Do you lust after labels?
Take a look at this and tell me which is more appealing...
Student #1: Jeans from a couple years ago, a cool tee shirt from a study abroad trip, this season's round toed pumps, awesome handmade jewelry and fresh, trendy makeup.
Basically, a mix of everything: Personalized pieces and old favorites, with a smattering of "trendy" here and there.
Student #2:
You think, "The total price of this outfit might be the same amount of money I made at my job this summer."
Wow.
This ensemble isn't a smattering of trendy here and there; it's a virtual maelstrom of haute couture labels with snooty French and Italian names.
If you answered #2, you may have a condition known as closet envy or you may be a label-phile. Horrible, and sad but true... you may be a (gasp!) fashion snob!
Other signs or fashion snobbery include:
Judging someone based on their outfit.
Someone who dresses up all the time is high maintenance, while someone who dresses down all the time is ultra-sporty. Right? Wrong. Some people dress up because it makes them feel better on a day that they're feeling low, while others dress down because they just didn't have time to do otherwise. Maybe they just like sweatpants -- who are you to judge?
At the same time, I must admit that clothing is important. Some people will disagree, but clothes are the first thing we see when meeting someone, and they do help us draw certain conclusions. For example, some people dress up when they give presentations for a class, and others like to dress down when attending a sporting event. For me, looking put together lends an air of credibility. At the same time, looks can be deceiving in many instances. This is why clothing can sometimes aid in sending across a certain message, but should never be the final word in drawing conclusions about someone's personality or identity.
Saying things like, "that is so last year" about certain clothing items or accessories.
Who cares if it was trendy last year? Really, does anyone besides Paris Hilton create a new wardrobe every season?
Sneaking a peak at the labels of your friend's new clothes to see where she or he got them.
If it cost $100, does it automatically become better?
Asking where'd you get that (insert item here)?
As if it really matters...
I don't think I know anyone who isn't guilty of at least one of the above.
I know I am. I'll admit it -- I can be a fashion snob. Go ahead, you admit it too, don't be ashamed! Because admitting you have a problem is the first step on the path to recovery.
Let me tell you, Wal-Mart has some pretty cool stuff, as does Abercrombie, as does Versace. If you like designer clothing, you don't have to dress in it from head to toe. It's really fun to mix nice pieces (whatever your definition of "nice" is) with pieces discovered at a thrift store, purchased at Kmart or found in the back of your closet.
In last month's Harper's Bazaar, Chanel, Fendi and Lagerfeld Gallery designer Karl Lagerfeld contended that inexpensive fashion brands make it possible to look good without paying $50 billion for a shirt (well, not exactly in those words, but you get the picture). In the spirit of this kind of anti-snobbery, Lagerfeld will be designing for H&M, a cheap and chic store that sells really trendy looks for less. I guess this is Lagerfeld's way of reaching out to us, the hoi polloi... how generous!
Anyway enough about Lagerfeld. Well, one more thing about him. The fact that he's being an anti-snob is kind of snobby in and of itself, don't you think? I mean, he's designing clothing that will be sold at a reasonable price, but who's to say we really want this trendy clothing? Some people actually care that they're "getting" Lagerfeld designs, while others are content with their seventh grade styles.
But this, in and of itself, is the beauty of fashion: It's your prerogative.
You can be a fashion snob, but why would you want to?
There's so much more out there than what you get at the fancy stores, and there's also more out there than what you get at the not-so-fancy stores.
I think we agree on this, right?
Where you come in, however, is at the threshold of the fine line between fashion snob and fashionista.
It's one thing to enjoy clothing, but it's another thing to judge others because they don't care if their khakis are J.Crew or Faded Glory (that's a brand they sell at Wal-Mart, just in case you didn't know). Does it really matter what you wear, as long as you're comfortable in your own skin? Prada and Gucci won't aid you in becoming comfortable with and confident in yourself.
It's the person, not their clothes that really matter.
So, don't be a snob about it... there is no need. There's no point in judging that girl who wears the same thing to class every day, or the boy who wears a suit to class, or the person who wears sweatpants on a night out on the town. The ultimate fashion faux pas is not wearing white after Labor Day (that rule is groundless and has been invalidated by many... do we also wear gloves when driving? I think not!), or wearing boots in the summer, or mixing brown/navy blue and black (insert scary music here). Rather, the ultimate fashion faux pas is... fashion snobbery.
Demetra can be reached at Fashion@cavalierdaily.com
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