Makeup! Clothes! "Girly stuff" thread

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Why spend 1K on a fake Birkin when you could get a custom-made leather bag for probably less?

I really don't understand the appeal of fakes. You're paying a sizable amount for a decent one but it won't have the same safety checks (lots of toxic chemicals are used in leather production), won't last as long, won't have the same quality feel, will be difficult to sell, and probably involved child labour or helped fund crime. It also just won't feel the same. You'll always know it's a fake. That's worse than a mid-range no-name bag. The only appeal of fakes is to try to trick people into thinking you are richer or more connected than you are which is just pathetic.
 
I really don't understand the appeal of fakes. You're paying a sizable amount for a decent one but it won't have the same safety checks (lots of toxic chemicals are used in leather production), won't last as long, won't have the same quality feel, will be difficult to sell, and probably involved child labour or helped fund crime. It also just won't feel the same. You'll always know it's a fake. That's worse than a mid-range no-name bag. The only appeal of fakes is to try to trick people into thinking you are richer or more connected than you are which is just pathetic.
I got invited to a "purse party" around ten years ago.
I thought it was something like an MLM for handbags.
But it was some stupid woman selling fakes of all the high-end popular handbags.
I was pretty disgusted, and got into an argument with her, she refused to believe the bags were cheaply made in China by child labor, or profits were possibly being used for terrorism.

She insisted they came from "reputable" factories in China, and who cared that Gucci, LV, and Prada weren't getting the money, because they were ripping people off in the first place?

Needless to say, I didn't buy a damn thing, and turned her in to Prada and the other companies.
I don't know what became of it, but I did learn she was no longer having parties.
 
I really don't understand the appeal of fakes. You're paying a sizable amount for a decent one but it won't have the same safety checks (lots of toxic chemicals are used in leather production), won't last as long, won't have the same quality feel, will be difficult to sell, and probably involved child labour or helped fund crime. It also just won't feel the same. You'll always know it's a fake. That's worse than a mid-range no-name bag. The only appeal of fakes is to try to trick people into thinking you are richer or more connected than you are which is just pathetic.

just gonna preface what I'm about to say with: yes, designer merch is heavily marked up regardless of everything. having said that, along with the longevity and feel, most high end brands solely support a lot of smaller industries - a lot of crafts that have been around for generations - most of which are way more sustainable by nature and overall better for the environment. they've even revived dying artforms like japanese inkblock silkscreening (i forget the actual word for it)

people like to shit on high end because of the exclusivity/snobbery/etc (all valid) and because wealth =/= taste + brands having to cater to their customer, a lot of what they make sometimes is hideous. i mean, look at all the tacky shit gucci churns out regularly that people keep buying. but in terms of global impact, buying a $5 tshirt is a way shittier thing to buy than an overpriced bag. but buying fakes just means that you're label-obsessed. which is silly.
 
just gonna preface what I'm about to say with: yes, designer merch is heavily marked up regardless of everything. having said that, along with the longevity and feel, most high end brands solely support a lot of smaller industries - a lot of crafts that have been around for generations - most of which are way more sustainable by nature and overall better for the environment. they've even revived dying artforms like japanese inkblock silkscreening (i forget the actual word for it)

people like to shit on high end because of the exclusivity/snobbery/etc (all valid) and because wealth =/= taste + brands having to cater to their customer, a lot of what they make sometimes is hideous. i mean, look at all the tacky shit gucci churns out regularly that people keep buying. but in terms of global impact, buying a $5 tshirt is a way shittier thing to buy than an overpriced bag. but buying fakes just means that you're label-obsessed. which is silly.
I sew and do a lot of hand needlework, and the amount of skill and time used to make many haute couture items is incredible. Most people have no idea what goes into making these garments and accessories.
When the garment factories were still based in the States, it wasn't uncommon to find details like bound buttonholes , hand embroidery, and similar things on everyday items.
But since most clothing comes from China or Bangladesh these days, you won't find these details in off-the-rack clothing now.

