What got you interested in high-end fashion? Do you still buy low-end?

downrabbithole

theatre fashionista
Jul 3, 2008
848
0
Just curious!

I'm not sure what got me into it. I guess most people can cite their moms, but my mom thinks it's ridiculous and prefers to spend money on vacations and redecorating the house than clothes and handbags. Although I did buy her a Longchamp Le Pilage when I was living in France and she does like it..even though that's not necessarily "high-end" (but I mean it's more expensive than the $4 Target purse she had! haha). I'm pretty "artsy" and the bulk of my friends are into theatre and only about one or two are even label conscious in the slightest. I guess I just like to look good? :confused1: Don't really know!

As far as low-end stuff, I definitely still buy low-end things and I really like to mix and match low and high end things. nothing wrong with a Chanel, a pair of sevens mixed with a Hanes t and cute shoes from Payless! ;)

How about you?

Sorry if this has been posted before, didn't see it if it has.
 
I have been into fashion since I could remember. I was one of those children that liked going to pre-school with the pretty little dress and my patent leather mary janes. I didn't discover couture until I was 16 and was dating a much older guy who was straight but obsessed with fashion. That is how I got introduced to Gucci, Fendi, Prada etc.

I buy what I like high end or low end. Yes, I do shop at Dillard's or Gap or Old Navy. I also pair those items with my Marc Jacobs bag and Yurman jewelry.
 
I don't know how it happened. My mom is like the OP's mom - it took ages to convince her to get the Longchamp Rival (I think?) tote she's been wanting for ages, and I found it for her at 40% off!

It started for me with the Fashion 18 forum and built from there. I used to have an affinity for denim, now it has grown to purses. I think that because I don't have the time to go to the mall, I resort to online shopping. And very few online stores that ship to Canada carry cheaper items (except F21).

But I've always liked expensive things, hee hee. Even as a child.
 
I've just started to get into designer fashions. I'm looking to rebuild my wardrobe with good quality, good looking pieces. I decided if I'm going to do it, I might as well do it right the first time. No one else I know gets into fashion; if they do, it's lower end stuff.

I've decided that I'm tired of buying so much cheap stuff that inevitably wears out in a year or so, leaving me looking for new clothes and shoes all the time. I got so frustrated with it, that I gave up for a few years and have been living in jeans and t-shirts since. I've also decided I don't like wearing synthetic fabrics really anymore, so to get things in wool, silk, linen and cotton, you have to spend more.

I'll still wear lower end stuff, but it will be mostly the trendier things, or basic t's and tanks. Wardrobe staples will be good quality stuff in natural fibers.
 
I've been into fashion for as long as I can remember. It's funny though because when I was little, I absolutely loathed wearing dresses, but I always remember wearing these really ugly ones. I think if I were to go and pick one out, I'd be much happier. I also hated jeans so much because the jeans for little girls always had ruffles or embroidered flowers, which looked so dorky, so I was always wearing other pants or those nylon jogging pants. I had this amazing one from Walmart that I found when shopping there one with my dad, and I bought it in four different colours. It was a really flatteringly cut pair of nylon pants that were lined on the inside.

Now, I wear jeans all the time, I'm dying for a few amazing dresses, but I think when I was little, there weren't many options of clothing that I could wear and love. I've now found so many great brands that make kids clothing, like Boden, that I wish I had around me when I was little.

I definitely still by low-end. I'm not made of money, but I try to buy low-end and high-end. I love mixing and matching more than anything. I think low-end items can sometimes look cheap, but I've gone into Payless and found gorgeous boots that I've worn for years, so I think it helps to have a good eye and patience to always look.
 
Most of my wardrobe is "low end" basics, with a few higher end pieces. A outfit to represent this would be a DVF silk blouse, over an Old Navy tank, H&M jeans, Target belt, and some shoe I most likely picked up at DSW. My lifestyle isn't condusive to higher end stuff, so I only get more expensive pieces that I know will have staying power.
 
I have always been interested in fashion. I remember wearing pretty dresses when I was little even though they were uncomfortable.

Most of my wardrobe is sort of middle ground, like Mara Hoffman, Rachel Pally, 12th St by Cynthia Vincent, etc., and all my jeans are premium. I do love some lower end stuff, though, like some of the guest designer lines from Target, and I have a few things from Forever 21, as well as several from American Apparel. For me it's more about how something looks than the price, and I would say that there aren't any cheap pieces that would serve as substitutes for my more expensive stuff. It's all in the details. A lot of my basics are low-end, though I do have some things like James Perse, C&C, and Splendid that I mostly buy on sale. I also am lucky enough to have access to a lot of sample/warehouse sales, so I am able to buy lots of higher-end pieces for low-end prices.
 
I've always been interested in fashion. Like many people here, I loved wearing dresses as a child. I remember discovering fashion TV summer before high school. I started wearing designer clothes in college. I like to mix designer with inexpensive clothes. Some of my staples are from H&M.
 
My mom was crazy about fashion and used to dress me with high end brands and spend so much money for my clothes. I never was so interested in fashion to be honest. I appreciate quality clothing, good materials and craftsmanship, but I hate to pay more money just for the brand name. I will buy things I really need, I will wear, and they worth spending money. If I find a garment that is my favorite color and of good material and fits me well then it's a winner.
 
I've always loved fashion as well. But couldn't really afford any high end labels until I started working. While I was in jr high/high school/college I would look to Vouge or Elle for fashion inspiration, then I would hit the outlets/discount stores/sale racks for discounted goodies. Then when I started working, it was all about Gucci, Balenciaga, Alaia, Hermes, etc.

I still like to mix low end w/high end. For instance, I wore the following to a dinner with friends last night: a French Connection dress I bought at Marshalls for $14; my Hermes birkin; a pair of no name flip flops; my jaeger le coulture reverso watch. And I received the most compliments on my $15 French Connection dress!
 
i was definitely not influenced by my family. some of my old girlfriends liked high-end clothing...since i got married and had a baby, it seems only place i can relate my 'hobby' to is tpf.

my high end pieces are pretty even. i dont have hermes etc. but what i have are reputable and in good quality. the only low end fashion i still buy is victoria's secret bras. i get a few every year.
 
Buying designer is like fixing your house-- once you get the bathroom done, you start looking at the hallway...
I started with bags, then moved on to shoes, then coats and then clothes and accessories, because all of it is so tied together...
 
I guess I loved playing dressup as a kid. My mom isn't really (nor has she ever been) really into fashion. I still remember how great I felt in my elephant leg pants in 5th grade. The game was to get the biggest legs that you could get and mine were huge.

As I grew up, I had planned to study fashion merchandising in NYC but I was too scared at that age to go to the school and move. So opted for business instead. I have a friend that majored in it and she ended up working in mall retail stores. ugh. I wouldn't have wanted to do that.

I think the thing that really got me hooked was when I visited my sister who lived in Chicago (when I was around 20) and we went to Neiman Marcus and I saw the art of the clothing and the fine quality. I shop at NM now but mostly the less expensive stuff or I buy on sale. As a stay at home mom, I don't have much occasion to wear really high end stuff. But I still love seeing the clothes and how the celebrities wear them. I can sadly say, I have a terrible sense of style for myself. I do mix in lower end items, too. I hate ruining expensive shoes taking my kids to the park.