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Tuesday, 3 January 2012

A Bargain... not always a good deal

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.”