#GG Marmot Belt Bag

[womenofwrestlingfashion]

Ariana Sunglasses from Jimmy Choo ($479), Moe Overall Mini Dress in Cove from Ser.o.ya (on sale: $75), GG Marmot Belt Bag in White from Gucci (n/a) & Arizona Soft Footbed Sandal in White from Birkenstock ($140)

[studiocrawfish]

on fashion’s hypocritical exclusivity

One of the key aspects of wealth, and by extension, luxury fashion, is a culture of aspiration. We aspire to climb the economic and social ladders, and participating in fashion’s fabricated — see what I did there? — exclusivity helps us buy into a dream of somehow attaining the unattainable. Emulating the ruling class lets us believe that we can rise above our stations and become more, become powerful. If I just get that bag, if I’m able to afford these shoes, I’ll have made it. As soon as our material dreams become actually attainable, they are deemed undesirable and tacky by the taste-making rich. Once the styles are co-opted by the lower class, a trend is dead. If knock-offs are sold at Walmart, if you can get the same look without taking out a second mortgage, it’s time to move on to the next “it” item. The way that trends die has less to do with our shrinking attention spans than we think.

Take, for example, the Gucci Marmot belt. Gucci’s haute-couture designs grace the figures of the rich and famous, but the GG belt can be found in the closets of everyone from bloggers to upper-middle class moms to sorority girls. Knock-offs can be found on Wish and in small town boutiques. Now that it has become part of the mainstream, it is no longer aspirational. We don’t want something everyone has, and if the PTA president can get her hands on a Gucci branded belt, the dream is dead. Is it really the flashy logo we find so offensive, or is it simply because those belts are more accessible than other items in their extensive archive? If an influencer with millions of followers was spotted with a Michael Kors tote, it’d sell out in seconds and they’d be lauded as a style icon. If Jane Doe from Raleigh got one, we’d assume it was from Belk’s Black Friday sale, or from Nordstrom Rack. Champion sweatshirts used to be a sign you shopped at discount stores, now, they’re marked up on Depop.

It goes beyond specific articles of clothing to patterns, fabrics, and even language. If a trend doesn’t die, the way it’s worn dictates its trendiness. When on white, thin, wealthy people, a style is “elegant”, but on anyone else, it’s trashy and in poor taste. Leopard print is a staple in “high-class”, elegant wardrobes, but it has a negative association when worn by the lower class. Do today’s influencers really have good style, or does their whiteness and wealth trick us into believing so? They often wear styles cherrypicked from the cultures of POC, and are praised for wearing clothes others were bullied for. The same can be said for the rich dressing in clothing that is deliberately distressed, while those who wear their clothes until they are naturally distressed are mocked for their “sloppy” dress. The exclusive nature of both high and mainstream fashion is hypocrisy doled out by those who dictate what is in and what is out. Anything is “in” if you have the capital to make it so. To truly be immune to the death of trends and make anything seem Pinterest-worthy, you must possess at least one of the following: wealth, whiteness, and a slim figure, but having more helps immensely. 

I am privileged in that because of my whiteness, there is a level of assumed wealth that comes along with it. While not model thin, I fit relatively within society’s idea of a fashionable body, and I can dress in any way I please. Those who do not fit in with this ideal do not have the same luxury. Do I have “good style”, am I someone with a true eye for fashion, or am I buying in to the capitalist and classist notions of luxury and exclusivity? There is no rhyme or reason to the styles that become enviable, it is mere artifice separating us from the wealthy aesthetics and lifestyles we crave. That belt isn’t going to make you rich, fashion houses are just dangling arbitrary items in our faces with the promise that these “it” pieces will catapult us to stardom. Exclusivity breeds aspiration, and marketing tactics allow the mind under capitalism to justify fashion, true capital “f” Fashion, being held at exorbitant cost.