Off of my sewing soapbox now.

But I'm still angry about the Rana Plaza collapse, and the horrible pollution that goes on in those countries because garment manufacturers don't give a fuck.
 
I sew and do a lot of hand needlework, and the amount of skill and time used to make many haute couture items is incredible. Most people have no idea what goes into making these garments and accessories.
When the garment factories were still based in the States, it wasn't uncommon to find details like bound buttonholes , hand embroidery, and similar things on everyday items.
But since most clothing comes from China or Bangladesh these days, you won't find these details in off-the-rack clothing now.

Off of my sewing soapbox now.

But I'm still angry about the Rana Plaza collapse, and the horrible pollution that goes on in those countries because garment manufacturers don't give a fuck.
Can you get back up on the soapbox for a moment? I'd love to hear more about reputable places to buy things/used items /etc.
 
Can you get back up on the soapbox for a moment? I'd love to hear more about reputable places to buy things/used items /etc.
It's extremely difficult to find clothing made in the United States, American Apparel was the only company I knew of. I have no idea if they're still in business, though, last I heard the owner was under fire for sexual harassment, and though he claimed the clothing was made here, he allegedly hired many illegal aliens.

Possibly designer's main lines, too many of their bridge lines are made in China, Vietnam, and India. Better thrift stores can be a good place to find used high-end clothing for decent prices.

Even making your own clothing is getting expensive, you can buy children's clothing at Wal-Mart or Target that are cheaper than the fabric costs to make them. And most of the fabric is manufactured in places like China and India.
But you CAN find fabric made here, you will have to look for it and pay more.

Online fabric stores are better than JoAnns and WM, in my opinion.

I don't sew to save money, I sew and do handwork for the love of it.
I toyed with the idea of making and selling girls dresses, but the few I did sell made me realize it's not worth it.
People want Wal-Mart prices for everything, and like I said above, they don't realize the time and effort, plus the costs than go into making clothing. They think because you LIKE to sew, knit, or anything similar means you shouldn't get paid for your work.

Sorry I can't be of more help. These are just my personal thoughts/findings on the whole thing, there are likely people here that know a lot more than I do.
 
the apparel industry isn't coming back to USA anytime soon, if ever. and it's just a goddamn shame because 1. America had a brief moment of being hugely important in the apparel industry. Plus... 2nd largest producer of cotton in the world and yall don't even make your own clothing? It's silly. and 2. there's going to be a market need emerging for it but its unlikely anyone will jump on it

People got too used to fast fashion prices and the teen/youth market got too profitable (yep, there is such a thing). teens are notorious for always wanting to see new items on clothing racks. What that did was incentivize manufacturers and brands to make fast, cheap clothes. Now that's all you can really find because there is no market for reasonably priced, well-made, lasting clothing that is also fashionable. There have been so many startups in the past 10yrs that keep trying it and it just doesn't work. People either want the $5 tshirt or the high-end label with no in-between. Anyways, there used to be 2 major clothing seasons (spring/summer and fall/winter). then because manufacturing abroad got so cheap that became 4. then each season got a front-end and back-end bringing it to 8. now there's 8+ depending on what kind of market the label has including "holiday" (christmas), resort, and "festival" (yes... coachella is now its own clothing season). So from that alone you can see how the market now just churns and spits out fashion and longevity is not even on the radar. Also your average clothing consumer's closet has something like 50% and higher of unworn clothing. Basically people buy the shit but don't even get use out of it.... which makes all the resource consumption totally worth it /sneed

and its a damn shame all around because if you consider that America's middle-lower classes literally purchased enough clothing to give China a middle class... that's pretty fucked up. Apparel manufacturing is very good for creating jobs and wealth in countries. not to mention that you couldn't get away with the same amount of pollution/exploitation in USA as manufacturers do in other countries. So its gotten to a point where, quality of clothing aside, America would benefit from those industries coming back here. But at this point you'd need a huge retailer to take that on or some kind of gov intervention like bringing back higher tariffs on foreign goods combined with gov support like subsidies. It can totally happen it would just be several years of really fucking hard times to get it up and running. no one has the money to do that and the people that do want their ROI ASAP

