Like most girls, I love a bargain, but it is becoming
increasingly apparent to me that a bargain is not always a good deal. There is a definite culture of ‘more is more’
these days, where we are encouraged by rigorous and sometimes aggressive
advertising, to believe that we NEED certain things in our lives. I have been guilty of falling for this, in
particular when it comes to shoes, bags, and clothes. I have often ended up spending way more on
lots of ‘bargains’ that I wear only once or never at all, than if I had bought
a couple of items for the same money that I actually loved and wore.
What I have learned, especially over the last
2 years, with the birth and growth of my boutique brand deerohdeer, is that it
is actually much more satisfying to value quality over quantity.
I am not talking about spending hundreds of pounds on top
designer fashion, as for most of us that is simply not feasible. What I mean is that it ‘feels’ so much better
to think about what you really want and be willing to save and spend a little
more or look beyond the high-street for your clothes and accessories, so that
they last and are loved. We all remember
that brooch or necklace that Granny always wore, or that tailored suit Gramps always
wore for Sunday best. Those are items
that were not purchased ‘on a whim’ or because they were ‘a bargain’; they were
saved for, loved and looked good for a lifetime. That generation might not have been rich in
monetary terms, but the money they did have was spent wisely and with thought.
We are privileged in this generation in this country, to
have not lived through a war, where rationing and saving are essential. However, we are living in a difficult
financial climate, so perhaps we should adopt some of the basic principles that
our parents and grandparents grew up with and learn to value what we buy, so
that we have something to hand down to our children that has been loved and treasured. They in turn, might also learn to adopt the
same values.
We also have a responsibility to encourage and support the
immense talent and hard work of Britain’s manufacturers and hand-makers, so
that trade in this country can continue.
There have been a number of ethical issues raised in the media about
slave labour and how out-sourcing cheap manufacture from abroad, without
properly researching how workers are treated and paid, can have a negative
impact on our own economy and simply line the pockets of ‘big wigs’ rather than
those who actually make the product. For
this very reason, it is a fundamental philosophy of my brand, deerohdeer, to work
with other British companies to produce the pieces we don’t make ourselves. If we were to source abroad, it would be done ethically and with thorough research. I know a very good British African designer who does just this and in fact supports charity there, check out her beautiful work, http://kenemasays.blogspot.com/
Finally, I would like to highlight one of the key reasons
why adopting this old-fashioned standard could increase confidence in young
people, rather than squeezing out every ounce of ‘self’ by following the
‘masses’ with ‘fast fashion’ buying.
There is increased pressure on young people to meet the common ‘success
paradigm’; with celebrity role models seen ‘splashing their cash’ in order to
be popular and more beautiful. This is,
as we know, very dangerous and has seen a huge rise in personal debt in Britain,
with store cards and credit cards being the biggest bugbears. There will always be pressure to conform, but
if enough people can openly celebrate individuality, show confidence in
expressing their own style and really think about how and where they spend
their money, perhaps we will begin to witness retaliation against this
destructive culture.
I leave you with a quote from the wonderful Vivienne
Westwood, who has proved success can come from NOT following the masses; “What I’m really saying is, buy less and choose
well… concentrate on quality clothing and accessories that are worth having.”
