I’ve just finished reading an excellent blog post about the recent hikes in luxury prices, which has gotten me thinking about fashion in general and what’s even relevant anymore.
There’s nothing like a few months of quarantine to make fashion seem entirely superfluous. Where are we going, and who are we going to see anyway? Layer on the implicit showing off that accompanies an expensive purchase, and it’s even more ridiculous when our thoughts are on slightly bigger issues, such as survival.
Good health: that’s the true luxury. But I digress.
At the same time, though, fashion has long had a role in creating optimism and cheering us up: Note the exuberance of Dior’s New Look after World War II when women couldn’t wait to get back into pretty clothes again. Even if it’s an illusion, it’s comforting to put on an outfit that makes you feel life is returning to normal.
The disconnect for me lies with hugely expensive items. If nothing else, the pandemic has forced people to think about what matters to us: the health and safety of people we love. Recent features on how celebrities are “coping” with isolation in their multi-million-dollar, multi-thousand-square-foot bunkers have met with ridicule and pushback. Showing off anyone’s net worth seems particularly tasteless these days.
So, I’m wondering: Are you shopping at all? Planning to shop? Clearing out your wardrobe to keep only the stuff you love? Saving up for a special item? Or none of the above?
Photo by julie aagaard on Pexels.com
Only purchased food during lockdown
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I’ve bought a couple of shirts but that’s been about it. (Plus food and booze, of course.) Maybe the brain really can be retrained 🙂
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hahaha I was going to reply to you with virtual the same list 😉
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I think you’re right in that good health is the truest luxury. Our luxury purchase apparently have been two coffee makers. They keep going on the fritz for some reason, and coffee seems to be a necessity. 😉 – Marty
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Marty, you are so right — coffee is an absolute necessity!!
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I am a big fan of the Real Housewives franchise and have noticed an amplified aversion to the extravagance portrayed on those shows during quarantine. I know it was filmed months ago, but I still find it off-putting, given current circumstances. I live with my fiancé an we have purchased a few pieces of crystal glassware (sets of two). We are drinking at home more than usual and having a beautiful glass to put our beverage of choice in lifts our spirits. I’ve even started using a cut glass tumbler for the glass of water that is a permanent fixture on my desk– definitely superfluous (and a stark contrast to my sweatpants and ugg boots), but it makes me happy!
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