Broke-Ass SZers

[crtk001]

Tonight, while writing about how Marxist ideology is used to justify rogue capitalism, much like Zizek's Liberal-Communists who think global and communal good can only come from the spending of capital, it hit me.

I have spent years, looking at, writing about, and now theorizing shit I can't afford.

Then it hit me again, maybe this is why I have such a love hate relationship with fashion.

I can't be the only who's done this...well maybe you guys haven't gone and done a whole thesis and stuff to it...but just for anyone else who wanders these pages with nothing but aspirations, you're not alone...

...banking on that I'm not.





[ There is no point to this but my own self-expression and gratification, feel free to remove the thread with no hard feelings ]

[Faust]

Awesome thread, actually. more thoughts later.

[keilani]

Wow, this is a great thread. I'm currently stuck in this stump now. After being let go from my job, I had to sell alot of my favourite pieces just to pay some bills. Now when a grail piece comes up I can't even buy it. I'm young only 20 and I know I'm not the only one who is in love with fashion and can't afford it. Who wouldn't want to be draped in some Julius and BBS all day and night.

- Broke student, need a job.

[purinsy]

yes, spending time on finding clothes but sadly job first and rick owens see you later. lol. But I do not have hate relationship with fashion. I always love fashion. so I am both kind of fashion voyeur and consumer. Maybe I am not a level of hater towards it.

[kunk75]

great thread. I sold my company a few years ago and had more money than I ever thought I would given I grew up poor as hell with a single parent. I was fairly prudent save for buying more clothing than I ordinarily would have. Unfortunately, the IRS doesn't necessarily like helping you build a business but they love when you get proceeds from its sale! By the time I bought a new house, car, paid off cc debt and taxes, I didn't have much more than I started with. Thankfully my wife just got a full time job after being home with the kids for 12 years. We are trying to get used to living on my base and bonus and freelance since the last check from the sale came a week ago. I guess my lesson is always live according to worst case scenario. A company I did work for years ago paid me in stock and the stock just went public but this time, none of it will go to frivolities; it will all go into college funds and retirement.

What advice can I give to people just starting out in their career? Well, don't chase money early on if you can avoid it. I had a young family and made choices predicated on hitting a certain annual number but my career may have been different if money wasn't an issue. Also, there is a big difference between income and wealth. Even with a high income, without a big nut or lump sum, it is hard to save because people tend to live according to what they make whether that number is high or low.

As far as fashion, I often wish I was content to wear dockers and a polo shirt given that much of my time and money has been devoted to clothing. I have also learned that often, the amount of thought one puts into clothing is often inversely related to how interesting a person is. One of my closest friends wears the worst clothes I can conceive of but is one of the most talented and creative people I have ever met.

Totally tangential side note, but I think sometimes I crap on designers like CCP because right now, his clothes are financially out of reach. It's like the kid who asks the girl out, she says no and he says he didn't want to go out with her anyway because she is ugly.

[Fade to Black]

Now here is a thread I really relate to. With regards to what I do own, I love all of it but a part of me derives an even greater pleasure in my collection of imaginary possessions, looking at SZ, others' fits and wardrobes and philosophies I admire but will never possess, the same with going to stores and trying on an asymmetrical CCP suit whose construction I marvel at, how it fits on my body and for those few minutes imagining myself going to all these places and doing all these things in that getup I'm wearing in the store mirror. Maybe this makes me a romantic but I've always been so much more taken by the wanting and never having than the owning.

[Eye]

Indeed an interesting subject.
It somehow relates to rousseau and his conception of hapiness that occurs while in the process to get/realise a goal and that ends at the very moment it gets satisfied.
The longer the quest, the longer the pleasure
Desire is what moves us, its satisfaction makes us realise the limits of our desires and reflects a concrete and realistic (in a way a restrictive, normatized) aspect of our unique aspirations.
This applies to the clothes and style quest for me. Then comes a less intense feeling, the possession of the desired item, that however last longer
Not sure i'm making a point here but hopefully someone will understand it clearer than i made it

[Faust]

Kunk, I don't mean to criticize you, but I don't' think you realize how out of touch and privileged you sound in your post. "I bought a house in an expensive neighborhood and an Audi and have no debts and now I'm broke" is not exactly comforting to someone like crtk who can't afford to buy a leather jacket even on sale. I'm also not going to get into the whole, "OMG, I have to pay taxes! I don't need no fucking roads and schools." discussion - that's a separate topic. Also, I don't think anyone asked for financial wisdom but for comments about exploring a relationship between things you are interested in but cannot have.

Crtk, I don't think there is much of a solution here . It does get frustrating not to be able to afford clothes (I am now in a privileged position, but I am sure many of us have been/are in that boat) since clothes are meant to be worn and ownership is part of the relationship with fashion. I am not sure what comfort or advice can be offered here.

Then again, I had no designer clothes when I was 20 either. I had this white Diesel sweatshirt though and I thought it was the tits.

