How Does Everyone Afford All These Designer Items?

[marylauda]

OT, but who is Isabella Blow and why is she dead??

She was a stylist, she was credited with putting a lot of designers on the map. She died of cancer. The first link is her remembrance thread and the second is her thread in "Behind the Lens".

http://www.thefashionspot.com/forums/f63/1958-2007-isabella-blow-rip-56146.html

http://www.thefashionspot.com/forums/f71/isabella-blow-stylist-39801.html

 

[BettinaBuffe]

same same in sweden! like you cannot buy designerstuff here, you need to buy it somewhere else and ship it over. haha.

helloooo

swedish designers are the new cool. you guys are lucky

 

[criticsdarling]

I wouldn't say I have MANY designer items, but those that I do have are due to a combo of currently living at home rent-free, working in a boutique where I get a discount, and I recently won money from a fashion design contest i won. Also I've found deals on e-bay many times which helps.

 

[seanutbutter]

I remember reading that Isabella Blow (RIP ) bought an entire collection (Jean Paul Gaultier, I believe) and it took her two years to pay back all of the debt.

That doesn't seem like a smart move at all.

 

[Working Girl]

I wonder that too. Even I live at home. But have to pay for school, books and food for myself. I think,if you can afford it. All the power too you. I am jealous.

 

[keroppi]

The most expensive thing I have in my closet is from Zara Designer items are too exorbitant for a gal like me to afford, my mom gets all the goodies. I don't really view them as necessities so I don't really care or mind.

 

[Working Girl]

I think when you separate what you need from what you want. You don't care that much. I like buying shoes and bags because I wear them out until they are old.

 

[The_Ida]

same same in sweden! like you cannot buy designerstuff here, you need to buy it somewhere else and ship it over. haha.

If you buy designer, you can do it 4 times a year and then you can't buy ANYTHING at all the rest of the year. I can't do that. I wear my clothes out very quickly. You know, buy a pair of jeans, wear them until they are rags, then buy a new pair. And it doesn't matter if they are designer or not, they do not last longer for that reason.

 

[Caffeine]

there are all cases.
old money or new money...
people working in banking or legal area can make 6 digit income easily. hedge fund managers can pull in at least 7 digits/yr. designer items are nothing for them.

 

[SomethingElse]

Easily - I look and don't buy very often! And if I do, it is never retail - trunk shows, end of season sales, begging - I have my methods.

 

[dreams]

Not that this answers your question, but it reminds me of when I worked at a mid level retail store when I started college. There were several male employees(age 22-30) that worked there, and I remember we were a bit in awe of them. They would rip customers apart based on how they looked, and they always had the newest designer clothing. We were getting paid like $6 an hour, and at the time and I couldn't even afford the clothing in our store, let alone the the newest Gucci loafer. I think we must have assumed the managers were earning $$$ when in reality it was like $26k, hardly enough to even pay rent, bills, and a car payment. After I left there, I found out later one was arrested for stealing from the company, and another filed bankruptcy. I learned a lot of lessons from that experience. I mean, how big of a jackass can you be judging people, when you are wearing everything placed on a charge card or that you got for free? I love fashion, but I do think material items can consume people. There are some people that I want to say slow down, you don't need 5 Chloe bags, take some of that money and go see the world! There is so much you could be expanding about yourself. I think I got on another tangent, sorry!

 

[SophieKawaii]

Well.. these days i often think about this. I see so many really young (teenager) Japanese girls carrying LV bags. I'm sure most of them received those bags not from their dads...

 

[keroppi]

^ Oh well, I used my mom's Chanel bag once during my graduation dinner

 

[just_me]

well, money don't buy style.. i see it so much if you look really trendy looking like you stepped out of H&M but carrying a Chanel bag.. it does not make you better than anyone.

I know I am privileged.. but I come from a family of money so I don't chase IT items as much... or at least i hope I don't.

 

[SophieKawaii]

^ Oh well, I used my mom's Chanel bag once during my graduation dinner

I'm sure they don't borrow it from mom either.

 

[fashionista-ta]

I remember reading that Isabella Blow (RIP ) bought an entire collection (Jean Paul Gaultier, I believe) and it took her two years to pay back all of the debt.

It was Alexander McQueen's thesis collection [hope someone hasn't already posted this]

 

[Ksanochka Vanmra]

Yes, I wondered that too. I worked as a sales assistant in a boutique where people would spend more than 5,000€ in just one bag and a dress during the sales period. The city where I live is not that big, so I wonder where do they get the money from...

What I learnt while working there is that Zara is great, lol. Nearly all the clothes by Prada, Gucci, Marc Jacobs and the other brands they had there had been copied by Zara and the price was, obviously, much more affordable.

 

[kimair]

i carry a notebook with me at all times...
i do alot of window shopping...
try things on, and write it down, then go back and look at my closet and decide if it works before buying...
i also attend trunk shows and previews...check things out before buying...
i also go to sample sales and scour ebay...
it's great for finding last seaon's stuff; i recently got a pair of proenza schouler shoes for almost 80% off retail...

i also mix the designer stuff with pieces from zara, j.crew, club monaco, banana, etc...

i work full time, and have one credit card that is for emergencies only...
i buy all my clothes on my debit card or cash, so if i can't afford it, i don't get it...

 

[educo]

I make most of my clothes, it may take a lot longer, but it costs a lot cheaper and i have my own unique look.

With the money I save making clothes, I splurge on shoes.
If i do find designer things, it's often on ebay, or yoox, where the prices are a lot cheaper. But I also think about quality, the original price, how often I will wear it, how many different looks I can get out of it. In other words longevity.

 

[educo]

Not that this answers your question, but it reminds me of when I worked at a mid level retail store when I started college. There were several male employees(age 22-30) that worked there, and I remember we were a bit in awe of them. They would rip customers apart based on how they looked, and they always had the newest designer clothing. We were getting paid like $6 an hour, and at the time and I couldn't even afford the clothing in our store, let alone the the newest Gucci loafer. I think we must have assumed the managers were earning $$$ when in reality it was like $26k, hardly enough to even pay rent, bills, and a car payment. After I left there, I found out later one was arrested for stealing from the company, and another filed bankruptcy. I learned a lot of lessons from that experience. I mean, how big of a jackass can you be judging people, when you are wearing everything placed on a charge card or that you got for free? I love fashion, but I do think material items can consume people. There are some people that I want to say slow down, you don't need 5 Chloe bags, take some of that money and go see the world! There is so much you could be expanding about yourself. I think I got on another tangent, sorry!

You are so right, I had an experience like that with my bro when he was buying an Iceberg shirt (when it was good) and the cashier, says, "Can you even afford that?" And I shot back, "Can you??" And my bro paid for the shirt.. IN CASH.