Feb 9, 2012

Fashion Cents

Something has been happening to me over recent months. I've started... buying clothes.

Not just any clothes. Non-cheap clothes. Clothes with... brand names.

I've always enjoyed shopping, and particularly snaring a bargain. But over the past year, I've become more and more drawn to the nicer clothes, the better quality stuff. In the fashion world, they don't call them clothes. They call them "pieces".

Don't get me wrong, I still love a bargain. I can't afford most stuff at full price (even if it's "worth it"). But I've started taking true advantage of sales and discounts at places like Myer. 30% off, 40% off, 50% off, even 60% off. Buying clothes that will be practical and stylish for work or play, and not fall apart after a few wears.

Myer is like crack for that s**t.

Anyway, I recently met the lovely Nikki from Styling You, an incredibly popular fashion and beauty blog (for good reason). Nikki is a former journo turned personal stylist, and is a whiz at "creating a look". She mixes garments of varying origin to create sensational outfits that leaves my imagination in a curdled puddle on the floor.

(As a side note, Nikki gets to review beauty products. This means PEOPLE SEND HER BEAUTY PRODUCTS. Seriously, I know it's superficial, but I AM ENVIOUS. I know she's built up a reputation for good writing and balanced opinion, but hey, cosmetic companies, I'm just letting you know I'll sell my soul for a few fruity lip glosses and extra-thick mascara.)

It was through Nikki that I became aware that Coles (yes, the supermarket), now has a clothing line. They're not in every Coles, only the bigger ones with the room. But they're cheap. I checked it out online and there was nothing over $30.

So what did I do? I tossed aside my newfound fashion snobbishness, found the nearest Coles-With-Clothes to me (a good 15 minute drive away) and I WENT THERE TO LOOK.

Oh, it gets better.

It turns out the quality and styles of these cheap Coles garments was pretty darn good. I grabbed about 10 items, and went searching for a fitting room.

"No, we don't have one actually," said the perky brunette attendant when I queried the lack of any curtaining whatsoever. "But you can just try them on in front of the mirror if you like. Lots of ladies do, they're very clever getting them on over and under their actual clothes!"

Cut to me five minutes later, contorting my body behind the end of a clothes rack, in a fit of semi-hysterical laughter as I faced the confronting choice: Whom would I prefer to flash - the check-out chicks, or customers picking up some Birds Eye fillets in the frozen fish aisle?

As I struggled with some pants - and the sad reality that my life is now 'Allo 'Allo like in its level of farce - I began pondering whether expensive clothes are all they're cracked up to be. Sure, I know they're better quality - but do others?

Can you tell the difference between a brand name, and a cheapie?

Let's run a cobbled together pseudo-test.

Below are four photographs of me, in four dresses that I own. They are Black, Pink, Green and Grey.  I haven't dolled them up with any accessories, hair or make-up (that's my excuse anyway). They are as plain as a cracker biscuit.

Let's see if you can match them up with the following descriptions.

1. Cue dress, bought for $97 (reduced from $259).
2. Dress bought from a Bangkok market stall for $14 (haggled down from $16, because I am That Guy).
3. Review dress, bought for $109 (reduced from $279).
4. Coles "Mix" dress, bought for $25 (no discounts. I paid full retail price. Mercy).

Leave your guess in the comments below. And, if it's not already obvious from your name/photo, would you mind noting if you're male or female? Let's just see if the shopping socialisation of the modern woman actually stacks up; or perhaps the fellas might have a keener eye for fashion than we generally give them credit for!

BLACK

PINK

GREEN

GREY

I look forward to seeing your couture choices! Also, your friendly mocking of my poor model posing.

41 comments:

  1. I'm going to go black - Coles, Pink - Bangkok, Green - Review, Grey - Cue

    ReplyDelete
  2. perhaps the fellas might have a keener eye for fashion than we generally give them credit for!
    Probably not me! But I'll join in for (social) science.

    Black: Review
    Pink: Coles
    Green: Cue
    Grey: Bangkok

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's just a guess but I think the Grey one is the Cue dress. Tasteful muted colour, tailored look. It doesn't fit across your bust and I know that the label runs small and tends to assume less than a B cup.

    I think the Black dress is the Review dress, it fits your figure well and from my experience they are well cut to fit a wider selection of the population. It's also a very classic style typical of Review, not too trendy, not too drab, quite the classic little black dress.