in that time you'd have to start changing consumer mindset about clothing in general. considering how fucked the economy is, and will continue to get, now would be the time to do it. people are going to want clothing that will last - with mass layoffs, harder access to retail locations, not actually needing new clothes because you're seeing people less, etc... if Americans had taken covid19 more seriously, I mean.

there was a point in history where America was neck-in-neck with Europe in terms of fashion creation and influence. and there are definitely spots where USA takes the gold - especially in the early 90's: Tommy Hilfiger, Donna Karen, Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis, Guess, etc etc etc. would love to see a resurgence of the american fashion powerhouse that has goods made in USA... makes me sad because besides what it would do for the economy, american fashion has always been really clever. way more than people give it credit for. like taking italian brands as example: the Gucci and the Versace customer are really specific kinds of people. In general, american brands make clothing that work anywhere with mass appeal. and that is a very difficult thing to get right.


why did i just write a fashion essay on fucking kiwifarms
 
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Totally agree with everything everyone is saying about fakes. American Apparel is still in business but the company was acquired by another parent company (I'm blanking on the name) that moved all its operations out of the U.S. Lands End, Levis and Madewell have been nice to me when looking for solid, quality peices (like denim) that will last a while.

For handbags, I've had a lot of good luck buying used on Fashionphile and Rebag. I know a lot of people complain about The Real Real but I've had shoes I bought from them authenticated and everything has checked out. The prices for the pre-loved handbag market aren't insanely cheap but it's still a good percentage off retail and the condition is almost always excellent. For example, I bought a YSL bag that retails for ~$3,000 for $1,800 and it came in perfect condition with a dust bag and authenticity card.
 
why did i just write a fashion essay on fucking kiwifarms
Because it's
bender with a camera saying neat.jpg.
Someone educate a fashion philistine, please. Quality never goes out of style and there's always a small but very lucrative demographic that will gladly pay higher prices for quality goods made to last, so where's the disconnect? Judging by @Cheesegirl78 's post people would rather jump off a building than pay more than a pony for a garment.
 
Because it's
bender with a camera saying neat.jpg.
Someone educate a fashion philistine, please. Quality never goes out of style and there's always a small but very lucrative demographic that will gladly pay higher prices for quality goods made to last, so where's the disconnect? Judging by @Cheesegirl78 's post people would rather jump off a building than pay more than a pony for a garment.

