Have You Been Shopping?

Have you been shopping lately? Designer stuff? I haven’t (with the exception of a few goodies). It kind of seems like an overall thing, no? Like the Black Friday notices have been way less aggressive this year, though just now they’ve started to slowly ramp up. I’ve been hearing that there has been way too much designer buying (on the side of the stores that is, not that of the consumer), that stores are cutting back. A stylish friend recently told me that The Line’s New York location will be closing. Is this true, everything I’m hearing in whispers about the economic environment for fashion (and especially at the designer price point level)? Can anyone with knowledge shed light?

Nice for Max Mara, not nice on me

For me personally, I’ve cut back on my clothing purchasing for sure. I’m still buying, but mostly basics, things that I know will work (accessories, of course, are the exception). It also helps that a lot of the trends that I like this year are things that just look awful – like those adorable teddy coats like the one above! They just swamp me and even when I wear them there’s this simultaneous feeling that I’m already starting to get sick of the trend. 

The other thing is – I can’t really recall the last time I bought designer clothing. When I do purchase clothes, it tends to be from retailers I feel have good quality and prices – Uniqlo is my current favorite for that, with Everlane close behind. And I still buy brands like Reformation, Theory, DVF (all which I try to get on sale).  It’s interesting, recently I’ve gone back to a bunch of contemporary. And I know it’s totally unreasonable to say this, given that the same holds true for jewelry and bags, but I have trouble paying 10-30X for many clothing items when there are so many decent quality, sturdily constructed items for much less.

What I’m having trouble discerning is whether the way I feel is part of a general phenomenon or if it’s simply my own life stage – I’m at the point where I know a little bit more about what I like, what I feel that I look better in, and plus with kids and all of their associated costs I’m more picky. I never thought I would be more free spending in my twenties than my thirties but at least for clothing, that is definitely the case.

Of course sale season is coming up – this has always been when I do most of not all of my designer clothing purchasing, for the last few years.

So – I’d love to hear from you. Are you buying? Clothes in general? How about designer?