I finally got to see The Devil Wears Prada last week. I’ve been wanting to see the movie ever since I first heard about it. I am fascinated by fashion. Not in particular with high fashion or expensive designers, but more with the ways that fabrics and colors and bodies can be combined together in aesthetically pleasing configurations. So I watched the movie hoping for an engaging story and lots of pretty clothes to look at. I wasn’t disappointed. It was an enjoyable film.
A major theme of the movie is how the non-fashion conscious Anne Hathaway character learns to wear and love fashion. This event is triggered in part by a speech given by the Meryl Streep character, Miranda. Miranda pontificates how fashions first appear on runways during fashion week and then are picked up by expensive designers who are in turn emulated by mass market clothiers. Thus, according to Miranda, the clothing to be found on the rack at Walmart is a direct result of what is seen on the runways in Paris. It is an interesting spiel which nicely justifies the need for high fashion. I’m not sure that I believe it. I’m not sure that Walmart clothing is very influenced by high fashion. I’m sure there is a little fashion influence, but mostly Walmart clothes are designed around what sells. What sells this season is determined by consumers who probably have paid no attention to fashion week. Instead the consumers pay attention to what their friends and neighbors and nearby strangers are wearing. On the other hand, consumers also pay attention to what people on TV are wearing and people on TV are dressed by professionals who probably DO pay attention to Fashion Week in Paris. So maybe there is a bigger connection than I thought.
I’m still inclined to believe that high fashion is to mass produced clothing as high art is to commercial art. High art exists to challenge us. Commercial art exists to please us. We need to have both. I love both literature and mass market sci fi novels. I love the fine arts studied in school and the pictures on the covers of books. I love the beautiful and strange concoctions worn by models on runways and the comfortable clothes found at local discount stores.
High fashion comes with a high price tag. While I love to look at the clothes, I cannot in good conscience spend that much money on them. In fact I can hardly bring myself to buy clothes at Walmart prices. Most of my clothes are either given to me or come from a local thrift store. Fortunately for me other people are quite willing to spend huge amounts of money on beautiful clothes which they hardly wear and then donate to thrift stores. I can then buy those clothes at a minuscule fraction of their original price. Although truth be told the original price of an item isn’t really the selling point for me. I buy clothes because I like them not because they have a certain label or because I’m getting 99% off retail.
This brings me back to Prada, because today I was in a thrift store looking at bags. I wanted a bag large enough to carry full size notebooks, but I didn’t want something that screamed “computer bag.” I definitely didn’t want something that had a computer corporation logo on it. I saw a likely looking bag and grabbed it. It was slim, attractive, exactly what I needed. Then I looked closer and saw “Prada” stamped into the leather on the front. It may be a knock off. I have no clue how to tell if it is. I do know that authentic Prada bags sell for around $300 on the year that they’re released. I never in my life expected to own a Prada bag. I never cared much either, but now I own one. I paid $1.50 for it. Now my only worry is that someone will see me carrying the bag and think that I’m the kind of person who would spend the money on the full retail price of the bag. Fortunately most of the crowd I hang out with probably won’t even notice or care beyond noting that I have a nice-looking, useful bag for my stuff.
The movie was excellent, so good that my husband (who’s not into fashion) convinced me to go.
I’ve started to realize that trying to avoid designer brand names is as much of a statement as wearing them, and may be more trendy right now. (Many modern yuppies prefer to appear distictly non-elitist, even if they spend as much to look humble as to look wealthy).
The movie was excellent, so good that my husband (who’s not into fashion) convinced me to go.
I’ve started to realize that trying to avoid designer brand names is as much of a statement as wearing them, and may be more trendy right now. (Many modern yuppies prefer to appear distictly non-elitist, even if they spend as much to look humble as to look wealthy).
I love thrift stores!
I think the best way to deal with the designer label issue is to ignore it. If the item is exactly what you want, it doesn’t matter if it’s designer or not.
I love thrift stores!
I think the best way to deal with the designer label issue is to ignore it. If the item is exactly what you want, it doesn’t matter if it’s designer or not.
You’ve got it right. It has to be what I want and it has to be a reasonable price.
You’ve got it right. It has to be what I want and it has to be a reasonable price.
That’s an interesting yuppie trend.
That’s an interesting yuppie trend.
Brand names can be useful. There are some brands that fit me better than others so I tend to gravitate tword them and then there are some brands that wil never look right on me even if they fit because the body type for which they are designed is so radically different from my own.
Other than that, if it’s exactly what you want, great! Who cares what name is on the label.
Brand names can be useful. There are some brands that fit me better than others so I tend to gravitate tword them and then there are some brands that wil never look right on me even if they fit because the body type for which they are designed is so radically different from my own.
Other than that, if it’s exactly what you want, great! Who cares what name is on the label.
I can’t wait to see your bag when I come over today. I’ll try to act really impressed even though I wouldn’t be able to tell a Prada bag from a grocery bag.
It’s funny that I was just staring at my closet this morning and thinking that I own maybe 2 or 3 things that were purchased in a regular store. The rest came from Savers or were gifts. I’m proud of that, actually. I figure these clothes still have plenty of wear left in them and I’m actually helping the planet by recycling them. You’ll never see me on a Greenpeace boat, but I support my local thrift store!