[kentonramsey]

Live Your Best Gucci Life in These Vintage and Secondhand Bags, Shoes, Tees, and More

Over the past year or so, I've been on a huge vintage and thrifting kick; from Gucci to Max Mara and Chanel, I've been very lucky to find some truly amazing pieces secondhand. While certain retailers and brands are still very much on my shopping radar, lately I've been the most excited about pre-loved treasures I've discovered in thrift stores, the local bazaar that sets up in my neighborhood on Sundays, and via online recommerce sites like The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, What Goes Around Comes Around, Fashionphile, Rebag, and 1stdibs as well as the vintage and pre-owned sections at stores like Shopbop, Farfetch, Reformation, and Urban Outfitters. Fun fact: Nordstrom just launched a curated section of gently used clothing and accessories called See You Tomorrow (this will definitely be a new go-to for me!). Due to said kick, I've got secondhand designer on the brain and, right now, Gucci is at the top of my list. (Fanny Moizant, co-founder and president of Vestiaire Collective told me that Gucci became the top-selling brand on the site in 2019 for the first time and in the past year, the retailer has seen a 39% increase in sales; was I subconsciously influenced?!)

The thing about luxury brands like Gucci? Certain cult items are so hard to get your hands on. (Moizant told me the top Gucci styles known for maintaining their value include the Dionysus, GG, Marmot, Princetown, and Zumi, which Sarah Davis, president and founder of Fashionphile seconded, adding that she's seen year-over-year growth in sales for Gucci belts and the Ophidia collection.) That's where the secondhand market really comes in handy. You can typically always find buzzy pieces in excellent and gently worn conditions from bags to shoes and clothing. Since certain classic items never go out of style, the resale value remains high, which is great in terms of investing in a piece. Of course, in certain cases this means you're not getting that much of a discount, but if and when you decide to sell an item, you can feel good knowing you'll get a solid payout if it's well-cared for.

If you've got the Gucci bug like me, ahead, shop my edit of vintage and secondhand bags, shoes, t-shirts, and more from newly-released styles to archival gems from the Tom Ford era and beyond.

Related:

100+ Vintage and Secondhand Chanel Pieces We're Losing Our Minds Over

Live Your Best Gucci Life in These Vintage and Secondhand Bags, Shoes, Tees, and More published first on https://mariakistler.tumblr.com/

[talldrink-o-h2o]

Fashion: Shopping at Gucci

There’s an old saying that goes something like, “You can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning.” I think that could really summarize how Pam and I spent a Saturday when I visit her. She says we “flit around” the city, basically starting with brunch and then going wherever the mood strikes us.

The last weekend in November, I visited Pam in Chicago to celebrate her birthday. As per usual, I got in early on Thursday. We failed to eat much that day, but what we lacked in food, we made up for in champagne. Which explains why at brunch the next day, we both felt terribly, pushing around the food on our plates. But in our typical style, we decided we’d go from brunch directly to Nordstrom for a bit of shopping.

I wasn’t really looking for anything – I never really am – so said that what I’d be interested in would be buying one of the Gucci GG belts that, by now, everyone owns. Pam, too, also wanted one of the belts. But first, we browsed through shoes, bought over-priced designer sunglasses neither of us needed, got our makeup done at a NARS event, and then went in pursuit of the belts. Now this sounds like we were being somewhat efficient, when really, our bodies were rebelling against us and most of the day was spent discussing how terrible we felt and how we needed someone to do our makeup to cover up the shame.

It turns out that this Nordstrom doesn’t carry Gucci belts – an oversight, I believe, on the hands of their merchandising department. But Pam is a problem-solver, and suggested that we work our way north on Michigan Ave to the Gucci store. But first, we must eat, and this time, attempt to actually do more than stare at the food we ordered.

We walked to a nearby restaurant. Pam, along the way, said that she could use some coffee. Me? I had realized that in lieu of a three-hour nap (what I really needed), the only way I would kick this hangover would be wine.

 “You can have coffee. I want wine.” I declared.

“Oh. I was just getting coffee because I thought that’s what you wanted.” Which is how we ended up with a bottle of wine as well as salads and cheese for lunch. Still not entirely a full meal, but certainly more than we consumed the night before.

Drink Count: 2

We then made our way to the Peninsula Hotel, to their rooftop bar. There I decided to go with an Old Fashioned and then a glass of Champagne. Pam had two glasses of champagne and we sat watching a bridal party take pictures and listened to one of the already-intoxicated groomsmen inappropriately hit on unsuspecting female patrons at the bar.

Drink Count: 4

Next we journeyed to a hair salon a few blocks over and got blow-outs, for no other reason than we had our makeup done, so why not our hair? There we each consumed the complimentary sparkling wine they offered.

