In Spades

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Fashion Friday

Tiko Paksa Resort 20Last week for Fashion Friday, I talked about the price of fashion – why clothing costs what it does.

We broke down the cost of a fast fashion t-shirt versus a luxury t-shirt and found that, on average, fast fashion is marked up 6 times, and luxury is marked up once (double the cost).  Check out the video for details.

Of course, for luxury fashion you are paying for more than just the garment.  For example, real estate (strip mall vs. Park Avenue boutique).  Sales force (seasonal mall employee vs. an Hermes sales associate).  Marketing (glossy magazine ads), material (fabric made in Italy vs. China), manufacturing (pattern makers vs. designers with salaries), and production (made in USA vs. Asia) all play a part.

This prompted a poll.  I was curious to know whether you were more interested in a fashion item if it was designer, limited edition or hard to get.  50% of you said you weren’t.  Personally, if something is limited edition or hard to get I absolutely want it more.  I love the thrill of the (fashion) hunt, finding diamonds in the rough and investing in pieces that are unique.  I don’t want what everyone else has.

What about you?

I also asked if you shopped strictly by budget or if knowing a garment’s origin was important (even if it meant paying more).  60% of you said that you’re willing to pay more if you know the garment is ethically sourced and well made.

I loved having this conversation with you.  It’s an interesting view of the current fashion landscape.  When did we start buying more for less money? (Answer: the 80s when fast fashion was born.)  And will we ever get back to the days when having a higher quality but lower quantity is the norm?

Here are some of my favorite ethical, high quality, affordable brands

Naadam
Everlane
Cuyana
For Days
Amour Vert
Able
Girlfriend Collective
Patagonia
Levi’s

Where to Find Affordable, Quality Denim

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Unpublished Kora jeans (c/o) // Vince sweater (40% off) // Karen Walker sunglasses
Foley + Corinna handbag // Habille Italy shoes (similar here and here)

Since becoming pregnant, denim is the one thing I’ve had to temporarily put on hold.  As someone completely obsessed with wearing denim, this has been reallllly hard.  While I can still pull on my normal jeans, buttoning them proves to be a problem.  I’ve tried belly bands, but they just aren’t my thing.  Maybe it’s the knowledge of knowing I’m walking around with my pants unbuttoned, but I just couldn’t get on board.  Clothes either fit or they don’t in my book.

There are some great maternity jeans out there (which I’ll get into in a future post) but the idea of spending money on something that I’ll wear for a very short period of my life doesn’t sit well with me.  So, the hunt was on.  Where could I find affordable, comfortable jeans that fit during my in-between phase, but would still look great after baby?

Towards the end of 2017, I connected with Unpublished, a denim line out of LA with an unapologetic, ‘wear what you want’ mentality.  I was amazed by the sophisticated cuts and excellent wash options they had at such an affordable pricepoint – their jeans average $60 per pair.

  • Pro tip: if you want to know the difference between a cheap pair of jeans and a quality pair of jeans, look at the wash.  Cheap jeans look like they were dyed with a spray gun.  Quality jeans have varied tonality and deep pigment (even in a light wash) that are part of the thread count, not sitting on top of it.

The best dye houses in the world are in Los Angeles, so I knew Unpublished was the real deal.

As I waited for my jeans to arrive, I was nervous.  What if they didn’t fit?  Would this be another example of something I’d have to put on hold until after baby?

When I slipped them on in my normal pre-pregnancy size and could button them, I freaked out.  I immediately ran to my husband and screamed “look at these, they fit!”

The soft, stretchy fabric is incredibly comfortable and holds its shape, unlike a lot of other brands at this pricepoint.  No sagging fabric; my legs and butt looked great.  The 9 inch mid-rise style is perfect for me, but they also come in a 10 inch high-rise. 

It’s a huge benefit for me as a denim lover to be able to wear high quality, affordable jeans that are so flattering and forgiving.  I’ve never liked the idea of “maternity clothing” so being able to wear a contemporary line while pregnant (that I’ll wear just as much after baby) is incredible!

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