The Label Whore Rat Race

What girl really doesn't love admiring, drinking and breathing high fashion? Christian Louboutin, Coco Chanel, Brian Atwood, Giuseppe Zanotti, Charlotte Olympia, and the list goes on and on.  As much as I love a red sole or a quilted leather purse doesn't it get to be just f*cking enough after awhile? The prices of these simple items dressed up in some kind of Veuve Clicquot flowing retail window just gets to be a little out of control.  I know I might sound like a hypocrite after all I have done my share of splurging,  buying expensive items that mean nothing except give you that sense of acceptance amongst people who memorize over priced brands for fun.  I'm guilty of that too.  As much as I adore fashion, Vogue and the lovely packaging and service our high end retailers provide it has become impossible for me to have my wallet and my luxury taste see eye to eye anymore.  And, I hate to admit it but, it makes me feel so frustrated.

I'm not a spoiled brat by any means.  I mean I came from an average middle class family.  Purchased my first car (a honda civic) myself and went to a city school for college.  So, it's not that I feel frustrated about not having these items because I'm not used to not getting what I want.  I'm more frustrated because, anything I've ever wanted I've worked towards and got it! But, as I get older and see more items I want and then, when I see the price... even if I had the money I still don't see how that bag is worth $6,000!!! From a marketing and branding perspective I understand how in a capitalist economy these brands are absolute success stories.  I mean who would have thought that by painting a sole red and using that part of the shoe you walk on, it would create the most sought after brand of shoes today.   And, I also understand how those brands very carefully pick their market and I think it's great how they have successfully managed to put themselves in such a high tier.  This is not another rant to luxury designers cursing them for making their items too expensive.  Because, after all I am a fan.

But, this is more of my attempt to stop foolishly feeling so frustrated with myself for not being able to afford an item.  Growing up in NYC, one of the biggest fashion capitals of the world it seems as if twenty-something New Yorkers have taken it upon themselves to create a divide between two social groups.  The glamourous young ones living the absolute fabulous life draping themselves in Chanel bags, Cartier jewelry and Louboutin shoes and the other group wearing hand me downs from Buffalo Exchange hanging out in local bars creating Brooklyn's newfound Yuppiehood. Maybe for me, personally it's about having champagne taste with beer size pockets.  I don't exactly fit in with the fabulous life I mean, in my working life I am still at the bottom of the ladder and well as for joining the Yuppiehood, let's just say plaids really don't suit me and I'm not into vinyl's.   I find myself to be more in the middle, split between these two social groups.  Too proud to wear hand me downs and too broke to live so called "fabulously." I follow a lot of fashion accounts on Instagram and what I am thinking of doing is instead of posting pictures of outfits that cost thousands of dollars, what's wrong with posting outfits that cost maybe $200 but, look more like $2,000?  It's not about finding cheap clothing or accessories it's more about finding reasonably priced items that can still make you look like you walked out of a magazine. I'm always out looking for bargains and with the internet nowadays it has become easier than ever. After all I feel anybody can look like a million dollars as long as you put everything together in a million dollar kind of way.

I think I will create that instagram account.  Champagne Taste with Beer Size Pockets.  A new goal to work on towards 2013.  I'll be sure to make a post about it once it's up and running.