Interesting article: Women going broke on fashion

[ohbittebitte]

I never follow what celebrities are wearing because I know that most of them have stylists and don't really have their own personal style. After a while they all start to look alike-wearing the same trendy items, same "it" bag etc. It gets boring after a while. The type of money some of them spend on one pverexposed item I could use to buy ten unique things. I also stopped using credit cards- my new motto is "if I can't afford to pay for it in full then I can't afford it."

I agree so much, I hate when people credit stars for having great fashion sense when they pay people to dress them.

 

[Les_Sucettes]

I think this article also applies more to the UK than the US. There are a.more tabloid weeklies there (both Hello and OK! were there before the US) b.credit cards are easier to be had (they are more difficult to get ahold of at first but after that it's easier to ring up debt) though of course this does apply to the US as well....

I agree, I never lived in a country were so much money is spent on clothes as in here. People do some serious buying in the UK. The availability and information is absolutely massive and I'm not surprised at all that people are getting into debt

I'll admit it's hard not to fall into the trap of feeling the need to dress a new outfit everytime we go out, I think this idea got into our minds because of celebritiies even thought most people may not quote a particular one as inspiration. I lived in several countries and i never saw nothing like in here in that matter.

 

[Navygreen]

A second survey discovered which celebs women most want to look like.
Top of the list is Lindsay, who is said to influence more than a third of Brit babes; 31% chose Victoria Beckham, 32, while 18% went for Nicole Richie and 15% for Coleen.

This is sad [and hopefully not true].

I agree so much, I hate when people credit stars for having great fashion sense when they pay people to dress them.

Sarah Jessica Parker

 

[nangnangnj]

I'm not making excuses for people who are 25,000 pounds in debt for clothes that is INSANE....but I also work in a dept store which has it's own store credit card, and can say that we are under enormous pressure to push it. We have targets, cash incentives etc... so staff will do almost anything to get someone to sign up, I've noticed how some staff members will try to pass it as a loyalty card without using the word 'credit' . The interest rates for it are crazy too (much worse than an average bank, which is bad enough) but of course there are ways you can sell it which make it sound as if it's almost free "no annual fees, XXX days interest free". There are so many interest free offers around these days...but people don't seem to understand that when the interest free period ends the interest goes through the roof. I think people really don't understand credit and how it works which is of course their responsiblity but it is also important to have expectations from credit providers as well...for example tougher guidelines for advertising credit so that it doesn't mislead or confuse consumers (atm the interest rate for our card is only found somewhere in fine print , really this should be on clear display somewhere in the brochure)
It should also be harder to get credit. When I had a credit card, my bank were always asking if I'd like to increase my limit an extra $1,000 or whatever... and I'd think, if I took up that offer I would not (on my income) be able to sustain that loan. It seems irresponsible (not to mention morally corrupt) to keep pushing credit like it's a side order of fries at the drive through.
Phew! Rant over

 

[Echoes]

Interesting that this thread is a year and a half old, but still relevant.

The problem is they are pressurised into looking as good as the stars, with 80% feeling they are expected to sport up-to-the-minute fashions.

The only one putting pressure on them is themselves.

We put a lot of emphasis on how we present ourselves ...

Some do, some don't, but you can look 'presentable' for $100 if you know what you're doing. $500 shoes, $500 bags and $500 dresses are unnecessary in most cases.

 

[LifeNatureLove]

I've noticed more and more of my friends recently graduating college are racking up the credit card debt. As soon as freshman hit the dorms, credit card companies are flooding mail box offers with pre approved cards and most young people don't understand what they're getting themselves into. And I've noticed, only my female friends are getting into major trouble because of clothes and such.
In my personal experience, I wish I never fell for it because I use shopping to make me happy so at the time, those credit cards were my life. Now, I'm definatly paying for it in many ways than one.
I'm thankful though, because I've seen a lot worse than my situation and I've learned from my mistakes. Some people never do.

 

[deschanel]

I would be interested to learn what "pressure" these girls in the article are up against. The debt company mentioned speaks of "peer pressure". I wonder in what aspect they feel pressured to look like Lindsay Lohan? I can't think of any professional venue that would require you to dress like a young movie star. If the place you work for legitimately demands a certain level of fashion wisdom, surely they would financially provide for such things. Without any further info, it sounds like these girls are simply spending money they don't have, and once again glamourized young celebs are taking the heat. If it's not eating disorders, it's spending habits. What's next?

 

[Style-Addict]

This is pretty interesting. And I can see just how true it is on my own cousin. She wants, wants, wants- mostly what different celebs have or different versions, etc. Obviously, we cant afford any of the things celebrities have, such as handbags, clothing, etc.

I think it does have a lot to do with the fact that we see these celebrities so much. We see candids of them going everywhere and there is no mystery.

Interesting discussion going on here, for sure.

 

[nangnangnj]

I can't think of any professional venue that would require you to dress like a young movie star. If the place you work for legitimately demands a certain level of fashion wisdom, surely they would financially provide for such things.

You would hope so, but generally they don't. I work in retail, and everywhere I've worked have expected a very high level of presentation. As well as keeping up with trends etc... Although all these positions have paid poorly.
I manage by cutting corners, being clever with the shopping that I do, customizing old clothes, and generally being inventive
But looking good for work is no thanks to my employer or my paycheck.

 

[Echoes]

Workplace dress codes are common, but unless they specify a specific uniform, they rarely compensate for them.

But you can meet the dress code without going severely in debt.

 

[nangnangnj]

But you can meet the dress code without going severely in debt.

So true.

Like I said there is no excuse for the crazy sorts of debt to clothes that have been mentioned...but I think it's important to look beyond celebrities for answers.
The workplace is just another example of how looking good can get you ahead...
I remember reading a study about women in the workplace who wore make up as opposed to those that didn't and how those that did wear make up experienced more success in their careers....ok so I don't know the ins and outs of that particular study but generally speaking, looking good is a social and professional advantage.
Which is why I think people just spend spend spend, because they think they need to...like in order to survive or something. When in actual fact, while it does cost some money to look great...it doesn't cost the crazy amounts people are spending...