Designer clothing is much better than ordinary High Street clothing. The standard of workmanship and expertise involved in making fashionable creations designed by Chloe, Chanel and Dior bear no comparison to the mass produced outfits found on overflowing racks in shops such as Primark, Asda and other cheaper chains.
Designers such as Dior and Chanel are recognised for the extravagance of their clothing; during the 40s Dior designed a ball gown using 50 ft of crinoline, 36ft of tulle and 13ft of taffeta, along with expensive beading. Almost 700 people were involved in creating Dior's design, and it cost £1000s. Top designers specialise in using expensive materials, creativity and meticulous attention to detail. Their boutiques are found in the most expensive areas of most leading cities, Paris, Rome and London.
Each outfit is a "model" and you would be very unlikely to see anyone else wearing the same outfit, which could be an embarrassing factor when attending a Premiere or high society event.
During the 1960s Jackie Onassis became a "style icon", wearing elegant sharply cut Chanel suits and pill-box hats. People tried to copy the look by purchasing cheaper High Street copies. Today's celebrities are often seen wearing the same designer outfits. Versace, for example, is favoured by the rich and famous. During the 1990s Elizabeth Hurley caused people to stop and stare when wearing a tightly fitting Versace dress, seemingly held together with large safety-pins.
Today's fashion conscious shoppers can however find elegant, less expensive clothing at stores such as Marks & Spencer's Per Una range, Principles and Next. Although their clothing ranges are nowhere near as high in quality either in materials used or quality of production as the ranges of Vivienne Westwood or Chloe, their clothes are well made and long lasting. The prices reflect materials used as well as the lesser costs of mass production and the range of outlets where the clothes are sold.
These days average, ordinary people can rarely afford Chanel or Dior, unless they find designer bargains. With so many fashion shows on TV and fashion coverage in magazines, shoppers enjoy changing styles and shopping for the latest styles. We prefer buying clothes which can be placed in the recycling bin when we have become bored with a particular style.
Top designer items are too expensive, spending at least £500 or £600 for a slip of a dress for most of us to be continually updating and recycling when we become bored. If we have worn the dress for a couple of evenings out we would feel uncomfortable wearing the same item again.
It's much better to spend around £80 or so for an up to the minute, stylish Per Una dress from Marks and Spencer, which we know will be well made, attractive and wearable, without spending a fortune on dresses created by top designers. They may not make the same "fashion statement" as a dress from Versace. But with the difference in cost, the cheaper version is a sensible buy.