[Shucks]

I had this white Diesel sweatshirt though and I thought it was the tits.

pics or it didn't happen

[Czx]

As far as fashion, I often wish I was content to wear dockers and a polo shirt given that much of my time and money has been devoted to clothing. I have also learned that often, the amount of thought one puts into clothing is often inversely related to how interesting a person is. One of my closest friends wears the worst clothes I can conceive of but is one of the most talented and creative people I have ever met.

I'm agreeing with this into infinity.

I love fashion and clothing but I came to conclusion I'm not able to financially justify it currently. I have no job, was running on funds I gathered here and there and just exchanging stuff. But now that almost everything is gone - I can't justify buying more. Even though I have shitload of cash for my age and could well spend it I have to be reasonable. The music production school won't pay for itself and I prefer to sell my CCP boots to buy a car (Jesus, when I even think of it that I own a pair of boots that are worth a car at my age it kind of embarasses me) and have a few months of living left on my bank account just in case. And currently, I came to conclusion that I prefer to buy gear for my studio instead of clothing. It's just more important to me, music is life for me and right now even though I love fashion I can't afford to reasonably support both those hobbies. Studio gear for an electronic musician is expensive as hell, belive me. Software at times even more than hardware. (And what does it matter anyway what I look like if I spend all my days turning knobs, hahahah)

So right now I'm sticking to my small wardrobe, getting rid of all the pieces that aren't necessary to support my clicking around. And I now that more expenses are just going to come as me and my friends will be putting a real recording studio together. I had to set some priorities. And I well prefered a laptop to a coat or two.

When I get a job (30 sent CV's so far, not a single interest) this might change. I may buy a piece or two from time to time as I have the privilege of actually owning the place I will live in in a week or two so only around half of expected income will go towards keeping myself alive and not starving (even though, who knows, new synthesizer might well be worth a week without eating ).

I have no clue how it's going to look in the coming years. My interests that I will pursue throughout my life aren't really a well paying ones in most of the cases. If I will be able to support both those hobbies and live comfortably with my beloved one - I will be the happiest man on earth. But for now I got to stick to what I have, set priorities and wait to see what future will bring.

That being said, I'm kind of sad when I see a piece that I like but can't afford it but I have well more than I should for my age anyway and I should be happy about it - and I am.

/miscellaneous blabbing

[michael_kard]

I don't agree with the idea of unattainability that seems to be the theme here. If you really want to find expensive things for cheap, patience and lots of research will reward you soon enough. To give you an example, a few days ago I bought a beautiful hand-finished Menichetti blazer in excellent shape from 2005 for £5.99. Its quality is higher than most brands discussed here, the design is beautiful and the fit is very slim and not at all dated. Even items from much more coveted brands, from Ann and Rick to Prorsum and Dior, can be found for ridiculous prices on the internet if you know where and how to look.

[Faust]

/\ That is a very good point, but two caveats

a) this has become increasingly harder to do
b) hence it takes even more time and effort which might otherwise be spent on studying and shit!

Shucks, I wish I had some pics! I would pair it with DKNY sports pants, black with blue stripe along the leg and "DKNY" emblazoned in reflective paint. I think I impressed the ladies.

[crtk001]

Completely unexpected and amazing response.

Not to get into too much, I took to fashion rather young and I have explored what first attracted me so strongly to it and the obvious most prevalent reason was it was a form of escapism. Growing up one for four kids with a single parent who went back to college and worked 2 (at times 3) part time jobs, the wealth, decadence, and non-chalance was a complete contrast to my life that I wanted escape from.

In that way it became rather fantastical.

I enjoy Rousseau's theory on desire and it is more the anticipation or longing than obtaining. I enjoy someone brought it up, its hard for me to think as rationally about this.

At this point I've just made things hard on myself, not willing to sacrifice my ideology and my personal work to do grunt work and advertising for some studio.

For those who don't have money and love SZ, I shop kind of where ever, while I may know the terrible practices and in writing rail against it, quite a bit of H&M, some Zara, skate shops, where ever really, but I hold my self strictly to all black, no visible logo or print. Layering is indispensable, layered tanks, old tees tied around the waist like a half skirt, sorry Faust, I have down the legging under the shorts.

Like Faust said, there is no solution, its thread is just for venting really. And I did find it comforting and in an odd way supportive to hear other people's stories.

[Czx]

I absolutely agree with Rousseau's theory. I'm a living example of it in most cases.

And I do the same things, spot cheap things that actually work well and buy them. From wherever, as long as their color suits me and has no logos. Most of my dress shirts are Zara.

[i-d-g]

Like Faust said, there is no solution, its thread is just for venting really. And I did find it comforting and in an odd way supportive to hear other people's stories.

Agreed, this thread is comforting. Like michael_kard said, I can scrounge around the internet and find some gems, but it definitely is hard being 18 years old and working an entry-level job.

I suppose the comfort lies in the numbers of people in similar situations, and knowing that I'm not the only one who looks at the "highlight reel" (WAYWT, recent purchases, and various anecdotes) of the members here and becomes envious.

I remember reading an interesting thread that justified buying expensive clothing, and basically how the price tag is a reflection of the designer's vision, not just the material costs. I have no idea where it was or how long ago it was posted. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, could you offer a link? I've searched various terms and all have been unsuccessful.