i honestly don't know. it baffles me but in the same vein it's not surprising (i know that seems contradictory). i really want to point the finger at walmart economics and just what walmart has normalized in general. but you can also blame shopping habits in general and attitudes about brands. let's see if i can break this down...
  • your average person is familiar with the idea of supporting local business vs walmart. maybe not as deep as others but most people generally get the idea that shopping local=good, supporting walmart=bad. ofc its way more nuanced than that but, again, your average joe doesn't know and deep down doesn't fully care. so if the choice comes down to saving a few bucks, they'll just do it. and who's going to know where they're spending their money except for the faceless companies they shop at?
  • start-ups have tried and failed to revive old fashion ideals i.e. spend a little more, get the quality, made in [western country] and it all looks good on paper. and some of them even get great initial sales. but then reality sets in for the consumer: not only do they not have to re-buy that item of clothing in 6mo (which is what they're used to) but they can't be good little consumers if items are way more expensive than they're used to and they BLATENTLY don't need it. this is "bad" for the company because they have to constantly hunt for new customers which is expensive, resource-heavy, and doesnt have a great ROI. Think of it: you have to, with every new potential customer, re-form the same argument. whereas customers who already believe in what you do... they bought the "crafted in USA" denim that they don't need to replenish any time soon.
  • quality actually has gone out of style. the addendum to that is a whole essay in itself and i cant be assed lmao sorry just know that a look only has to last once or twice (usually for a picture) now and its served its purpose.
  • people simply don't dress how they used to. it wasn't THAT long ago where leaving the house in a simple tshirt and jeans was unheard of or seen as trashy. now people are happily seen in public in ratty gym shorts, stained tank top, and flip flops. comfort is a high priority. why throw something on if you're just running to the grocery store? i personally would love to see this fall out of fashion (tee hee puns) i mean dont get me wrong i dress super comfy/casual when running errands. but goddamn i've been to nice restaurants where people have looked like they just rolled out of bed. basically this idea of "just wear whatever" has crept into everything. which means there's not a high demand for anything but basics/casual wear (this is coming across as way more snobby than i mean it to be). well-made seperates (used to be known as "sportswear") were a HUGE part of american culture... hell, yall popularized it because it made so much sense: a bunch of nice seperate pieces you could mix and match that weren't quite formal but not so casual that you looked dressed down. this of course has been co-opted by office-appropriate clothing. so now that whole option isn't really there unless you want to dress like karen from finance
  • if you're a middle-lower class shopper and want to feel like you have more money than you do, are you going to buy one solid piece of clothing, or are you going to shop at a place where you can fill your cart up high? answer is obvious
  • if you're a middle-upper class shopper and want to buy a nice piece of clothing, are you going to buy some unknown local label or are you going to spend the little extra money to get the status of a well known label? answer is also obvious
  • the people who do support these mid-range, well-made brands are niche cultures like streetwear, athleisure, skaters, and that's great because they're big enough to sustain smaller brands but not big enough to change attitudes about clothing itself and definitely not big enough to compete with big fast-fashion brands.
  • companies almost have no choice anymore. if they want to turn a profit, they pretty much have to have things manufactured in china/india. so for a lot of people the option isn't even really there.
  • i've mentioned the $5 tshirt a bunch because its the ultimate symbol of everything wrong with the industry and consumers both. the environmental impact (cheap/shit manufacturing processes, shipping from far away), the economic impact (see: this whole conversation), the social impact ($5 for a tshirt is now normal - why pay 3, 4, 5x that price for a simple tshirt? + ooo look how many of these I can buy!! + crap this tshirt is falling apart i need to go buy more). and probably the most infuriating thing about it is that people who are outwardly anti-fashion wear it as a some kind of symbol about how much they "don't care" about fashion... while wearing that because they think dressing plainly and simply means they aren't a problem because they aren't supporting brand-whoring. it's fucking ignorant to hate something you don't know enough about.
tl;dr - people do it for the same reason warning labels on cigarette packs are largely ineffective: the information is there, but so is the habit

edit: okay maybe i do kind of know lol
 
Última edición:
People have issues with the Real Real? Why?

  • if you're a middle-lower class shopper and want to feel like you have more money than you do, are you going to buy one solid piece of clothing, or are you going to shop at a place where you can fill your cart up high? answer is obvious
  • if you're a middle-upper class shopper and want to buy a nice piece of clothing, are you going to buy some unknown local label or are you going to spend the little extra money to get the status of a well known label? answer is also obvious
Why is it obvious? Please be patient with me I have autism when it comes to the US middle class. Why would you not want to put money into a quality item that draws attention and then just cycle your outfits around it?
 