Julie 🙂
I can’t wait to see your bag when I come over today. I’ll try to act really impressed even though I wouldn’t be able to tell a Prada bag from a grocery bag.
It’s funny that I was just staring at my closet this morning and thinking that I own maybe 2 or 3 things that were purchased in a regular store. The rest came from Savers or were gifts. I’m proud of that, actually. I figure these clothes still have plenty of wear left in them and I’m actually helping the planet by recycling them. You’ll never see me on a Greenpeace boat, but I support my local thrift store!
Julie 🙂
I am also proud of my thrift-store, garage-sale, hand-me-down wardrobe. I do have a few new-from-a-store things because my mom took me shopping for my Christmas present, but mostly my clothes are all second hand.
As for the bag, I would have had no clue that it was a Prada bag except for the fact that it has “Prada” stamped right in the middle of the front. And I probably still wouldn’t have clued into the fact that it is a designer bag except that I watched The Devil Wears Prada last week.
See you at lunch!
I am also proud of my thrift-store, garage-sale, hand-me-down wardrobe. I do have a few new-from-a-store things because my mom took me shopping for my Christmas present, but mostly my clothes are all second hand.
As for the bag, I would have had no clue that it was a Prada bag except for the fact that it has “Prada” stamped right in the middle of the front. And I probably still wouldn’t have clued into the fact that it is a designer bag except that I watched The Devil Wears Prada last week.
See you at lunch!
My mom has developed expensive tastes. She likes to shop at a place called, Coldwater Creek? (i think) anyway, it’s a place where t-shirts cost around $25. and most items are $50 and up.
She took me shopping with her at the beginning of Dec. and bought me one $70-80. item. I JUST COULDN’T BRING MYSELF TO WEAR IT!
So, after Christmas I took it back. I didn’t get full price back for it, BUT, since everything was 75% off I was able to buy a velvet full length skirt, shirt that went with skirt and a nice zip up sweater all for $20!
I wore all three pieces to church and added up the original cost: $200.!
But, I could wear it because I only paid $20. for the whole thing!
whew.
I felt sad for everyone on the movie… it takes SO LONG and so much money to be Fashion Magazine beautiful! (and it’s not comfortable!)
I always remind Ross, Aren’t you glad I don’t need to spend lots of money every month on gel and hairspray and lots of makeup and cleansers and loofas and clothes and and and?
The What Not To Wear people think everyone should be wearing $200. + outfits (even stay at home moms!?!) I think someone should come up with a What Not To Wear for CHEAP! t.v. show. Instead of $5,000. to spend on clothes, the person would only get $100. (or $200) to re-do their whole wardrobe. What do you think?
My mom has developed expensive tastes. She likes to shop at a place called, Coldwater Creek? (i think) anyway, it’s a place where t-shirts cost around $25. and most items are $50 and up.
She took me shopping with her at the beginning of Dec. and bought me one $70-80. item. I JUST COULDN’T BRING MYSELF TO WEAR IT!
So, after Christmas I took it back. I didn’t get full price back for it, BUT, since everything was 75% off I was able to buy a velvet full length skirt, shirt that went with skirt and a nice zip up sweater all for $20!
I wore all three pieces to church and added up the original cost: $200.!
But, I could wear it because I only paid $20. for the whole thing!
whew.
I felt sad for everyone on the movie… it takes SO LONG and so much money to be Fashion Magazine beautiful! (and it’s not comfortable!)
I always remind Ross, Aren’t you glad I don’t need to spend lots of money every month on gel and hairspray and lots of makeup and cleansers and loofas and clothes and and and?
The What Not To Wear people think everyone should be wearing $200. + outfits (even stay at home moms!?!) I think someone should come up with a What Not To Wear for CHEAP! t.v. show. Instead of $5,000. to spend on clothes, the person would only get $100. (or $200) to re-do their whole wardrobe. What do you think?
See, I would totally watch that show! Because I get all bummed out watching these ladies prancing around in $200 skirts, and I keep thinking “Man, if I had 5 grand to spend on clothes, I’d come home with a LOT more clothes than they do”…
See, I would totally watch that show! Because I get all bummed out watching these ladies prancing around in $200 skirts, and I keep thinking “Man, if I had 5 grand to spend on clothes, I’d come home with a LOT more clothes than they do”…
Hi From Owlhaven
That’s funny– I’d be the same as you with a fancy brand. Years ago hubby and I bought matching leather jackets at Walmart. It was the day-after-Thanksgiving sale and they were $79 each. Only $79 and I feel vaguely uncomfortable whenever I wear that thing because to me the jacket feels ‘rich’ or uppity or something– none of which is me.
Here from Mental Tesserae
Mary, mom to many
http://owlhaven.wordpress.com
Hi From Owlhaven
That’s funny– I’d be the same as you with a fancy brand. Years ago hubby and I bought matching leather jackets at Walmart. It was the day-after-Thanksgiving sale and they were $79 each. Only $79 and I feel vaguely uncomfortable whenever I wear that thing because to me the jacket feels ‘rich’ or uppity or something– none of which is me.
Here from Mental Tesserae
Mary, mom to many
http://owlhaven.wordpress.com