Drink Count: 5

Feeling great and now, at roughly 7PM, we made it to the two-level Gucci store, which was conveniently located around the corner from the hair salon. We asked about the belts to a salesperson on the all-but-deserted main floor and were directed upstairs, a floor which couldn’t have been busier. We couldn’t get the attention of any salesperson and a quick scan told me they didn’t have the particular belt I wanted.

I pulled it up on my phone so that when Miguel, the reluctant salesman, approached me, I identified specifically what I wanted. Pam, too, decided she wanted one – a similar style slightly thinner in width – and Miguel was on his way.

To pass the time, we ventured over to the sunglasses section, something we each had already bought that day at Nordstrom and started trying on pairs. Gucci has this ability to go from somewhat subtle to straight gaudy in a heartbeat. Laughing at a particularly obnoxious pair, I had Pam take a picture of me in them. A nearby sales associate – not Miguel – scolded me. Pictures weren’t allowed in the store. Had I not been five drinks in, I would have felt embarrassed. Instead, I laughed it off and got my phone back from Pam.

Miguel magically found both belts for us and we then added sunglasses neither of us needed to the belt purchase. At this point, I was thirsty, so asked for two glasses of champagne. Feeling emboldened, I asked Miguel if he could show me the Dionysus, a style of bag I have been eyeing since visiting the Gucci store in Venice in 2016.

We walked down the stairs, back to the empty street-level floor, and started looking at the bags of my choice. Pam next spotted one she liked – the Marmot camera bag. It came in three sizes, so, like the person I am, I just asked Miguel the price of each. Pam was maybe a little horrified but it did help with the decision-making process.

In the midst of her trying them on, I discovered I had misplaced my phone. I alerted Miguel to the matter guessing it was by the sunglasses case and he ran back upstairs to see if he could find it. A separate salesman came back to replenish our now-empty glasses. I placed my hand in my coat pocket and discovered I had actually put the phone there. Oops. Sorry Miguel.

We left the store each with a belt, pair of sunglasses, and a new purse.

Drink Count: 7

Shopping done, we went back to Pam’s where we split another bottle of wine. We went to dinner, barely ate, barely touched the glass of wine we each ordered, and were in bed by 10.

Total Drinks Each: 9

[kentonramsey]

Live Your Best Gucci Life in These Vintage and Secondhand Bags, Shoes, Tees, and More

Over the past year or so, I've been on a huge vintage and thrifting kick; from Gucci to Max Mara and Chanel, I've been very lucky to find some truly amazing pieces secondhand. While certain retailers and brands are still very much on my shopping radar, lately I've been the most excited about pre-loved treasures I've discovered in thrift stores, the local bazaar that sets up in my neighborhood on Sundays, and via online recommerce sites like The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, What Goes Around Comes Around, Fashionphile, Rebag, and 1stdibs as well as the vintage and pre-owned sections at stores like Shopbop, Farfetch, Reformation, and Urban Outfitters. Fun fact: Nordstrom just launched a curated section of gently used clothing and accessories called See You Tomorrow (this will definitely be a new go-to for me!). Due to said kick, I've got secondhand designer on the brain and, right now, Gucci is at the top of my list. (Fanny Moizant, co-founder and president of Vestiaire Collective told me that Gucci became the top-selling brand on the site in 2019 for the first time and in the past year, the retailer has seen a 39% increase in sales; was I subconsciously influenced?!)

The thing about luxury brands like Gucci? Certain cult items are so hard to get your hands on. (Moizant told me the top Gucci styles known for maintaining their value include the Dionysus, GG, Marmot, Princetown, and Zumi, which Sarah Davis, president and founder of Fashionphile seconded, adding that she's seen year-over-year growth in sales for Gucci belts and the Ophidia collection.) That's where the secondhand market really comes in handy. You can typically always find buzzy pieces in excellent and gently worn conditions from bags to shoes and clothing. Since certain classic items never go out of style, the resale value remains high, which is great in terms of investing in a piece. Of course, in certain cases this means you're not getting that much of a discount, but if and when you decide to sell an item, you can feel good knowing you'll get a solid payout if it's well-cared for.

If you've got the Gucci bug like me, ahead, shop my edit of vintage and secondhand bags, shoes, t-shirts, and more from newly-released styles to archival gems from the Tom Ford era and beyond.

Related:

100+ Vintage and Secondhand Chanel Pieces We're Losing Our Minds Over

Live Your Best Gucci Life in These Vintage and Secondhand Bags, Shoes, Tees, and More published first on https://mariakistler.tumblr.com/