    I think the Green may be the Mix dress, it's coming into winter Mix is a new line in stores, you paid full price, and I'd immagine this would be in a winter range. It also has sleeves, Mum's with tuck-shop arms, like me, like sleeves.

    I suspect that the Pink dress is the one you bought cheap in Bangkok. It's bright and summery, just the kind of thing to catch your eye on a stall on the street.

    But really I have no idea. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Male
    grey Coles
    green Review
    pink Bangkok
    black Cue

    ReplyDelete
  5. Black market
    Pink review
    Green cue
    Grey coles

    Melinda

    ReplyDelete
  6. Black - Cue
    Pink - Bangkok
    Green - Review
    Grey - Coles

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great post.
    Black Review
    Pink Bankok
    Green Coles
    Grey Cue

    ReplyDelete
  8. Black - Cue
    Pink - Bangkok
    Green - Review
    Grey - Coles

    Male

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  9. Natalie & Nikki,

    Randomly guessing by a bloke...

    1. Green - Cue dress
    2. Pink - Bangkok market
    3. Black - Review dress,
    4. Grey - Coles

    Are there more criteria for purchasing decisions than price and/or quality?

    Do ethics come into the decision? Fair trade, social responsibility, fair wages, ecological impacts - http://www.storyofstuff.com/

    Last week Coles supermarkets launched a marketing campaign slashing the retail price of selected fresh produce http://www.coles.com.au/Stores-Services/Freshness-Super-Specials.aspx.

    I am specifically concerned about the effects this may have on the supply chain in the food processing sector. There are also concerns about the impacts a fresh produce price war could have on the ecological sustainability of food production in general. Will these short term behaviours by Coles (&/or Woolworths) affect the supply chain in the long term?

    According to their website (http://www.coles.com.au/About-Coles/Sustainability.aspx) Coles are actually committed to finding ways to reduce any negative impact & enhance the environment we live in. As one of Australia's largest retailers, Coles recognises the effect it may have on the environment. Adopting sustainable business practices requires a systems approach. It requires affecting sustainable behaviour as a basis for operating not only within the workplace, but within our communities.

    It would appear that Coles have failed to learn that suppliers need to be recognised as essential to delivery of sustainable procurement outcomes. I am interested to know what steps the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) may take to regulate the behaviour of Coles and/or Woolworths to protect the long term interests of consumers, suppliers, competitors and processors in the fresh produce industry.

    A working definition of Sustainable Procurement provided by Action Sustainability: “Sustainable Procurement is a process whereby organisations meet their needs for goods, services, works and utilities in a way that achieves value for money on a whole life basis in terms of generating benefits to society and the economy, whilst minimising damage to the environment” http://www.actionsustainability.com/evaluation/flexible_framework/

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great post! And I knew you'd like the range - our Coles only just one ONE change room. Apparently other Coles have more.

    And Rowan, you know what? What makes me more cranky is that the cheaper labels are getting the clothes from the same factories as their more expensive chain store cousins ... that worse ethically as the chain stores are not passing on the savings, just taking the profits.

    For real sustainability in clothing, check out the label at Ethical Clothing Australia http://www.ethicalclothingaustralia.org.au/home/home Unfortunately most are out of the price range of everyday Australians who are trying to sustain themselves and their families.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Fun post.

    I reckon, without being able to see the fabric in detail:
    Black - Coles
    Pink - Market
    Green - Review
    Grey - Cue

    Clair Jolliffe

    ReplyDelete
  12. THIS IS SO INCREDIBLY INTERESTING.

    Honestly, I can't tell you how fun I'm finding this.

    I hope there are more comments/guesses today; I'll probably reveal the truth in the next day or so.

    Rowan - you're absolutely right about sustainability, I don't disagree. Bringing in a clothing line is another step towards the Tesco model that Coles has been aping for some years now.

    But as Nikki points out - there's hypocrisy involved in some forms; and for many "ethical" clothes, the price is just too much.

    The Cue and Review brands are both made in Australia, so that's one thing I like about them.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Black - Coles
    Pink - Review
    Green - Market
    Grey - Cue

    Just based on the way Coles doesn't really do colour (LCD?), and Cue seems to be black/grey/tailored. The Green dress has more visible finishing, which tends to be market-y.

    Mandatory mocking : "No Greg! You're staying in that closet til I'm done!"

