I actually get a kick out of being lightly roasted. I'm not a masochist, but I try not to take myself too seriously. Getting roasted helps me stay down-to-earth, makes me laugh, and gives me perspective. I often send my sister pics of my outfit, and she's merciless with her honesty. She'll let me know if I'm veering into clown territory or, like the other day, she asked if I was going for a Pee Wee Herman tribute look.
In my twenties, I drove a ridiculously loud and notably beat-up two-tone car to work. I would actually get texts from people like "Heard you on the highway this morning, hope you’re well!" Rather than feeling embarrassed about parking it beside my boss's sleek Audi each morning, I slapped this bumper sticker on the back:
When I'm glued to my screen too much, my perspective takes a hit. That's when a friendly little roast can snap me back to reality. We easily forget that online we're living in our own little digital bubbles. There's that one person at the dinner table who begins to describe those “constant advertisements for that blue car, you know!” They assume we’ve all been bombarded by the blue car, too. They look around the table for similar reactions, but see only confusion, realizing that each person's online experience is different, shaped by unique algorithms. Occasionally, there's crossover for many of us due to an extravagant marketing budget, leading to that moment no daughter wants — the call from their mother who says: "Honey, what can you tell me about Seed probiotics?" a question no child should ever have to answer. (My mom bought them anyway and she’s doing just great FYI.)
Last week I was devouring Substack's comments and chats about how overwhelming fashion has become with crazy prices and commercialization. I mentioned it to a friend, and she looked at me as if I were speaking a foreign language. She said she doesn't find issues with fashion right now, finds plenty of pricing options when shopping, and isn't really caught up in the high fashion scene. Ruh roh. “Have I lost perspective? Have I been siloed into a rich bitch bubble because I liked one too many posts that were Khaite-coded?” It reminded me of a friend who made a lot of money, moved to some upscale town in California, and was suddenly the poorest rich man around, despite having more than he ever did before. From the outside looking in, his obsession with needing to keep up was insecure and imagined.
That’s where reddit comes in. Sometimes, I turn to this corner of the internet for perspective. I do love reddit but the crowd there can be cranky at times, always ready to hit you with hard truths and show you how smart they are. There are A LOT of people with a lot to say. Being the little detective that I am, I just had to dig in and scoop up all the info I could. I was too curious to understand what the general mood is out there.
Here’s what I tossed to the vultures:
Should I be roasted for the way I feel about fashion right now? How do you feel about quality and prices? What does "mid-range" mean to you?
I've been having some conversations following fashion week and seeing women (the kind who follow ex fashion editors and skew more towards Khaite and The Row) talk about feeling a bit worn out with the whole scene – "fashion seems out of touch." I'm hearing a lot about the quality, pricing and a sense that everything's become a bit too commercial? How does anyone afford this? Why does everyone look the same?
I am curious – is this just a sentiment in the high-end fashion bubble, or are more of us feeling the same way about our clothes, no matter where we shop?
What's your take on the quality and prices of the clothes you're buying, especially compared to years past? I know things have gone up in price and down in quality, but is it more specific to luxury? The cost is just not making any sense and matching up with the quality.
When you hear "mid-range" fashion, what comes to mind? Which brands or stores do you think fit that bill? The places I source from define mid-range roughly as: Sezane, Cos, Doen, Studio Nicholson, Bevza, Maje, Sandro etc. I think it still feels kind of expensive. Do you feel like the divide between cheap and expensive has gotten way wider? Would love to know what "mid-range” brands you shop.
Really what I'm wondering is....do I need to be roasted for getting stuck in a bubble or an algorithm (as it happens to us online) where I've just followed too many rich people who are trying to get richer and I'm stuck in a quiet luxury hellhole? Or is this happening for women who are into fashion just generally?
The Reddit girlies did not disappoint. First of all, pretty much everyone was kind. But they did show up with interesting crowd-sourced info I’d love to share with you.
I am in a rich bitch bubble.
The first step is admission. What I engage with—scrolling, clicking, liking, commenting, saving/favoriting—affects what I’ll see more of. It's like falling into a rabbit hole or a bubble where everything seems similar all day, every day. But that's not all there is to it.
Yes you are in a bubble/algorithm trap. You probably have more outfits than the days in an entire year. You should start shopping your own closet. If you are an adult, you already have a full closet, you know how to dress yourself, and you have more than you realistically need. Focus on replacing things like underwear as needed. Step away from the media that keep feeding you ads. The fashion editors don't know what you personally wear, and the fashion police will not come and get you. Focus on other things that will influence your taste, like art. FunKaleidoscope458
It does sound to me like you're in a bubble, but, to be fair, with the way online marketing and algorithmic sorting works today it is very difficult to be interested in fashion without immediately getting funneled into one bubble or another. And yes, those online bubbles are purposefully trying to skew your idea of what a reasonable clothing budget actually is. TheSSChallenger
I think you're in a bubble but it's the bubble we are all in. The niche stuff can't really be worn to work or "out" without making you "that girl who always wears (hippie clothes, berets, goth)" goog1e
Everyone has a different take on what "mid-range" means in fashion.
