In Spades

Style... in abundance

How to Mix High and Low Fashion

Balenciaga Triple S Balenciaga Triple S

Blazer (similar) // Tank // Necklace // Pants (similar) // Bag // Gucci sunglasses (similar) // Sneakers

If you’ve seen my YouTube review of these Balenciaga Triple S sneakers, you know I had been coveting them for years before purchasing (on sale). Pro tip: if you love the look but not the price tag, check out the under $80 pair below.

When it comes to fashion, my philosophy has always been to mix high and low.  I do this by investing in shoes and handbags and pairing them with more affordable, sustainable brands.

Some of my fave sustainable, affordable brands are Everlane, Naadam and Cuyana.  Read more about them here.

While there is no right or wrong way to mix high and low, I recommend investing in pieces with evergreen sizing – handbags, shoes and jewelry.  While your feet can get bigger during pregnancy, these three categories typically never get too big or too small.  Plus, the craftsmanship that goes into them is more complex than basic clothing items, making the added spend worth it.

What is your philosophy on mixing high and low?  Do you tend to invest in bags and shoes or something else?

Shop the Post

Fashion Friday

Bottega Veneta storm bootsIt was only a matter of time.

I’ve written before how Amazon has been trying to push into the luxury sector for the better part of a decade. They dipped their toe in with Common Threads – a partnership with Vogue that brings awareness to brands impacted by COVID-19.

But a true push into luxury had not been realized until this week.  On Wednesday, Oscar de la Renta became the first luxury label to open an Amazon storefront.

This is, of course, HUGE news.  Experts were torn on whether or not consumers could ever think of the giant retailer as anything more than a place for fast necessities.  Could it be possible that we’d buy toilet paper and $3000 designer handbags in the same transaction?  With Prime delivery to boot?  Now Amazon has their chance to show us.

The Fine Print

It won’t quite be a situation of toilet paper and Gucci handbags in one click.  Luxury Stores, as Amazon is dubbing it, is an invitation only platform.  You must be a Prime member.  Beyond that, the criteria for being accepted is unknown (I’m currently on the waitlist).

When you do make a purchase, it will be a separate transaction from regular Amazon purchases.  Items are guaranteed authentic and can be returned within 30 days.  And yes, there’s free shipping.

The inventory and designers on the platform is constantly evolving.  I believe Amazon said it needed at least 12 luxury labels on board for this to be viable.  Stay tuned for which labels are next.

Why is this Appealing to Luxury Brands?

As with any business relationship, there’s always the question of what’s in it for me?  Amazon’s consumer data points are unparalleled.  They know how, when and what you’re going to shop for… even before you know it.  e-Commerce has long been a sore spot for luxury fashion.  The industry was painfully slow to adopt it, and their rollout of it is still a work in progress.  Not all luxury items are listed, inventory is different in store versus online and shipping can take a ridiculously long time considering the price points.

Amazon is a well-oiled machine that worked out all these kinks over a decade ago.  The are the industry leader.  Why reinvent the wheel or take on the burden yourself when you have an expert in the field trying to court you to use their platform?

What about other multi-brand retailers?

You may be wondering why brands like Oscar de la Renta wouldn’t go to Farfetch or Matches Fashion first (Oscar is already on both platforms).

Again, I think it goes back to consumer data.  Farfetch does operate as a platform, like Amazon’s new venture, allowing brands to dictate their own inventory.  But here’s the key difference.  On a platform like Farfetch, individual boutiques that sell luxury labels are dictating the inventory.  On Amazon’s Luxury Stores, the brand itself is in full control of their inventory, branding and message.

Interestingly, Farfetch is doubling down on their marketing strategy aiming to use brand recognition as the competitive advantage for driving sales.  While they have been mildly successful, their growth can’t compete with Amazon’s.  Further, consumers have a hard time understanding what they’re known for because they carry SO MANY brands.  Have you ever tried to search for something on Farfetch?  The possibilities are endless.  A new website, logo and brand identify are to be launched this year. Will they succeed in becoming a household name in luxury?  Amazon will surely be giving them a run for their money.

 

Fashion Friday

Luxury Fashion

Welp, this post was supposed to go up on Friday, but life got in the way.  I did manage to post my Fashion Friday video to Instagram.  You can check it out here.

Today I want to chat about exclusivity in the world of fashion.

Exclusivity has long been fashion’s pièce de résistance.

Fashion makes us feel special.  Important.  Elevated.  So when something is scare – a rarity – on top of making us feel special, its stock goes up exponentially.  A fashion world double whammie.  This is the very definition of luxury fashion.

I recently read a fascinating article that broke down the conundrum of luxury fashion.  Conundrum, you ask?  Why, yes.  Think about it.  How can luxury fashion truly be exclusive if they are moving MILLIONS of units?

Have you ever seen a blogger with double “G” Gucci belt?  How about a Louis Vuitton tote?  Of course you have.  While those are pieces of luxury fashion, they are anything but exclusive.  They’re downright ubiquitous.