    ReplyDelete
  14. hmm.. I'm going to stop overanalysing and just go for it:

    Black - Coles
    Pink - Markets
    Green - Cue
    Grey - Review

    ReplyDelete
  15. Pink - Review
    Green - Cue
    Black - Thailand
    Gray - Coles

    ReplyDelete
  16. Pink - Review
    Green - Thailand
    Gray - Cue
    Black - Bangkok

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks Nikki & Nat,

    I appreciate your respective responses. I did not mean to rain on your (fashion) parade....

    The recent behaviour of Coles/Woolies in the fresh produce sector has been a bit of a red rag (to me).

    1. Green - Cue dress
    2. Pink - Bangkok market
    3. Black - Review dress,
    4. Grey - Coles
    5. fur - recycled beaver from the Brisbane Arts Theatre

    Clothing is fraught with ethical dilemmas. It is actually quite difficult to get good information about lifecycle analysis, to make informed choices. Most textiles have both ecological, ethical & economic footprints.

    To be honest, I don't make many purchasing decisions on apparel. I am blessed with a good supply chain of "hand-me downs" & pre-loved apparel.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hey all! This is still SUPER amazing; I am just thrilled at the response.

    Brisbane Times has published the post now; so it's going gangbusters.

    http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/spot-the-difference-fashion-labels-vs-coles-clothes-20120210-1sesi.html

    I was *going* to put up the answers tonight, but now that BT has done it, I'm going to give it an extra day or so to bubble away. Mostly though I want to breakdown the responses and just see exactly what people thought!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I couldn't find the answer on BT!! Can you post it here?

      Thanks :)

      Delete
  19. I'm really hoping that the green one is Coles... so I can go buy it for 25 bucks!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Pink definitely looks like review
    Grey cue
    Black coles
    Green market

    ReplyDelete
  21. Pink market, grey cue, black coles, green review

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  22. I must admit as a mere male, I'd never heard of Review before so I had to do some googling to see what their style is like (although it may have changed since you bought your dress!)

    So anyway my guess is:
    Pink - Review
    Green - Cue
    Black - Bangkok Market
    Grey - Coles

    Now in terms of my preference... I like you equally in the Black and Green, followed closely by the Pink, but to be honest I'm not really fussed by the Grey on you...

    Having said that, I'd now like to see you model them again with the hair and makeup done!
    I'm intrigued now if that would make a difference in the relative opinion of what dresses look best on you? :-)

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  23. Please! Hurry up with the answers. The suspense is killing me!

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  24. I wonder just what a certain retailer thinks when so many of us are picking their very expensive product as being from a Bangkok market?

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    Replies
    1. I went to review and had a look at the dress today. The fabric is better quality than it looks in the photo and the dress is fully lined. The problem with it is that it is a heavier weight than would be comfortable on the days when the weather most suits the style.

      Delete
  25. Pink - Review
    Green - Coles
    Grey - Cue
    Black - Bangkok

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  26. I am prepared to go to bangkok to find that pink dress, just so you know

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I'm backing the pink as being from Review if that makes things easier...

      Delete
    2. Noooooo, I haven't fit into anything from Review in years :(

      Delete
  27. So I googled Coles Clothes, so I know which one that is!
    Grey is Cue, Green Bangkok, Pink Review?

    ReplyDelete
  28. While we're (impatiently!) waiting for the answers, here is what the breakdown of results would be if everyone guessed randomly:

    4.2% of people would get all 4 correct.
    0% would get 3 correct (because if you get 3, then you must get the last one right as well)
    25% would get 2 correct.
    33.3% would get 1 correct.
    37.5% would get them all wrong.

    The average score would be 1.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Results please... we are sitting in the office with our bets placed....

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  30. black has to be from Coles.
    Pink dress w flowers looks very Bangkok market
    Grey from Cue
    Green from Review

    from anonymous female

    ReplyDelete
  31. black - coles
    Pink - review
    Green - Bangkok market
    grey - cue

    ReplyDelete
  32. Natalie,

    "I'm just letting you know I'll sell my soul for a few fruity lip glosses and extra-thick mascara.)"

    How much would (or did) Coles/Wesfarmers pay for this kind of publicity?

    ReplyDelete
  33. Black - Coles
    Pink - Review
    Green - Bangkok
    Grey - Cue

    And I'm a girl :-)

    ReplyDelete
  34. Black - Cue
    Pink - Review
    Green - Bangkok
    Grey - Coles

    ReplyDelete