“OK, I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select that lumpy, loose sweater, for instance, because you’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back, but what you don’t know is that that sweater is not just blue. It’s not turquoise. It’s not lapis. It’s actually cerulean.” And so begins Miranda Priestly’s famous monologue from The Devil Wears Prada in which she totally schools Anne Hathaway’s character on her complicity with the fashion world.
Miranda’s diatribe hints at many things in the fashion industry, including the trickle-down effect. Ever heard of it? According to the economists whose ideas are summarized quite neatly on Wikipedia, it is the passing down of products and trends from upper to lower classes. Apply this to fashion and it makes perfect sense. High-end designers that most people dream of wearing will present a style at their runway show and then months later (nowadays, it can be even quicker than that), iterations of the trend are in every high-street store. As someone who admires high-end brands, but unfortunately can’t afford them (#StudentBudget), I love the trickling-down of these ideas so I can have at least some stake in the big, bad world of high fashion.
At the same time, there are criticisms of this theory. For example, it completely ignores the creativity of lower-end retailers, thus belittling them. Yes, stores like Topshop or Zara make lots of designer dupes, but they also make countless unique pieces that show their ingenuity and design strength. Fashion is a huge industry and we should value the skills of all design houses, not just those with hallowed names and high price points.
When I spotted this bright, vertical striped, off-the-shoulder dress on Asos, I couldn’t quite figure out if this dress was an homage to the high-end designer Mara Hoffman or just another standard summer garment. Mara Hoffman is known for bright colors, bold prints, and beach-ready silhouettes and this dress does hit all three of those requirements, but it is by no means a copy. The Mara Hoffman connection might be a bit far-flung, but when I wear this $30 dress I feel not only grateful for the folks over at Asos for making me feel designer, but also impressed that they’ve designed another vacation-ready look.
Let me know your thoughts on the trickle-down effect in the comments below. What fallacies do you see in that theory? Write it in the comments below!
What I’m Wearing: Sunglasses // Dress // Bag // Shoes