So, when we talk about "mid-range" in fashion, it's not black and white. There's a stark difference between what retailers and fashion writers consider mid-ranged compared to what actual humans who buy clothing consider mid-range. When I mentioned brands like Sezane, Cos, and Doen as mid-range, I got hit with some "Alright, Richie rich, you delulu?" energy. These brands actually feel pretty pricey to a lot of people —more like high-end stuff. Typically, mid-range means spending without breaking the bank, like treating yourself to a meal out once in a while. It's not about making big purchases that need a lot of hand wringing. Personal budgets and lifestyles obviously change what mid-range means to each person. Take Madewell, for instance—it actually felt unreachable for me like 10 years ago, but now, I might buy a pair of jeans there, though I generally still shop sales. With designer clothes or more high end brands, I’m always buying resale or second hand. As someone who's battled credit card debt in the past, those "affordable" $79 jeans can easily turn into a $300 headache after years of interest. Even if you can TECHNICALLY afford it, that doesn’t mean it always makes sense as a purchase. It's not just about the price tag—it's about what feels valuable and affordable in our own closets.
Doen as midrange? From where I am I've always seen it as expensive. I could afford one of their dresses, but I would feel so gross spending around $250 on one item that wasn't shoes or a bag HeraRebels
I have generally loved the brands you are talking about, but for me they are not midrange unless I am buying them from poshmark. Midrange to me is J Crew/ Banana Republic (and yet without clearance prices those are still kind of a stretch for my budget.) Something I find upsetting is the absolute trash quality I’ll find in some places with a similar price range. Anthropologie can be good to look at but they stock labels that are truly no better than Old Navy/H&M. It’s wild. FeistyCoral
I love the look of Sandro and maje, but they are not midrange for my budget. I have a pair of black Sandro suiting pants that were expensive and good quality but I wouldn't pay those prices for more casual or trendy items from either of those brands. I usually buy J.Crew and Madewell, which I consider midrange for my budget (meaning that I don't mind if I pay full price, but are often on sale). I also like Rag & Bone, Theory, and Vince, which I think are good quality, not super trendy, and are often on sale.OkDepartment2849
LOL midrange to me is JCPenneys and Dillard’s maybe some Macys although that just screams overpriced for what you get tmccrn
Quality has suffered, and figuring it out isn't easy.
It doesn’t just differ from brand to brand, but piece by piece within that brand! You might find yourself in a store, marveling over the impeccable stitching of a blazer, only to find a dingy, subpar shirt right next to it. My friend told me she loves Parade for their ribbed bike shorts but that their non ribbed bike shorts are no bueno! Their bras are great, but sweatpants are hot garbage! Truly psychotic. Many mid-range brands seem to offer nothing more than Target-quality products at inflated prices, leaving buyers questioning whether they might as well stick to shopping at Target. There's no price bracket that guarantees top-notch quality in return for your cash. Even luxury brands can disappoint. That's why it's crucial to school yourself on clothing: understand proper fit, recognize quality construction, and definitely master the art of garment care. I’m writing a guide on how to do this now and will send it out to subscribers soon. The only surefire way to secure a worthwhile purchase is by knowing precisely what constitutes quality.
The gap has narrowed in terms of quality imo but it’s piece by piece specific. You can’t trust that a brand that costs 10x will have a quality product anymore it seems as the brands all become marketing profit machines. Foxyloxyx
So out of curiosity I looked at luxury brands. And, they are polyester. And synthetics. For pants that are thousands. I am not rich but I can splurge on an occasional item, and I have no desire to do so if what I am getting is similar to quality of something 10-20x cheaper. SnarkyLalaith
Depreciation in quality despite increasing costs is a concern, and a real one. We're seeing sweaters which were once 100% becoming blends, stitching is getting inconsistent, and generally showing the wear of fast fashion (fast fashion exists in all price brackets - it's about how it's made and the fashion cycle, not the cost). notexcused
Thrifting is the life, the truth, and the way
For a lot of people it is important to experience fashion in the material realm. It’s a luxury to feel actual clothes in your hand and on your body, even to be able to smell them, before buying. You might casually scroll past a garment on Poshmark without a second thought, but in a thrift store, the same item could turn out to be of exceptional quality and exactly what you're looking for. I personally love thrifting, but I know it’s not for everyone, some people couldn’t be more disinterested, or lack the luxury of time to sift through clothes but it is a great option to remember in addition to resale sites.