There’s a reason luxury brands have branched out into beauty and accessories.  The pricepoints are lower but the association to that world of exclusivity is still there (a Chanel lipstick versus a Chanel bag).

The article brings up an interesting point about the perceived scarcity of supply in luxury fashion.  We are made to think that there is a very limited number of these special pieces.  And that is partly true.  But you have to look at the whole picture.

Rolex, for example, has a very tight control over how many entry-level models it will sell – their cheapest offering.  They don’t want too many getting out into the market. But they have zero cap on the amount of high-end, $500,000 models they’ll sell.

This goes back to the Gucci belt example.  While it is still a very expensive belt, it’s one of Gucci’s cheaper offerings.  Anyone who tried to buy one during the height of their popularity knows how impossible it was to get your hands on one.  They were sold out everywhere because the supply was tightly capped.  This created a frenzy and a perception that the belts were “exclusive”.

Luxury fashion satiates a deep psychological need.  I may not be an it-girl, a socialite or a jetsetter, but if I own a Chanel bag, maybe, just maybe, I’ll feel like one enough to transcend my own reality.

So I ask you, dear readers…

When it comes to fashion, is it “I have, therefore I am?”

You know I believe in the transformative power of fashion.  I do think fashion can transcend reality and transport us to a different place.  Even if that place is a state of mind.

But if we unpack this notion a bit more, the “I have, therefore I am” mentality speaks to a need to fit in, rather than stand out.  The opposite of exclusivity.

The response I got to my Fashion Friday Instagram video was fascinating.  A lot of people spoke about knowing others who buy luxury just so other people will think they’re “rich”.  A real-life keeping up with the Joneses.

To take this a bit further, I think a lot of people have trouble finding their signature style.  So they go after what they “think” they should wear so others perceive them as important.

As always, I encourage you to invest in pieces that pull at your heartstrings.  Style is intrinsic; it’s what comes out of you naturally.  It is a not a logo or a status symbol.

I’d love to hear what you think of luxury fashion.  What are your experiences?  And is it really, “I have, therefore I am?”

Fashion Friday

Fashion Friday

Thanks for all your support on last week’s Fashion Friday.  It was my first foray into Tik Tok and while I still have no idea what I’m doing, I’m having a lot of fun.

Today I want to get back to the standard Fashion Friday format because there is a lot to discuss!

First and foremost…

Clare Waight Keller Leaves Givenchy

Clare left Chloe to come to Givenchy.  While I thought Chloe was the PERFECT fit for her, I was excited about this new partnership.  I foresaw a long-standing relationship.  Her expert tailoring seemed perfectly poised to execute the structured, voluminous silhouettes Givenchy is known for.

But after just 3 years, she’s out.

What happened?  This Tweet seems to perfectly sum up Clare’s fall from Givenchy.

“At the risk of reading too much into it, this basically feels like more proof that without a shoe, without a bag, without a stalwart (and ideally perennial) “statement” piece, it doesn’t matter how good of a designer you are, you won’t have a job.”

During her tenure at Givenchy, Clare didn’t give us an “it” bag.  She didn’t give us a new shoe style.  She DID give us an amazing first couture collection.  But was that enough?  If you design excellent clothes but can’t incite a cult following among the 99%, do you have a career?

This begs the question…

Are luxury brands just accessory companies that happen to make clothes?

I’ve thought a lot about consumer perception of luxury brands.  For example, most people know the interlocking “C” logo of Chanel, but do they actually KNOW Chanel?

There’s an old episode of America’s Next Top Model that I’ll never forget.  Paris Hilton guest stars and asks one of the contestants who her favorite designer is.

Contestant: “Chanel”.

Paris: “Do you know who designs Chanel?”

[CRICKETS]

This is forever seared in my brain.  I was incredulous.  If something is your “favorite” how is it possible to know nothing about it?  If the Lakers are your favorite basketball team, don’t you think you should be able to name some of the players?

A lifelong passion for fashion has allowed me time for lots of research.  I’ve read a ton about brand history, window shopped til I’ve dropped, and devoured runway footage.

When someone says a brand name I see pictures in my head.  Adjectives, colors, textures, patterns.  It’s like a mood board.

It didn’t occur to me that others may not see this too.

With COVID-19 halting production, shuttering storefronts and putting the world of fashion at a standstill, I wonder if consumer perception will change.  Will consumers pay more attention to the brands they’re wearing?  Will they shift their focus to quality over quantity?  Less is more?  I hope that sustainability takes a more front and center role.

Brand Response to COVID-19

There are tons of brands doing amazing things right now.  rag & bone has slashed prices sitewide to make their product more accessible.  Read their manifesto here.

One of my fave leather jacket brands is doing a Name Your Price sale.  In their manifesto they are very candid about possibly not surviving the wake of COVID-19.  So 100% of their proceeds are going to their employees.  That’s class.

Here’s the sad reality: if the economy remains shuttered for 2 or more months, 80% of brands will find themselves in financial duress.  They may not survive.

Now is the time to support the brands you love.  Align your support with brands that embody your values.

The power of your dollar has never been more important.