Masstige

For some reason my work colleague H. and I decided to go to the House of Tarjay to check out the 'exclusive' Stella McCartney range that went in store today. So we went down to the one in the Hay St Mall in Perth at 12:30 or so, with gladness in our hearts for the opportunity to spend money neither of us had on stuff neither of us needed.

Observations: it was pretty crowded when we got there and then got more crowded. There weren't many sizes left, well, all the 10s were gone anyway, and I didn't see many 8s. We did not witness any fist fights, abusive exhanges or women trading items for their children, tho I did have to queue for about three minutes for a change room.

I tried on a few items in my usual size, 12, and most of them were utterly huge. Like the grey be-frilled and ruched trenchcoat, which was a medium, and made me look like I'd just rolled off the nearest park bench and headed down to the mall for a spot of begging before rifling through a bin to find breakfast and possibly half a cigarette.

Do not try this look at home. Can result in wearer being offered money by passers-by.

Other items which were also unsuccessful were the wool-cashmere jacket with the little ruching along the mid-chest region -- also far too big in a 12 and the sleeves were weird, as though the lining wasn't sewn in properly. The t-shirts were also similarly enormous and baggy and fairly unflattering on.

I also tried on a pair of blackish skinny jeans which were suited me as much as rolling in tar would have. But I should have known better, as skinny jeans are a creation of the devil, and not in a nice decadent way. No, in an evil evil suffering screams as one burns in the eternal fires of Hades evil.

So I purchased nothing, which is good, as I already have some clothes at lay-buy at Country Road and Morrison. (Look, I went a bit mad with the whole 'have job and money thing'. I'm over it now. And BTW that's Morrison the WA label, not Morrissey the annoying Sydney dude who also makes the odd nice frock. I didn't go that mad.)

Beyond the clothes, I have mixed feelings about the whole idea of 'designer target'.

Masstige, as it's called, is the marketing of 'prestige' items to the masses. Since prestige and exclusivity are impossible to get in abundance and cheapness, I suppose it's all about the double-blind of pretending things are more exclusive than they really are. Selling the sizzle of exclusivity with the steak of ordinariness.

On the one hand, it's nice that you can buy a reasonably trendy top from Target that won't cost you the earth. I have quite a few items of clothing from that store and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Well, mostly.

But on the other, isn't it all all part of this middle class aspirational affluenza, where we're being such busy little consumers of mass-market luxury that we don't take notice of what's around us? That we all feel like we're deprived because we can't afford to buy a real Stella McCartney coat? And so we buy the Target version for a fraction of the price and then we feel better about ourselves? Or do we?

Of course, if you're truly fashion-forward I'm sure you wouldn't be caught dead in anything from Target, regardless of whether or not the Stella imprimatur was upon it. But then, I wouldn't know, because I'm not fashion-forward at all. I'm more fashion-follower, and I'd probably be quite happy wearing the same thing I wore in 1996 only everyone would laff.

In other fashion related business, I saw this at Witchery (another place I buy work clothes from):

Now isn't that nice? Of course what I want to do is knit one exactly like it very similar to that, except maybe without those dinky stupid pockets which would stretch and sag if you tried to put anything heavier than a 10c coin in them.

So far the closest I've come is this one:

Which isn't very similar at all, but it's kinda close enough. I think I'd knit it in a lovely greyish colour out of Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran. Or a much much cheaper substitute, depending on whether or not I was using my kidneys that week. Also sans waist tie thingy and maybe with slightly longer sleeves.

Anyway, if any of youse see a knitting pattern like that let me know. Or mock me for liking nanna clothes. Either's good.

Comments

[Gianna]

far out, you must be a great knitter! how about knitting a few and auctioning them off to other bloggers?

[Ariel]

Nice cardie. Witchery and the one you plan to knit. I'm with Gianna - you could have a nice side business going. I wish I'd paid more attention in Home Ec.

[Helen]

Ripper post Kate. I'm envious of people who can actually knit.

[Kate]

If only I could knit fast enough to make it worthwhile.