Why is it obvious? Please be patient with me I have autism when it comes to the US middle class. I'm in the "One solid thing" category because it makes me feel good to have a quality shiny-thing even if I end up wearing the same clothes in rotation around it.

you're the exception, not the rule. the motive of both those kinds of consumers was stated: if they want to feel more wealthy, they will take the option where they can buy more. if they want the status and can afford it, they'll take that option. it's like... ok you know how there's people with shopping addictions? thats because shopping gives you a nice lil hit of somethin somethin in your brain when you do it. people with shopping addictions don't go into $100k of debt in a few trips a Nordstrom. They go on multiple $200-$500 shopping sprees at Walmart, target, garage sales, etc. it's like alcoholics who drink hand sanitizer and mouth wash.

your average person doesn't have a shopping addiction but they still get a little dopamine hit out of it and they still have secondary motives for shopping - the good feels that come from it. so if income is limited, they're going to buy 10 things at Old Navy instead of 1 or 2 nice things. Why? because 10 is more things! look at all this stuff I just bought! wow I can buy all this I MUST be doing better than I thought! I FEEL GREAT.
(edit: there is also the very real fact that a lot of people have families/dependents so if you need to clothe multiple people in our current fast-fashion climate, you need to do it as cheaply as possible)

or reversely: hmm I've got 2k to spend on clothes... I COULD buy these nice locally made seperates... or I could treat myself to a few things with this well known label! Hey I now have Gucci and Balenciaga in my closet! THATS WHAT CELEBRITIES WEAR OMG I AM A BIG STINKIN DEAL! I FEEL GREAT!

see? its the same reason that high-end labels license their brand to shit like perfume and eyeglasses. there's literally no need to have Dolce & Gabbana eyeglasses (and in fact, you do not - they're made just like all other eyeglasses but have just borrowed the name). but your average person gets to tell themselves they own DESIGNER eyewear. there is a huge market for that tiny little idea.

hope that made sense.
 
  • start-ups have tried and failed to revive old fashion ideals i.e. spend a little more, get the quality, made in [western country] and it all looks good on paper. and some of them even get great initial sales. but then reality sets in for the consumer: not only do they not have to re-buy that item of clothing in 6mo (which is what they're used to) but they can't be good little consumers if items are way more expensive than they're used to and they BLATENTLY don't need it. this is "bad" for the company because they have to constantly hunt for new customers which is expensive, resource-heavy, and doesnt have a great ROI. Think of it: you have to, with every new potential customer, re-form the same argument. whereas customers who already believe in what you do... they bought the "crafted in USA" denim that they don't need to replenish any time soon.
This is the part where it finally clicked. I just realized that pretty much every successful outfit I'd use as an example for doing well by doing quality products is in an industry where there's a good chance that the customer's life will at some point literally depend on that thing they bought from ACME Co. Whereas if you're ever in a position where you have to stake your life on your 5$ tee you probably have bigger problems. Better to end than to mend, eh?
 
I know we’re getting kinda off topic but I’ve seen fake Birkins for less than $300 that look really good and nobody who doesn’t regularly see real Birkins would know the difference, they’re even made out of real leather. The trick is getting people to believe that an average person owns a bag that is easily worth more than their car.

(edited a typo out)

I myself have a black “BIRKIN” and I bought it for 100 euros online. But, it’s not flawless. I purchased a locket with number engraved to make her more passable.

I’ve visit upscale boutiques and nobody called me out ever, but, if I had Star’s money I could invest more, to even fool the ones who authenticate these bags.

I agree someone could find better looking leather bags than a BIRKIN. But we’re living in a material world.
 
it's like alcoholics who drink hand sanitizer and mouth wash.
[...]
hmm I've got 2k to spend on clothes... I COULD buy these nice locally made seperates... or I could treat myself to a few things with this well known label! Hey I now have Gucci and Balenciaga in my closet! THATS WHAT CELEBRITIES WEAR OMG I AM A BIG STINKIN DEAL! I FEEL GREAT!
I had understood the "I have three kids and no money" thing for buying a lot of cheap clothing previously, but this metaphor clicked it for me when it comes to the other situation. Thank you.
 
This got me to realize I have no independent clothing retailers in my area.

There are two Wal-Marts and one Target store.
Back in the 70s and 80s, there were 12-15 independent clothing stores here, serving everyone from men's business wear to newborns.

Now, unless you buy online, you go to Sacramento or San Francisco to shop.
 
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