets cost more.
holiday50: What are your price estimates based on?
ushersg: I got a 25 vibe from 'em.
sims2girl: The quality of material.
Blama2: The first shirt looks like it just walked out of Abercrombie and Fitch, and the blue sweater, seems to have walked out of Winners.
holiday50: What are your price estimates based on?
ushersg: They're just plain ol's. (Yes, I said plain ol's)
sims2girl: My guess is based on the particular type of object.
Blama2: The shirt looks dreadful, and it looks scratchy for some reason but the scarf thing looks nice and soft on the other hand.
Those were great guesses from some of Whyville's fashionistas. Unfortunately . . . all of the price estimates were wrong! Each item was designed by actress Sarah Jessica Parker, and they are from her new clothing line BITTEN.
Sarah Jessica Parker is a well known actress who gained her fame through starring in the hit TV show "Sex in the City". She was born on March 25, 1965 in Nelsonville, Ohio. As a child, she trained in ballet and singing and began acting through appearing on Broadway. While still in high school, Sarah was polishing her acting resume and she chose to pursue her dreams rather than her education. Though she was in the limelight for a long time, Sarah finally gained the recognition she deserved by portraying sex-columnist and Manhattan resident Carrie Bradshaw on the TV show "Sex in the City". Sarah won a Golden Globe award in 2000 for this role. Though the series ended in 2004, the movie version is set to hit theaters this summer. Sarah's character Carrie Bradshaw wears many labels from top designers which viewers of the show were immediately drawn to. The audience wanted to dress like Carrie and her friends. This marked the beginning of Sarah's exploration of fashion.
Instead of having me describe something so personal, here are Sarah Jessica Parker's words:
holiday50: Please describe your collection.
Sarah Jessica Parker: Of course. The inspiration from this line came from my style and wardrobe. It was very important for me to personalize something that means so much to me. I realized that women come in all shapes and sizes and I kept that in mind when I was designing the clothing. The sizes range from XS-XXL for shirts, 0-22 for bottoms, and 5-11 sized shoes. I began by launching a small summer collection. But the line has grown since then and is still continuing to grow! Currently the line contains 1,000 items. Also I am excited to say that in August, the Fall collection will be out in stores!
holiday50: Why did you choose to name your label 'Bitten'?
Sarah Jessica Parker: When I was first walked into [the store] Steve & Barry's, I was bitten by the Steve & Barry's bug because I was inspired by the company's mission to recapture high fashion for everyday women who, let's face it, don't have the money that I do. By the way, the formal name is "Bitten Sarah Jessica Parker".
holiday50: Most celebrities usually create clothing lines to make a profit and trademark their name. But your collection is affordable. Why is that?
Sarah Jessica Parker: Fashion is not a luxury, it's a right. Each piece in my line costs $19.98 or less. I think that it's a great rate to charge for the quality of the merchandise and to get my message out there.
holiday50: I love your collection but I live in Canada. Will I be able to purchase it here?
Sarah Jessica Parker: Currently I am not selling BITTEN in any countries outside the United States. However Steve & Barry's is always expanding in the US so maybe in the future, my line may venture into different countries. Check out www.steveandbarrys.com for updates.
holiday50: Where can the American Whyvillians purchase BITTEN from?
Sarah Jessica Parker: The line is sold at Steve & Barry's which is located in several malls and on some university campuses. To see if the line is sold in your area, I recommend paying www.steveandbarrys.com a visit.
This wouldn't be a "Flawed Fashion" article without some Whyville face parts, not would it? Here is how you can imitate the wonderful Sarah Jessica Parker who is photographed in an outfit from her upcoming movie!
So how much did the items really cost? According to the official BITTEN website, each piece of clothing costs . . . $8.98! Each of my intervieews said that they would like to purchase some of these items. But do you? Why wouldn't you want to buy affordable items that imitate what the celebrities wear? Women shouldn't have to choose between their lives and their fashion, because their ultimate choice is going to be their lives. Stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker should be thanked for understanding and realizing the fact that women shouldn't have to make this choice. Neither should Whyvillians, so lighten up you greedy designers!
holiday50
Author's Note: The interview with Sarah Jessica Parker is FAKE but her answers and the information are all true!
Sources: www.bittensjp.com
