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Welcome to the channel. This week handbag embellishments take on garment embellishments
in a battle to determine which trend is the best one for your capsule wardrobe.
Hey everyone. Welcome back to Working Look, where we talk about trends, capsule wardrobes
and sustainable fashion. This week it's all about trends, in particular two of the top
trends for spring: embellishments on clothing and embellishments on our handbags. Which
one do you think is the best capsule wardrobe investment for you?
This season even your handbag needs accessories. Fear not if you've lost some of the love for
your Fendi bag, because now you can add another little Fendi monster to your Fendi monster
bag for a mere more $1500. If you really want to invest in this trend, how about opting
for a miniature sized real Fendi bag, made with real leather and real rabbit fur? It's
only $2200.
Am I talking big money? Do you want this to be a little more accessible? Fear not, you
can get a Burberry plaid bear and add it to your Burberry bag for a mere $200.
So this is the jazzing up our accessories trend. It's being done with these miniature
keychains that are a replica of the bag or embrace the iconography of the bag in some
key way. It's also being done stickers. You can decorate your bag with stickers - again,
usually they're "on brand"and emblematic of the logo of the brand.
So how does this trend compare against our other competitor: embellishments on clothing?
Embellishments in the form of sequins, rhinestones and beading were all the rage on the catwalks
for spring 2016. We saw this at Prada, Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs, amongst others.
This look subverts an aesthetic that has been dominate for quite awhile now, the minimalist
aesthetic in fashion. This is ultra glam. Sometimes it's ultra, feminine, night life
glam and other times it's 80's rock glam, but either way, it definately takes centre
stage. What's new and cool about this trend is that it's all about embellishments for
day time. Now I really like embellishments and not only because I like shinny things,
although I do, but I think it's great to add a little sparkle in your daytime gear. The
other thing I love about this trend is that a capsule wardrobe really benefits from having
powerful statement pieces. So if you bought a great sequinned skirt, for example, you
could wear it now pairing it up with another glammed out, embellished piece and then in
later seasons, tone it down wearing it a plain t-shirt or something a little bit more conventional
to soften the look. I think it's great to have these statement pieces in our wardrobe.
But there is a downside to this trend. If you're going to buy embellished pieces in
the fast fashion model, for example, basically anything at a mall for the most part (but
some stores are a lot worse than others) ... if you're not willing to invest in this trend
and get something that's a bit more high end, there's a high probability that the piece
you buy will have been manufactured using child labour. This is because it's cheaper
to get children in third world countries to do this sewing than it is but a sewing machine
that does the same kind of work and small hand, apparently, are more apt at this intricate
work.
I'll put a link down below to give you some more information about that. If you are however
willing to invest in a knockout piece that you can have for many seasons to come, than
this concern wouldn't apply, but it is something to think about in deciding how well the trend
will work for your capsule wardrobe.
So which of these two trends do we like best for our capsule wardrobe - decorating our
bags or decorating our garments?
If you couldn't tell already, I'm opting for the embellished garment look. I think it makes
a powerful statement. The other thing is that I really hate this version of the decorating
our bags trend. Now it's not that I don't appreciate the idea of extending the canvas
upon which we can be creative, upon which we can accessorize, because I think that's
a cool concept. What I don't like about this incarnation of the trend is that it's essentially
about adding more logo to your logo. If you know me at all, you know I am not against
designer wear, I am actually quite fond of it. I think purchasing designer pieces can
be a big step forward to sustainability. Usually designer pieces are better crafted; they last
for the long-term and also, whether it's true inherent quality or just perceived value,
the social mystique of a designer piece, the fact that we attribute that value to a designer
piece means we're much more likely to take care of it, to wear it for a long time, to
enjoy it for seasons to come - and that's more sustainable.
What I don't like about this particular designer trend, is that you're not getting any of the
utility or any of the craftsmanship of a real garment. You can't use this, wear it or enjoy
it for seasons to come. You're literally just buying another logo to put on your logo and
I just think it's kind of a scam.
I want to know what you think! Do you like the idea of decorating your handbags? What
do you think about the dramatic embellishments that are showing up this season? Are you into
it? Tell me down below. I want to chat. If you haven't done so already, please do subscribe
to the channel and I look forward to seeing you next Saturday here on Working Look.