I have never had more fun with fashion than I've had when I was off my phone, off my computer, just kicking around in thrift stores and trying to make a style out of other peoples' garbage. You touch it, you wear it, you live in it, you tell your story through it. When you can do that, fashion can be extremely fun and very fulfilling even if your budget it fairly limited. But living vicariously through pictures of other peoples' fashion is not meant to be satisfying, that's why fashion companies spend so much money feeding you these images in the first place. TheSSChallenger
Thrifting is truly That Girl. I truly believe this because in the thrift store, clothes and pieces are taken fully out of context. Sure, maybe you can look at the tag, but your first impression is how the fabric feels, the structure of an item, the form factor -- and it starts kicking your brain into high gear thinking about how it could be styled and layered and reimagined, because you're not seeing it on a pretty model in a certain look alongside a certain brand aesthetic, you're seeing it as it is. Stuff is often separated from its original set, and that's a blessing. Lace overlays missing underslips, straps miscategorized into belts, miscellaneous unknown items for you to figure out. I find this kind of environment perfect for reinvention and true creativity, and I find that the exercise begins translating over into traditional shopping as well. mini-mal-ly
Ignoring trends/brands/the noise is actually starting to feel like a super power.
I love learning about new trends and brands but I’d say 94% of them don’t work for me. A lot of quiet luxury looks don’t work for me because I have boobs, resulting in my looking like a Soviet School Marm. With the trend cycle moving at lightning speed, people are beginning to look uncomfortable in their clothes. You can almost sense it when someone is dressed for someone else. I believe garments created and marketed this way rarely turn out to be thoughtful, truly quality pieces.
I get further and further away from understanding what is fashionable. On the one hand, I feel like there is more leeway now. But I often wonder whether fashion is more flexible or if more people are fed up with keeping up with it. Either way, I enjoy the expanded flexibility to wear more of what I want. The rapid pace and extreme nature of a lot of new trends make everything feel almost cosplay? I don’t have enough time to get comfortable with a new trend before it’s already on to something else, so I’ve stopped bothering unless it’s really permeated. tallulahQ
I'm in my mid-30s and what I've noticed is that when you REALLY love something, it may go off-trend for a few years... but then the trend is far enough in the rear view mirror that the piece doesn't immediately look 'outdated' anymore, especially if you style it in new ways and if you're not the type to chase the hottest trends in the first place. bachandbacchanalia
People are learning to sew (a great way to learn about clothes) and even custom ordering clothes!
Making something yourself that fits your body perfectly and with fabrics you like sounds wonderful. Many people are taking up sewing to learn more about fit, fabric, and to make clothes perfect for their body shape. For the less craft inclined and impatient people (ahem, me) I thought it was brilliant that people were also turning to seamstresses on places like Etsy and having their clothes custom ordered. If you could choose between shelling out for a top you see online that may or may not fit perfectly versus paying the same price for someone to make it custom fit for your body? Seems like a no brainer.
This is why I took up sewing in 2023. Imagine making something that fits you perfectly and having your pick of top-quality fabrics! So far I've made two t-shirts (cut up men's fit tees and spliced them with fun fabrics of my choosing), a skirt of beautiful turquoise linen, two pairs of pajamas pants, two pairs of underpants, a tote bag, and am almost done with my first dress. atreeofnight
The biggest game changer was when I started looking into made-to-order or made-to-measure custom clothes from etsy or other small online shops. The quality is way better than what I get from stores, without the price markups. It's not luxury, but it's better than any contemporary or other brands. It's also nice working with people who can make adjustments, have a craft, treat their customers with decency, and who make items I can wash at home! Ysabeaublue
There’s so many gems - I couldn’t include them all. If you want to see the entire conversation, you can check them on reddit here and here. It was fun and enlightening to see these conversations. Would love to hear what you have to contribute as well. Tell me what you’re thinking in the comments below.
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I love this post and I love your newsletter! I follow a lot of fashion 'stacks, the authors and commenters of which seem to have intimidatingly massive clothing budgets. It makes me feel like the poorest lil bitch in the rich bitch bubble. Thank you for this perspective check!
Such a brilliant thing to do to get the POV a much larger slice of the population!!
Setting aside for the moment that the discourse on here is largely from a Eurocentric POV (its readers and writers, and the brands mentioned) and focusing just within these populations, I wrote in one of these recent numerous posts/threads that the Substack world represents a tiny proportion of IRL fashion consumers. Even the ones who are interested in fashion! Lots of people love fashion, shopping, dressing up, but could care less about the minutiae that we go into on here.
It’s super interesting to me to see the impact that this little ecosystem has on our perception of reality!!